Even with the on board films and games now available with most carriers, a long flight can get pretty boring, especially for kids. It can be hard to keep them amused whilst not annoying your fellow travelers. But there are some activities that really work, particularly if your group is sitting in a row. Let’s take a look at a few of them…
A drawing competition is a great way to keep yourself and the kids amused. Decide on a theme – monsters or aliens or something equally fanciful to get their creative juices flowing. A good way to make it a shared experience is by folding some paper into three equal sections (or four if there are four of you) and having one person draw a head in the top section. Fold it down so the next person can’t see it, then have them draw the midriff, before folding it down to pass onto the next person, who draws the legs (and feet if there are four of you!). Now unfold the meisterwork and give the creature a name.
Similar to Chinese Whispers (but, ironically, much quieter) Invisible Ink is a really fun game to while away an hour of a flight. If you’re in a window row, get the player next to the window to think of a word. The person in the middle must then hold out their arm while Player 1 ‘writes’ the word using their finger. Player 2 then repeats this step on the arm of the person in the aisle seat. Carry this on until you’ve been round all the members of your party, until the last person says the word they think it is. Be prepared for some amusing misunderstandings.
Pick a timekeeper with a watch. The timekeeper then says a letter of the alphabet, and each player must write down as many words that begin with that letter as possible in one minute. The winner is the person with the most legitimate – and accurately spelt! – words. After that, each player must try to write a sentence including as many of the words on the list as possible. Again, give them a minute to do this. A great way to have fun and teach your kids new words at the same time.
If you’re still looking for a family holiday for this year or next, try Thomas Cook, who have a number of family vacation deals and cheap package holidays on their website. Book a trip, and bear in mind some of the fun activities above if the kids start to get restless on the flight. And if they’re still bored, there’s always thumb wars…
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