Sky. Airplane. Children - What to do with a child on a plane

Velvet season with a child

Don't miss the moment for the whole family to enjoy the joys of a bright and warm autumn at a seaside resort.

Anastasia Melentyeva

I have compiled a list of working and proven tips from parents who already have their own positive experience of flying with children from six months to 4 years old, as well as the experience of children’s doctors and airline employees. Now is the height of holidays and holidays, which means it’s time to remind you of these simple but very necessary recommendations.

Psychological preparation of yourself

“The issue of a screaming child is a matter of preparing the accompanying parent.”

Prepare in advance for the fact that everything will be bad: the child will cry, and the neighbors will be unloving and scandalous. Particularly sensitive parents are better off drinking a sedative (not to be confused with vodka) in advance, so as not to fall into hysterics themselves. Calm parents mean a calm child. The calmer the parents, the easier it is for the children. Even if you have conflicts in your family, conclude a peace agreement in advance for the duration of all flights with your child. Agree to immediately make peace with any quarrel, no matter who is to blame. You can do it childishly by shaking each other’s little fingers. Your swearing will certainly plunge the child into depression, he will also start crying, and this will make it worse for you, for him, and for everyone around him. Dads who are used to flying without children and drinking alcohol need to immediately understand that they will have to give up this habit and take full care of the child (either alone or with the mother). There should not be a situation where the mother cannot calm the child, and the father drinks and watches a movie.

Flying with a child - advice from mothers

Kids-friendly is definitely Aeroflot - there are always gifts for the child. We always take new board games with us on board: play, draw, fold :) Night flights with children are very convenient. Although in our case, any flights go fine. Never had any problems.

It is very convenient to fly with Aeroflot with children. At least there you can choose a menu, and they also give you cool game sets with all sorts of markers, games, coloring books and even a bag for all this. What to do with a child? We always take several new small toys, each one can take 20 minutes, or even more. On a recent flight, notebooks with coloring pages and stickers from Fix Price worked very well. We also practiced flying with an infant. It seems to me that this is the best travel companion in the world! Eat and sleep :)

I try to take overnight flights (then we just sleep all night) or day flights, but with transfers. Here is my top activity for my Sophia:

Books. When she was very little, these were rustling books, books with various tabs and windows.
Coloring books, albums and pencils.
Tests. My Sofika loves to study using various educational books, so short flights of up to two hours are completed with training.
Yummy treats. Yes, yes, yes:) Raisins, any dried fruits, dried fruits, etc. always distract my daughter until she eats them.
New toy. Well, this is a well-known move. The main thing is to choose a toy that is interesting and, preferably, with actions.

Now Sofika has become older and I allow her to walk around the plane alone and meet other children. We used to walk with her and look at everything around. Many mothers are very afraid to fly. They are afraid that the child will cry and will not be able to calm him down. The most important thing you should take is your peace of mind and confidence that everything will go well! :) Yes, the flight can be long. Yes, a baby can easily throw a tantrum. But your calmness will have an impact on it, and the flight is not endless - the sea, sun and relaxation await you ahead :)

We hope we have helped you. Don't deny yourself flights for fear of sidelong glances. If you follow basic etiquette and don't throw diapers at passengers, you can have a great time on a plane without going crazy.

Psychological preparation of the child

On the eve of the very first flight (if the child is already able to understand what it is about), it would not hurt to tell him what an airplane is, how it hums, how many people are around and how interesting and easy it is to play in it. It is advisable to do everything so that the child already dreams of flying and looks forward to it like a birthday or New Year. Some parents recommend allowing many things on board that they forbid in ordinary children’s lives: “For them, this is a kind of holiday, because only on the plane can they drink cola and suck candy. I don’t allow them to do that at home.”

The same goes for computer games: if at home it is strictly limited in time, then on the plane there is freedom, as long as the child is captivated by the game longer. In general, the plane is such a zone of controlled disobedience and a complete holiday.

What to remember if you are flying with a child:

You should be allowed on board with baby water and food.
Remember that toy guns, knives and other plastic weapons will have to be checked in as luggage.
An excellent way to cope with whims is to stock up on several new toys and give them to your child at regular intervals.
Take a little of everything. As the game changes, it is better to remove the previous materials immediately, otherwise you risk collecting pencils for a long time after landing.
And don’t forget lollipops or juice with a straw - they will help protect babies’ ears from pressure changes during takeoff and landing.

