22 Fun Toddler Airplane Activities to Keep Your Little One Occupied on Long Flights

Are you preparing for a long flight and wondering how to entertain a toddler on a plane? It can be a daunting task to keep little ones occupied on a plane, especially if it’s their first time flying. But fear not, as there are plenty of fun toddler airplane activities that can help pass the time and make the experience more enjoyable for both you and your child.

 

Tips for Choosing Toddler Airplane Activities

When selecting toddler airplane activities, there are a few important things to keep in mind:

1. Age-appropriateness: Choose activities that are appropriate for your toddler’s age and developmental stage.
2. Safety: Make sure the activities you choose are safe and don’t pose any hazards to your child or others on the plane.
3. Portability: Select activities that are easy to pack and don’t take up too much space on the plane.
4. Durability: Choose toys and activities that can withstand the wear and tear of travel, as well as the enthusiasm of your toddler.
5. Engaging: Look for activities that are engaging and stimulating, as toddlers have short attention spans and can quickly get bored.
6. Variety: Bring a variety of activities to keep your toddler entertained and engaged throughout the flight.
7. Mess-free: Select activities that are mess-free or have minimal mess potential to avoid creating unnecessary clean-up tasks for yourself and other passengers.
8. Familiarity: Bring along some familiar toys or items from home to provide a sense of comfort and security for your toddler during the flight.

By keeping these factors in mind, you can choose the best toddler airplane activities and learn how to entertain a toddler on a plane during your flight.

List of 22 Airplane Toddler Activities

Traveling with a toddler can be a challenging experience, especially when it comes to long flights. Keeping little ones entertained and happy during a flight can seem like an impossible task, but fear not! In this list, we’ll share 22 toddler airplane activities that you can try on your next flight. From simple games and crafts to sensory play and interactive airplane activities for toddlers, there’s something for every toddler’s interests and abilities. So grab your supplies and get ready to have some fun while flying with your little one!

Play with stickers

Stickers are a cheap and easy activity that can provide hours of entertainment for toddlers. Simply bring a sheet of stickers and a piece of paper, and let your child create their own masterpiece. You can also bring along some different shapes or sizes of stickers to add variety and challenge to the activity. If your toddler is a little older, you can try creating a specific theme or image with the stickers, like a house or a tree.

Draw with crayons or markers

Pack a small coloring book or some blank paper and let your toddler express their creativity. Don’t forget to pack some crayons or markers for them to use. To make the activity more engaging, you can bring along a few coloring sheets with simple, easy-to-color images. You can also bring along some coloring pages with more complex images for older toddlers who are ready for a bigger challenge.

Play with play dough

Play dough is a great way to keep little hands busy and engaged. You can even bring a small container of play dough and some small toys, like plastic animals, to create a mini play dough play set. To make the activity more fun, you can bring along some small cookie cutters or plastic utensils to create different shapes and structures with the play dough. This is one of my toddler’s favorite among all toddler airplane activities.

Have a picnic

Pack some small snacks and a blanket, and have a mini picnic on the plane. This will not only provide a fun activity for your toddler, but it will also help keep them well-fed and happy during the flight. You can bring along some easy-to-eat snacks, like crackers, cheese, and fruit, as well as a small container of juice or water. Don’t forget to pack some napkins or wipes to clean up any messes.

Play a matching game

Bring a deck of cards with simple pictures on them, like animals or shapes, and have your toddler match the cards. This is a great way to work on their memory and concentration skills. You can also bring along some cards with numbers or letters to work on basic counting or alphabet skills. As your toddler becomes more skilled at the game, you can increase the difficulty by adding more cards to the deck.

Play with small toys

Bring along some small toys, like plastic animals or dolls, and let your toddler play with them on the plane. This will provide a sense of familiarity and comfort for your child. You can also bring along some small figures or toy cars to add variety to the activity. To make the activity more interactive, you can create a small play set or scene for the toys to interact in.

