I recently took my almost-5-year-old on a 4.5-hour flight by myself. Now, don’t jump to conclusions. I’m not about to go on a rant about how hard it was to keep a rowdy kid entertained in those tiny economy class seats. I’m an over-planner, and we actually had the best time traveling together – it was like one of our mother-daughter dinner dates but with tiny seats and crappy food.
We spent our entire time playing games and chatting; not a single digital device was pulled out. This is what I prepared, what we did to entertain ourselves and where you can buy the gadgets online.
“Don’t Look”
I’m sure there’s an actual name for this game, but we’ve come to call it Don’t Look, and it’s my daughter’s favorite game at home and on the road. It’s basically where you come up with a topic and you both draw it without looking at each other’s work. All you need for the travel version are two small blank notebooks and a baggie of markers.
We start with a topic (Draw) and give a few requirements (Rules). I always write this down so she feels like it’s really official. A quick “1,2,3 Go!” and we’re off. When we’re both done, we do a quick “1,2,3 Flip!” and we each share what we drew. It’s really interesting seeing how two people can come up with completely different drawings for the same exact topic.
Magnet Tiles
These things are awesome, and they’re one of those things that can keep my kid busy for hours. But they’re huge and not something you can really bring with you on a trip. However, Taobao must have read my mind because it pushed a travel-size magnet tile set to my homepage.
This miniature kit comes in a tin box that’s perfect for car rides and plane rides, where they’re bound to move and shake.
Sticker Books
My kid loves sticker books and can spend hours on end playing with them. We’ve gone through so many brands of sticker books. From the ones that are not sticky enough to even stay on the page to ones with really boring designs. Our absolute favorite ones are the Usborne sticker books with super cute designs and pretty much every topic your kid is interested in.
Remember the economy class seats? They come with gross economy class food. That’s why I always pack our own. Anyone who’s been to my house knows that I love buying tupperwear (for some weird weird reason) and this one is perfect for travelling with kids. It’s small enough to fit in most purses and waterproof for every compartment so things don’t mix together when you’re moving around.
Finally, there’s the issue of smell. If you think about it, an airplane is essentially a flying fart container. Look it up – it’s a real thing. The change in air pressure causes gases in the digestive system to expand, which leads to more farts. So when you’ve got a kid who’s already sensitive to icky smells, it helps to plan ahead and get yourself some scent patches.
These are meant to help you fall asleep faster at night, but they don’t really work. However, they’re really strong and are great for giving yourself a little bit lavender bliss while you’re in the air. 
Images: Mina Yan, Taobao
