Taking little ones on a plane

spartacusthe1st

I have two dd's one 6 and the other 3.
We are going to visit my mum is Spain in oct,she is on the outbound journey with us but we are making the trip back just the 3 of us.

Dd6 has been on a plane quite a few times and is v well behaved and dd3 has never been on a plane.

I'm trying to get some ideas to entertain them both,particularly the 3 year old,she can be quite a handful and not much keeps her attention for long!

We are only taking hand luggage as my mum lives in Spain and has quite a few bits n pieces at her house for us (clothing/wash stuff etc)
So there won't be much space in our bags!

Any ideas much appreciated!!

dancingfairy

colouring? Don't know whether you can take music players on/headphones at all? little travle games/puzzle book/reading book for the older one/eye spyon a plane? You never know the 3 year might be fascinated by the whole getting on, getting off, cloud gazing, seeing the hostesses, wondering what the pilot is doing etc etc. Maybe you could read the little one a story? I presume it's what a couple of hours actually on the plane itself?
df

spartacusthe1st

Yes fairy it's about 2 1/2 hours I think.
Thanks for the ideas, I wonder if pilots let kids in to the cockpit these days?or if they ever did in this country?

Walk_Me_Home_Cheddar

I bought this for my little boy (aged two and a half) for on the plane and we tend to take it when we go to restaurants etc. It's great because there's no mess and it's squashy so it doesn't take up lots of space:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tomy-Aquadoodle-Travel-Drawing-Green/dp/B005EROQ0E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1347955295&sr=8-3

I also bought a couple of the mini mats that work on the same principle where you use the water pen to reveal the picture (they do them for most of the popular TV characters).

My six year old niece usually wants a go too!

SqueekyMouse

Children used to be allowed in the cockpit, but alas not any more.

What keeps your 3yo occupied on long car trips?

A couple of hours strapped into a car doesn't have to be so different from a couple of hours on a plane. Apart from the novelty of flying of course!

barbarawright

spartacusthe1st wrote: »

Yes fairy it's about 2 1/2 hours I think.
Thanks for the ideas, I wonder if pilots let kids in to the cockpit these days?or if they ever did in this country?

They may have done but since 7/11 absolutely nobody who isn't crew can go in the cockpit when the plane is in flight so please don't get your kids excited at the prospect!

If you google -children planes entertaining - loads of site come up with ideas

spartacusthe1st

Thanks Barbara,and squeaky mouse-she's fine in the car I guess it's the thought of her not being strapped in and having the choice of swapping seats/roaming the aisle/toilet trips every 10 mins that's worrying me!

Il have a look at that website!

spartacusthe1st

Walk_Me_Home_Cheddar wrote: »

I bought this for my little boy (aged two and a half) for on the plane and we tend to take it when we go to restaurants etc. It's great because there's no mess and it's squashy so it doesn't take up lots of space:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tomy-Aquadoodle-Travel-Drawing-Green/dp/B005EROQ0E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1347955295&sr=8-3

I also bought a couple of the mini mats that work on the same principle where you use the water pen to reveal the picture (they do them for most of the popular TV characters).

My six year old niece usually wants a go too!

Thanks for the suggestion,she has a few of the smaller packs and also the rainbow large one so I think the novelty has gone out the window :0)

balletshoes

spartacusthe1st wrote: »

Thanks Barbara,and squeaky mouse-she's fine in the car I guess
it's the thought of her not being strapped in and having the choice of swapping seats/roaming the aisle/toilet trips every 10 mins that's worrying me!

Il have a look at that website!

thats easy to solve - tell her she has to keep her seatbelt on . Every time we've flown with my daughter as a toddler, theres been no wandering in the aisles, no seat-swapping at all after take-off. You've got take-off, landing, and maybe an hour and a half in between to entertain her. Get her a snack and a drink, read a story together, give her a new sticker book and some stickers and colouring pencils once you've taken off, to keep her busy for a little bit.

SmallL

When i was about 5/6 i went on a 12 hour flight to thailand, i remember sleeping over both parents most the way! i think the staff gave me a little bag with bits for children to play with too!

But honestly i made the same trip when i was 10-12 and 17 and the older i was the more bored i was!!! As now i find it hard to sleep on transport so im sat twiddling my fingers whilst everyone around me sleeps!

spartacusthe1st

I have been looking on amazon got the older one some horse top trumps she loves horses!also a magnetic noughts and crosses game to play with nanny!she will take her ds and will also get her a magazine.

Dd3......sticker book,magazine,colouring book and some snacks.
It's all quite thin and small so will have lots of room left in our bags!

I was looking at a mini magnetic fishing game thing where the fish go up and down it was only £2.50 and would have been ideal as it was a wind up one as well but the postage was four pound odd!

Thanks for all the suggestions!!