Listen to music or stories

Bring along a portable CD player or download some music or stories onto your phone or tablet. This will provide some soothing background noise and can help calm your toddler on the plane. You can also try using headphones to help reduce any noise distractions. To make the activity more engaging, you can sing along to the music or encourage your toddler to listen and follow along with the story.

Have a dance party

Put on some music and have a dance party in your seats. This is a fun and active way for your toddler to burn off some energy on the plane. You can try different styles of music or even create your own dance moves to keep the activity fresh and exciting. Don’t be afraid to get a little silly and have fun with it!

Play “I Spy”

This classic game is a great way to keep your toddler entertained as an option for toddler plane activities. Simply have them look for objects around the plane and guess what you’re thinking of. You can start with easy objects and gradually increase the difficulty as your toddler becomes more skilled at the game. To make the game more interactive, you can try using descriptive words to describe the objects you’re thinking of, like “something that is round” or “something that is soft.”

Have a snack time

Pack some small, healthy snacks, like fruit and crackers, and have a snack time on the plane. This will provide a fun activity and keep your toddler well-fed during the flight. Try to choose snacks that are easy to eat and not too messy, like sliced fruit, crackers, or small sandwiches. You can also bring along some small cups or containers of water or juice to help keep your toddler hydrated during the flight.

Play a memory game

Bring along some small objects, like plastic animals or shapes, and hide them under a blanket or piece of fabric. Have your toddler try to remember where each object is located and then reveal them one by one to see if they were correct.

Play with magnetic toys

Magnetic toys, like magnetic tiles or letters, are a great way to keep little hands busy on a plane. You can create different structures or spell out simple words with the magnets.

Have a puppet show

Bring along some small hand puppets or make your own with socks or fabric scraps. You can create a simple stage using a blanket or cardboard box and put on a puppet show for your toddler.

Play with foam blocks

Foam blocks are lightweight and easy to pack, making them a one of the best toddler airplane activities. You can build towers, houses, or other structures with the blocks or use them to create simple puzzles.

Have a photo scavenger hunt

Bring along a small camera or use your phone to take pictures of different objects around the plane. Have your toddler try to find and identify each object in the pictures.

Create a sensory bag

Fill a small plastic bag with different textured objects, like cotton balls, beads, or pasta, and let your toddler explore the different sensations. You can also add a few drops of food coloring to the bag to make it more visually stimulating. Make sure to seal the bag tightly to avoid any spills.

Play with felt boards

Bring along a small felt board and felt pieces in different shapes and colors. Your toddler can create their own scenes or pictures by arranging the felt pieces on the board. This activity is great for encouraging creativity and imaginative play.

Play with a foam ball

A foam ball is a simple and fun activity that can provide hours of entertainment for toddlers. You can toss the ball back and forth or play a simple game of catch.

Play with a small puzzle

Pack a small puzzle, like a wooden shape sorter or a simple jigsaw puzzle, and have your toddler work on it during the flight.

Play with a small trinket box

Fill a small trinket box with small toys or objects and have your toddler sort through and play with them. You can also hide small objects and have your toddler try to find them using only their sense of touch.

Play with a simple board game

Pack a small board game, like Chutes and Ladders or Hi Ho Cherry-O, and have your toddler play along with you.

Play with a small stuffed animal

Last one among toddler airplane activities is to bring along a small stuffed animal or doll and have your toddler play with it on the plane. You can create simple scenarios or stories for the toy to act out, or let your toddler come up with their own play ideas.

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No more worrying about how to entertain a toddler on a plane. By incorporating a variety of toddler airplane activities and engaging your toddler in interactive play, you can help make the experience of flying with a toddler more enjoyable for both you and your child. Remember to pack plenty of patience and a positive attitude, as well as some extra snacks and activities in case of any delays or unexpected occurrences. With a little planning and creativity, you can make your toddler’s first flight a memorable and enjoyable experience with the above mentioned toddler airplane activities.