Every parent who travels knows that keeping little people amused on a boring, rule-filled, aircraft can be a challenge- especially if they’re not keen on wearing headphones or even worse aren’t tall enough to see the video screen.
So this page is dedicated to some simple things that have worked for us with our squirmy, seat-belt phobic pre-schooler, countless times.
Window art
This is a great one for rainy days at home too, but my best success has been in-flight especially during take-off and landing when the “I- wont-wear-the-seat-belt” shriek-fest usually begins.
I never board a plane now without a small stash of colourful Playdoh or plasticine and it’s surprising how long making little aeroplanes and butterflies against a back drop of cloudy sky can keep a small person amused.
!!!Word of warning though if the sun is on the window plasticine has a tendency to melt pretty quickly. And out of courtesy to the airline staff – keep some wet wipes to clean up after.
Seat-back Makeovers:
Stickers are always fun too – letting them redecorate their own space- a minor downside is the removal exercise before you leave the plane.
'Surprisey You's':
More commonly known as "a suprise for you' - this idea came from a very experienced travelling mum. Get yourself to the $2 shop and hit the party favour isle. Lots of little plasitc toys wrapped up individually in coloured paper work a treat, when nothing else will, on take-off tantrums, general crankiness, wanderlust ect.
Wipe-off colouring pages
Do you have a laminator? What? No? And you call yourself a parent? Ok just kidding – but I’ve discovered, that for some reason kids seem to like wipe off surfaces for colouring in and although some savvy kids’ book sellers are catching on these kind of activity books’re few and far between.
Lamintors are cheap and you can buy them at Officeworks and often the Australia Post Shops
I’ve put together a range of popular animals that are twice the fun laminated and make great reusable travel companions.
Now as far as pens go whiteboard markers are ok, but if you want colours other than blue, black, green and red – forget it. And left to dry these become semi-permanent unless you have whiteboard cleaner too. As if your bag doesn’t have enough stuff already jammed into it.
After extensive research (much hand & clothes washing) I’ve found the following brands give good cover and wipe off the page with a bit of spit and a tissue or if you’re a non-spitting type any wet wipe. All these ones I recommend wash out of clothes well, but not so much hands – sorry but the perfect marker is yet to be invented.
Big W stocks the following brands:
- Crayola Pip-Squeaks washable markers
- Play-Doh creations markers
- Staedtler 340 wahsable markers
!!!Stay away from the fancy markers that need to be pumped to get the colour going (i.e. Texta Liquid Chalk markers/ Faber Castell Colour Burst/ Posterman Wet Wipe) unless you want yourself, surrounding passengers and the hostees to be sprayed with tiny little spots of paint (that don’t wash out)
Useful colouring pages web-links
Assuming you have better things to do than trawl the web for colouring pages, I've included here couple of great links Ive found for free downloads with simple popular characters to colour.
Assuming you have better things to do than trawl the web for colouring pages, I've included here couple of great links Ive found for free downloads with simple popular characters to colour.
