When preparing for that long-awaited vacation, one of the last things on your mind is the flight. Instead, most travelers focus on all of the exciting things they plan on doing when they arrive at their destination.
The trouble is, long-haul flights can get incredibly boring quite quickly, especially for kids and teenagers. These hours are agonizing unless you find ways to beat the boredom.
Keeping yourself and your kids entertained for six or more hours may seem tricky, but, with some thought and creativity, it is easy. With that in mind, here are ten fun things to do on a plane.
Play A Travel Game
There are plenty of games you and your little ones could play together to pass the time. Tic Tac Toe and Hangman, for example, need only a pen and paper, while Checkers and Snakes and Ladders both have pocket-sized versions.
Just a simple deck of cards has endless possibilities, whether you want to play a game as a group or one of you wants to play alone. There is also crosswords, sudoku, and other puzzle books that you could pack in your carry-on luggage.
Tackle That Reading List
Reading is a pastime many of us enjoy. Unfortunately, it’s also one that far too few of us have enough time for. A long-haul flight is a perfect opportunity for you to tackle your reading list, as you have very little else to do.
Today’s e-readers and smartphones allow you to carry hundreds, if not thousands of books with you, so you should have no trouble finding something to read. If your children have a reading list for school, then download a book or two from that list for them too.
Find Something To Watch
We aren’t all going to enjoy reading, but that’s okay. Instead, you and your kids could watch a film or television show. Even if you have wi-fi on your flight, you should consider downloading what you want to watch onto your laptop, phone, or tablet.
This will save you from the frustration that comes with constant buffering. Most long-haul flights offer a decent selection of in-flight films, so, if you don’t know what to watch yet, then you could wait to choose until you’re on the plane.
Learn A New Language
It’s easier than ever these days to speak to people abroad. All you have to do is download a translator app onto your phone, and you’re golden. That being said, knowing a few phrases will make your time away easier and be hugely appreciated by the locals.
Because of this, you might want to pass the time on the plane by learning a new language with your kids. Most schools have foreign language classes, so your little ones may actually be able to teach you a thing or two.
Make Your Own Crafts
Most children love arts and crafts, but it’s a hobby many adults enjoy too. If you and your little ones like to spend your time at home knitting, drawing, or making origami creatures, then why not do so on the plane?
These activities require very little equipment and can be done no matter where you are, including on a flight. Whatever you create, it will be a great souvenir. If you are going to be knitting, however, you should look into the airline’s rules regarding knitting needles.
Post Your Travel Snaps
Most of us take photographs when we travel. The trouble is, when you return home to reality, there is very rarely enough time to look through those pictures, download them, edit them, and then upload them to social media.
A flight, however, gives you more than enough time. Once you’ve downloaded your pictures from your camera onto your Mac, the app Flume allows you to upload them to Instagram. This saves you the hassle of putting them onto your phone too.
Talk To The Neighbors
You may be traveling with your kids, but there’s no reason why you should talk exclusively to each other. Although some of your fellow passengers would much rather you leave them alone, many others will be more than happy to chat.
There may be other young children or teenagers onboard that your kids could talk to, for example, or other parents that you can relate to. Seize this chance to meet new people and have a conversation. You might even make a good friend.
Stretch Out Your Legs
Sitting still for hours is not good for your body. It can cause tension to build up in your legs, as well as a number of other serious issues, like blood clots. Plus, kids get incredibly antsy if they can’t move around.
Because of this, you should get up and walk around for a little while, at least once every hour. While doing this, you could grab drinks and snacks for everyone. Once you’re sat back down, there are many different plane exercises that you could try out to pass the time.
Catch Up On Work
A lot of work can pile up while you’re on vacation, causing loads of trouble when you return home. Even your kids might have homework that they need to do before going back to school.
To give yourself a head start, you should do some of this work on the flight back. Although there will be a lot that you can’t do from a plane, you can answer emails and tackle similar tasks. Your kids can complete quizzes and essays too.
Plan The Next Trip
Planning a vacation takes a lot of time and work. Some people even put off traveling because they know how difficult the planning process can be. With so much out there to see, you don’t want to find yourself doing the same.
Instead, you could begin while on your flight home. Even if you don’t set any solid plans, researching potential destinations and activities will save you some time and effort in a few weeks or months time.
PIN IT!
Long-haul flights can be incredibly boring, both for you and your kids. That being said, with the ideas above, you can make the hours that you spend on the plane fly by.