Games to Play with Your Child on an Airplane

Flying in an airplane can be rough especially if you have a child with you. Flights are long, and with delays being so common at airports these days they can feel even longer. Many children will get restless from sitting still and being bored but you can help prevent an unhappy kid during your journey by having some games to play with them. Playing with your child with give them positive attention from you without them having to act out in a negative way to get it. You, and the passengers around you, will appreciate this during a long flight.

One of my favorites is to have a scavenger hunt for things on the ground. Obviously, your child will need to have a window seat for this one. You can print out a list of things such as bridges, rivers, lakes, boats, swimming pools, tennis courts, baseball fields, mountains, and other things that can be seen from the air. Have your child check the object off when they spot each one. This game is especially good if your child is afraid of taking off or landing because the game can help distract them during this time.

"I Spy With My Little Eye" is a great game for an airplane or airport because it does not require anything other than your brains to play. The game works by one partner saying "I spy with my little eye something [insert color word here]." It is the other person's job to guess what you were spying. Once they guess, you flip and play opposite rules. Another similar game is 20 Questions in which one person thinks of something and the other gets to ask 20 questions to figure out what you are thinking of. Playing a game or virtual hide and seek works in the same way. One person thinks of a place at home to hide and the other tries to guess where they are hiding.

These are a few simple games to play that do not require you to carry anything additional on the plane. Depending on the length of your flight you may want to bring other items to entertain your child as well. For example, a simple deck of cards is a versatile tool. Depending on the age of your child, you can play real card games or play simpler games such as "Go Fish" using the numbers on the cards. Bring some books to read to take up time in between activities. If you have a small device on which you can play movies, that would fill a large chunk of time as well.