On any journey with a baby, the main thing is to remain calm, have a positive attitude and be in a good mood. Interest, intrigue, attract attention, because much on the plane and the airport is new for the child. Smile and joke! During a flight, we like to dream about how we will arrive at the place, what we will see there, who, how we will get further, how we will spend the rest of the day, etc.

As you may have guessed, a flight with a child should take place with your active participation. You still won’t be able to take a peaceful nap in an airplane seat, so spend this time playing!

Selecting an airline, seats, flight, time

Many reputable airlines help parents turn the flight into a holiday : they give out kits with a toy, coloring book, and pencils. In addition, there are monitors in the backs of Airbus seats on which you can watch cartoons, films, play toys, etc. (I recently flew on such an airbus from Barcelona to Moscow: it was all there).

True, good airlines are not affordable for everyone. And if you fly through a travel agency, then you can run into such a charter that even adults will cry. However, everything that is distributed to children on board can be taken from home. At the same time, you will more accurately guess what exactly your baby needs - airlines still have an average set. However, there will be a separate section about toys and treats. An important role is played by the availability of children's places and the ability to book them. Many airplanes have folding or hanging bassinets for infants. A hanging cradle (even if the child will not sleep in it, you can put the baby there for a while to feed yourself or just give your arms and legs a rest), a space in front of the seats where the child can frolic without disturbing the passengers sitting in front, in the same place, in the end, you can put a children's potty.

To book such seats, when purchasing tickets, you need to check whether they are available and whether a bassinet is provided during the flight. The office staff of the selected airline will provide such information. After purchasing tickets, you need to immediately book these seats - sometimes this can be done directly on the airline’s website, sometimes by contacting its employees. And a few days before departure, call back and confirm. If the airline does not provide the ability to reserve such seats, you will have to go to the airport in advance to be one of the first to be at the check-in counter. And here’s another important thing: if you are flying with a stroller and with transfers, you must indicate when registering where you would like to receive it.

Most non-breastfed children prefer to sit by the window and watch what is down there. In addition, it is more comfortable to sleep by the window and the child certainly does not risk getting hit in the leg or arm with a cart. So try to book at least one window seat. As for the choice of flight and time, opinions differed. Some argue that it is better to take tickets for flights that minimally change the child’s daily routine, and try to maintain it during the flight. Others advise getting your child up early or not letting you sleep at all before the flight. “To exhaust the child before the plane so that he falls asleep on the plane.” Another option: “We choose early flights when the rise occurs at one or two in the morning. The child sleeps most of the flight.”

However, this is not suitable for all children: “But lack of sleep can have a different effect on us. The last time the child cried for half an hour that he didn’t want to sleep on the plane, but wanted to go to bed, although he was already dying and wanted to sleep.” In general, here rely on your own experience and your own child, but in general the “exhaust” method works for most children. Especially if they are given sleeping pills or a sedative before departure. There was also advice not to fly long distances with a connection in one sitting: “We fly from Moscow to the States and always sleep the night at the Amsterdam airport - this greatly reduces the number of hysterics. A well-rested and well-fed child is already 50% of success.”

Setting tariffs and providing seats for children on the plane

Please note that on international flights, 10% of the base fare may be charged, even if a separate seat is not provided. In addition, if a child travels without providing his own seat, then you do not need to count on free baggage space for him.

When traveling by plane with children 2-12 years old, you also benefit from discounted fares (they may vary from airline to airline). The size of the discount may also be determined by the route.

The rules for free baggage allowance for them are no different from those for an adult ticket.

Generally, only one child per row is expected to be seated due to the distribution of oxygen masks. Children are prohibited from sitting near emergency exits for safety reasons.

If you are planning a flight with a child, it is better to check in for the flight in advance to guarantee that you can reserve adjacent seats on the plane. To do this, you can use online check-in services on the airline’s website.

When planning a flight with a child, also pay attention to the age of your child at the start of the trip. It is the age on the date of departure that is taken into account to determine the fare. That is, if your child turns 12 on the day of departure, he will need to purchase an adult ticket.

