How to Entertain Your Child When Your Flight is Delayed
If you’ve saved up some extra cash, the kids will be thrilled with a trip to the airport’s gift shop, where they can select a favorite book or magazine to read or one of many activity books filled with puzzles, games, etc. There are so many inexpensive little things that can help entertain your child at the airport.
Make Up Games
If your family’s travel budget can’t account for unexpected, additional spending, try making up games, as you might when traveling a distance in an automobile. For example, have your children guess where another family is from. The child with the most correct guesses wins a small prize. Hopefully, you’ve brought along some treats for the children to indulge in.
Break the Ice
Nothing is more entertaining to children than other children. There are bound to be several families facing the same dilemma your family is facing, so make an effort to introduce yourself and your children to those around you, and watch how quickly kids can entertainment themselves. Some airlines such as British Airways offer priority boarding to families with children so your kids and their new friends might be lucky enough to sit together on the flight too.
Adventures in Walking
Take the children for a walk around the airport. There are plenty of things to see and do in an airport arena, from simply watching planes take off and land to enjoying an ice cream or cold drink at one of the many cafes. You may even be lucky enough to be stuck in an airport that has a play area for children. Wouldn’t that be special? Another advantage to walking is children tend to wear out easily, so the more you walk, the more exhausted the kids become, making them ready, perhaps, for a nap sooner than later.
Talk about the upcoming flight and trip
Let each of your children give a talk about what they expect for the vacation they are about to enjoy. It doesn’t have to be a trip to Disney; which, of course, could have a child talking for hours. It could be about a week at the ocean or lake — or anywhere for that matter. Each child has probably envisioned what his or her vacation will be, and now is the opportunity to let him or her embellish on expectations.
Instead of wallowing in sorrow, which can only create a negative environment when a flight is delayed, think positive and do positive things to make the time fly by. Print out these travel kits from the movie “Planes” before your trip.
Check out more ways to entertain your kids on a plane.
How do you entertain your child at the airport?
About the author
Travel blogger Roxanne Bridger from flight deals site Cheapflights.co.uk
Updated by Kimberly February 2014
