im a single mother flying with 3 kids, ages 5, 6 and 9. Were flying to Disney World in December.
I want to know what would keep them occupied. we have a 3-hour layover and will be in the air for a total of 5 hours. the 5-year old is into coloring and dollies/animals, the 6-year old is into bakugans and action figures, and the 9-year old is into video games.
we dont have a lot of money to buy a bunch of stuff, so is there any cheap, or homemade toys I could pack? and what about snacks? i want something semi-healthy. what and how much should I pack?
i want this to be an easy, fun trip.
thanks so so much!
Answer
Make sure you don't have any liquids over 3 ounces- including anything in a toy! One of the children I used to babysit had a water-filled bouncy ball, and security at O'Hare confiscated it and threw it away (Wouldn't even let me pick it up on my way out from dropping them off at the gate).
Avoid sugary snacks- this will make them hyper and they will have a hard time sitting still during the flight. Try popping microwave popcorn and putting it in little baggies, granola bars (again, make sure they don't have too much sugar!), and goldfish crackers. Does each child have his own lunchbox? Maybe pack them each their own, or a little brown baggie to put in their carry-on. Having a special thing for themselves will be entertaining.
Does your 9-year-old have a DS or portable game player? This should keep him busy on the plane. Let the 5 and 6 year olds each pick one or two toys each (They don't to lose their favorites!), to play with.
Bring a notebook and play Dots and Tic-Tac-Toe. Do they know any card games? Bring a deck- they are small and travel well. Or, if you have $10 to spare, pick up a travel version of Pass-the-Pigs (but be careful not to lose the pigs!).
When you are on your layover, try taking a long walk through the terminal. Don't go past security, but it will help if they all get up and stretch their legs. Have them do a little exercise routine! Raise their hands, touch their toes, etc. Make it a game of Simon Says, and make them do really silly things. If you can get them to burn off enough energy, they may end up sleeping on the second leg or your journey.
Most of all- prepare them for the trip through the airport. Practice taking off their jackets and shoes, and make a game of finding any hidden change in their pockets. Give each one a special "Airport Assignment," like making sure they all get their shoes off and on, making sure the bags are all on the x-ray belt, etc. Have your youngest count the number of people and bags, and make sure that every person, and every bag, is present and accounted for.
If you can convince them that something boring or mundane is fun, they will be excited and compliant!
Good luck, and have fun!!!
(But again- remember the on-board liquids rule! You may want to purchase a small bottle of water once you are past security).
Make sure you don't have any liquids over 3 ounces- including anything in a toy! One of the children I used to babysit had a water-filled bouncy ball, and security at O'Hare confiscated it and threw it away (Wouldn't even let me pick it up on my way out from dropping them off at the gate).
Avoid sugary snacks- this will make them hyper and they will have a hard time sitting still during the flight. Try popping microwave popcorn and putting it in little baggies, granola bars (again, make sure they don't have too much sugar!), and goldfish crackers. Does each child have his own lunchbox? Maybe pack them each their own, or a little brown baggie to put in their carry-on. Having a special thing for themselves will be entertaining.
Does your 9-year-old have a DS or portable game player? This should keep him busy on the plane. Let the 5 and 6 year olds each pick one or two toys each (They don't to lose their favorites!), to play with.
Bring a notebook and play Dots and Tic-Tac-Toe. Do they know any card games? Bring a deck- they are small and travel well. Or, if you have $10 to spare, pick up a travel version of Pass-the-Pigs (but be careful not to lose the pigs!).
When you are on your layover, try taking a long walk through the terminal. Don't go past security, but it will help if they all get up and stretch their legs. Have them do a little exercise routine! Raise their hands, touch their toes, etc. Make it a game of Simon Says, and make them do really silly things. If you can get them to burn off enough energy, they may end up sleeping on the second leg or your journey.
Most of all- prepare them for the trip through the airport. Practice taking off their jackets and shoes, and make a game of finding any hidden change in their pockets. Give each one a special "Airport Assignment," like making sure they all get their shoes off and on, making sure the bags are all on the x-ray belt, etc. Have your youngest count the number of people and bags, and make sure that every person, and every bag, is present and accounted for.
If you can convince them that something boring or mundane is fun, they will be excited and compliant!
Good luck, and have fun!!!
(But again- remember the on-board liquids rule! You may want to purchase a small bottle of water once you are past security).
ideas for portable travel crafts for 4 and 9 year old girls?
All-Americ
they must be easy and compact to carry in plane and car
besides coloring books and crayons please!
thank you! all ideas, homemade or store-bought (preferably homemade) are welcome! XD
Answer
a small dry erase board. for some reason kids like to use the markers and then erase them immediately. I bought my son a small one at Target from the $1 bin.
silly putty.
rubix cube.
Pinhead, or I think that's what they use to be called. They're found in the toy section and are around $5 (and now plastic). They're usually a small square or rectangle and have pins in them and if you put your fingers on the underneath side, an imprint of your fingers or whatever is apparent because the pins are being pushed back through the holder. Not at all dangerous. Probably close to impossible to hurt yourself with the plastic pins. We have one in the lobby of the office where I work and EVERY kid, ages 2-15 ALWAYS messes with it the entire time they're there.
print some sheets off the internet for connect the dots or the abc's. abcya.com is broken into age groups. i'm sure there'd be something age appropriate for both. A word search for the 9 year old. Maybe some "I Spy" pages for the 4 year old where she finds certain items in the collage of pictures on the page and colors them.
Deck of Go Fish cards.
Bracelet or jewelry making kits. Put different shapes of beads in small containers and take some string with you. Let them string the beads into a necklace or a bracelet.
Or just use different colors of embroidery thread or yard and them them braid the string for the bracelets.
a small dry erase board. for some reason kids like to use the markers and then erase them immediately. I bought my son a small one at Target from the $1 bin.
silly putty.
rubix cube.
Pinhead, or I think that's what they use to be called. They're found in the toy section and are around $5 (and now plastic). They're usually a small square or rectangle and have pins in them and if you put your fingers on the underneath side, an imprint of your fingers or whatever is apparent because the pins are being pushed back through the holder. Not at all dangerous. Probably close to impossible to hurt yourself with the plastic pins. We have one in the lobby of the office where I work and EVERY kid, ages 2-15 ALWAYS messes with it the entire time they're there.
print some sheets off the internet for connect the dots or the abc's. abcya.com is broken into age groups. i'm sure there'd be something age appropriate for both. A word search for the 9 year old. Maybe some "I Spy" pages for the 4 year old where she finds certain items in the collage of pictures on the page and colors them.
Deck of Go Fish cards.
Bracelet or jewelry making kits. Put different shapes of beads in small containers and take some string with you. Let them string the beads into a necklace or a bracelet.
Or just use different colors of embroidery thread or yard and them them braid the string for the bracelets.
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