What to take with you

• For a very young child : diapers, wet wipes, water in a bottle with a sippy cup, dryers, new books with engines and a couple of old favorites, three new small cars in mom’s pocket (take out in critical situations), a change of clothes;

• 1-2 years : potty, wet wipes (wipe your hands often), water, dryers, books, cars, a couple of toys, a change of clothes, patience for mom and dad to walk around the airplane cabin. Children at this age always want to go out and see everything;

• 3-4 years : potty, napkins, water, dryers, clothes, favorite books, puzzles, construction sets, magazines with stickers, puzzles.;

• 5-6 years : napkins, magazines with labyrinths, stickers, scanwords, Legos, cards, dominoes, backgammon, checkers, etc.;

“Bring a change of clothes for the child and mother. It’s not so rare that a child, especially under 2 years old, who sits in his mother’s arms, gets wet himself and doesn’t forget his mother.”

Also, a few apples cut into slices, medications for motion sickness, pain, and sedatives are always useful. “I also always take a couple of shawls/scarves with me - firstly, you can save the child from the cold, and secondly, it’s like dressing up (I have a classic girl).” And of course, a great toy is a dad’s/mom’s smartphone if you are sure that the child won’t erase anything on it.

How to entertain a child on a plane

This list of “how to entertain a child on a plane” is presented as follows: from bottom to top, entertainment is indicated as children grow.

1. We walk more with the baby and look at everything at the airport so that the baby is impressed and tired. We eat and sleep less. We are the last ones to board the plane (or the bus to the plane). They won't fly away without you. You still have time to get enough!

2. Getting to know the space. We begin our first acquaintance with the aircraft. We examine and look carefully at everything around us. Let's touch and feel. We look at the pillow, blanket, headphones, in general, everything that the flight attendant gave us.

3. When the plane has taken off, if the baby does not fall asleep during takeoff, then you can walk around the cabin and tell the child where and what is. Why do this? Firstly, it will take some flight time, secondly, you will “walk around” your confined space, thirdly, psychologically the child will be more comfortable, he will see that mom and dad are calm, they are walking around this new territory without fear, they I’m also interested in how many chairs, doors, and windows there are.

4. Many airlines themselves take care to brighten up the flight for little passengers. Most likely, you can count on your child being given a travel entertainment kit: coloring books, pencils, books with games. Therefore, don’t take out your entertainment right away!

5. The child needs to twirl something in his hands and preferably chew or suck. Have a pacifier on a clothespin. You can take several pieces. The main thing is to attach them to clothes using special clothespins.

6. You can invite the child to see what is going on in the back rows. Someone will definitely smile at him there. It has been proven that a child does not cry if he is held above his head.

7. All kinds of rattles are suitable for babies.

8. Baby sling beads made from natural materials are a useful and interesting accessory. They smell nice and can keep your baby occupied for a while while he is in your arms when going through security, boarding the plane, etc. At the same time, it is beneficial for growing teeth and for the development of fine motor skills of the toddler.

9. Take a string with you so that your baby can pull it out of your palm.

10. You will need cotton swabs and a transparent plastic bottle. Invite your child to put as many sticks as possible into the bottle.

11. Colored masking tape is a great option for entertaining. It can be glued and torn off. Older children can be asked to make an applique on a piece of paper.

12. If your baby has his own favorite soft plush friend, be sure to take him with you. If not, then you can choose a small soft toy for the trip, with which the child will show the way and talk about what he saw. She will be a kind of companion on the road.

13. Finger theater is great entertainment. It is very compact. You can buy it at Ikea.

14. The aircraft equipment itself - the table and window, instructions, pictures in the magazine can also interest the child. In case you are tired of all your own, blow on the porthole. And then draw whatever you want with your finger. To do this, you should sit by the window.

15. If there are several children, then prepare an entertainment bag for each child, which will contain new entertaining things.

16. A soft, entertaining book that will appeal to toddlers and older children.

17. Pieces of soft plasticine in a spare parts bag can also come in handy. You can mix colors without getting dirty.

18. Food – why not entertainment? Something exciting will do, cut into pieces, fruits and vegetables. Beads made from corn rings or dried corn. Nuts for those who are older.

19. Bubble wrap can also help pass the time. If the child cannot pop the bubbles himself, he will be happy to watch you.

20. Take games with magnets with you: puzzles, dress up, assembly games.

21. You will need large wooden beads and cord. You can collect felt figures with holes on a ribbon. This activity is suitable for both boys and girls.

22. Bring puzzles or a soft construction set according to age and favorite theme.

23. A coloring book, a couple of blank sheets of paper and several colored pencils - you will need to organize a drawing lesson right on board the plane.

24. Lacing games are great for developing motor skills.

25. If you want to change your shoes on the plane, take some fun, warm slippers for your feet. This will make the baby feel at home.

26. Surely a child will like puzzles made of plastic or wood: a Rubik's cube, a snake, a spring.

27. A sticker album will come in handy. Buy an album with reusable stickers, it turns out to be a story game.

28. If the child is over 3, then stock up on animal figures and small cars.

29. Bring Playdo-type modeling kits with you. Don't worry, wet wipes will save the airplane table. And passengers will be grateful for the silence even on these routes. It’s definitely not worth taking the whole box, 1-2 pieces are enough. You can also use plasticine to color pictures in a fun way.

30. Board games that are age-appropriate and do not require a large playing field will not be superfluous. Take any card games, Uno and similar ones. Now they are sold for any age.

31. A magnetic construction set made from simple shapes: triangles, squares – captivates every child.

32. Magic bag. Place small items in a bag. Take turns finding the object by touch and try to guess what it is. Children usually love this game very much. Children who cannot speak can also participate in it: they like to feel the object in the bag with their pen and take it out.

33. Dominoes are a simple classic game that even the little ones are sure to enjoy.

34. Surely the child will enjoy the play of shadows. If the interior is dark, and you turn on the individual lighting bulb above you, you can get a good shadow theater from your hands on your table.

35. “In which hand” is a game loved by many; no matter what the baby is hiding in his hands, it is immediately visible and understandable. But of course, the best thrill is not guessing the hand and seeing the little one’s happy face!

36. Take a mirror. Who doesn't love making faces and looking at themselves?

37. If you like colored sponges, make “road” cubes out of them. They are very light and will last a long time on the plane.

38. Buy soft toys with felt-tip pens for the trip that need to be colored.

39. Take children's magazines with a toy inside.

40. An electronic game from childhood like “Well, wait a minute!”, where the hare caught eggs, will help you while away the journey.

41. If your child has well-developed speech, you can play “name the thing.” There are many things on the plane that have their own professional names, but we don’t know them. You can come up with names for all sorts of things, such as latches on the lid of a shelf, signs, curtains on the windows. The game will have fun for both of you!

42. Match the silhouette game. If you draw and cut out keys from paper in advance, you can invite your child to look for the silhouette.

43. Cardboard doll with clothes. Remember these? They are still selling them! You can cut out the doll's clothes in advance. You can make the doll and clothes yourself.

44. Take with you an album with creative tasks, labyrinths, and children's crosswords. There are many interesting options on sale.

45. Magnetic fishing can be a fun game.

46. Look around, what can you play with on the plane? Paper men made from sanitary bags, the same ones located in the back of the chair in front. If by some miracle you have thin masking tape with you, then you can attach handles to these little people.

47. They don’t require any space at all and word games are always fun. Game of Cities, Loading a Dump Truck with items for a certain letter and others. There are many word games on the Internet for preschoolers to develop speech.

48. Tongue twisters and riddles are a good way to pass the time.

49. Battleship and tic-tac-toe - play these games of our childhood with your child!

50. A couple of origami diagrams and a few sheets of paper will allow you to organize an interesting activity.

51. Music in the player and audio books are a must, especially in the twilight and evening. Audio productions based on cartoons and audio encyclopedias on a topic that is currently interesting to the child go very well.

52. Look through the porthole at the clouds, tell your child where they come from. Look at their shapes and guess what they look like.

53. Bring a gift for your child to give on the plane. The child will be very happy, and the flight will go unnoticed.

54. Play detective. Hide any items in the seat pocket, and let the child look for or guess what is there.

55. Make up stories based on pictures in magazines and books, learn a new poem together.

56. Boys can play photographers with your smartphone, and girls can become hairdressers for a while if you offer to do your hair.

57. Maybe you can buy a seat for a child under 2 years old? Another idea is to clear out some space nearby, or put an airplane-approved car seat or bassinet there.

58. Don't forget to order baby food for your child or baby, children are more happy about children's menu sets.

What to do with your child during a flight

“If a child is nervous in a separate seat during takeoff, you need to ask the flight attendant for a child’s belt, sit him on the lap (not the flight attendant, but the child) and fasten it to you.”

“During takeoff, she distracted attention - she asked me to hold my hand, feigned fear of flying, the child took care of his mother and was happy.”

“On long flights, be sure to let your baby walk/run/jump. At this age, it is difficult for children to sit in one place due to the growth of the musculoskeletal system. It’s also useful for adults to stretch their legs. Once we had a whole kindergarten in the back of the plane - five children entertained each other.”

“Not just to put a new coloring book or PSP in your hands, but to fully communicate, tell where we are flying, what we will do, play, draw together.”

“Looking through the window and explaining it is very entertaining.”

“When the child was tired, we wandered around the neighbors, changing the situation a little. Friendly neighbors on the plane were immediately present; a couple of minutes of cooing with someone else’s aunt gave 10-15 minutes of silence.”

“You don’t even have to play with the child, you can just talk. If you manage to talk with a child for an hour, it will forever remain in his memory. There is no need to look for ways to make the flight painless. It seems to me that you need to look for opportunities to enjoy it.”

“Preparing for food, eating and assembling trays is always mega fun. You may be allowed to take one of the sets of plastic cutlery with you, promising to then arrange a separate lunch for the toy characters.”

“The main thing is to alternate entertainment (distractions). There is little distraction for more than half an hour.”

“Read a book in a whisper, but it’s better from the age of 3, we take headphones with audio books (can listen for hours).”

“We definitely ask permission after landing (already at the exit) to look at the pilot. Usually possible for those who have behaved well. This won’t buy you a two-year-old, but at 3.5-4 years it will help you control yourself.”

Flying with a baby

Airlines almost always provide bassinets for infants, which makes life much easier for parents. During takeoff, landing and in turbulent areas, you will need to hold your baby in your arms, for which you will be given an additional seat belt. The rest of the time, you can play “rock-paper-scissors” with your neighbors - your hands will be free.

You can always contact the flight attendants with requests for, for example, hot water for the mixture - they will be happy to help. It’s also worth checking in advance where you can find a changing table.

In general, infants tolerate flights quite well. Of course, there are different individual characteristics of each little person, but very tiny children have much less reasons to be capricious than older children.

Flight delays and transfers

“The biggest problems are long transfers and flight delays. This is where you need to keep him on a leash. The terminal building is being turned into a playground. I’ll never forget how in Prague I caught a guy on a travelator on New Year’s Eve and how he almost dropped the decorated Christmas tree at the gate. Children need to be distracted or occupied. Otherwise, they distract themselves and find something to do.”

“A good way is to cooperate with other parents. Oddly enough, the more children, the easier it is to cope with them. Plus, they entertain themselves. We just need to make sure that it doesn’t cause harm to other people or the airport building.”

“Once in France, in the mountains, we sat at the airport for 10 hours. The child was 5, and we just went to the store for the next lego as we built and remade the previous one.”

What else can you do with your child at the airport?

shopping together with older children and go through all the shops in the air harbor. You can arrange a competition for ingenuity and resourcefulness, let the child go shopping, compare prices for individual goods and offer you the most profitable purchase option.
With a child who is already familiar with numbers, you can start counting . For example, count passengers with luggage of a certain color. Any item of clothing or accessory (sneakers, T-shirts, sunglasses) is suitable for this conversion. You can count anything and it depends on your imagination and desire to have fun.
Every child loves to imagine ! Invite him to come up with different situations when this or that thing (jacket, scarf, gloves, hat) might be useful during a flight.
Start learning a foreign language . Go through all the signs in a foreign language and use an online translator to try to translate them as accurately as possible. Children are very receptive to everything new; such entertainment can be a good impetus for serious study of a foreign language in the future.
You can play spies . Arrange with your child to shadow some airport employee. These could be cleaners or any civilians. Imagine that you are detectives and are investigating an emergency. This game develops a child’s memory, ingenuity, and observation skills.
logical thinking games with your child . You can play cities, countries, solve riddles, look at the electronic departure board in detail (you can use it to study geography).
A light soothing massage with essential oil will help your baby calm down, relax and fall asleep. Massage your baby's palms, fingers, wrists, and temples. This massage has a beneficial effect and calms even the most hyperactive child.