45 Best Non-Electronic Activities for Kids When Flying

Will you be traveling by airplane with your little ones some time in the near future? Does the thought of being confined to a 3×3 foot space with your 3 year old bring on the cold, sweaty palms? Feel the back of your throat closing in just a little? I get it.

I see you momma. You’ve got that look of 75 different snacks, a tablet and headphones in your eyes.

Whether you’re going on a road trip in your car or flying to a far-off destination, traveling with kids is challenging. No doubt about it! However, when traveling by car you can stop, get out and stretch legs. Your child can have a complete meltdown and no one is the wiser except the passengers in your vehicle. Leg room and window views are ample (depending on how tightly you’ve packed). You get my point ;).

Traveling by plane can take a bit more…creativity…or just a lot of electronics time. But, if you’re looking to mix it up a bit and would prefer they’re not glued to their pads/phones for the entire duration of the flight, you’re going to want to check out the list I’ve compiled below! These ideas are sure to keep your kiddos entertained even with limited space, opportunities for physical movement, and inhibited noise making, plus bring more peace of mind to mom, dad or accompanying adult! There are a total of 35 activities categorized into age groups, but I repeated some of the items that could be appropriate for multiple age groups!

P.S. since electronic devices are already a no-brainer, I stuck with non-electronic ideas in the list below! I also tried to steer clear of activities that have many small pieces because…well…the less opportunity for frustration, the better!!

Best Non Electronic Airplane Activities for Toddlers

Best Non Electronic Airplane Activities for Kids Ages 6 and Up

WikkiStix
Magnetic Bingo Set
Paint By Sticker Books
Melissa & Doug Wipe-Off Activity Books
Highlights Hidden Pictures Books
Highlights Jumbo Pad of Brain Teasers
Highlights Jumbo Pad of Word Puzzles
Highlights Jumbo Pad of Puzzling Fun
The Highlights Book of Things to Draw
The Highlights Book of Things to Write
Melissa & Doug Color By Number Books
The “Mom, I’m Bored” Activity Book
LCD Writing Tablet/Sketch Pad
Erasable Doodle Book
On The Go Games
Game Pad
Book of Mazes
Card Games like Uno, Crazy 8’s, Old Maid, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, etc…
Also, these or these are amazing card holder aids for little hands!
Travel Spirograph Art
Mental Blox Go!
Super Dinky Doodles Book
On the Plane Activity Book
50 Fun Things to do on the Plane
Scratch Art Books
Tangram Magnetic Puzzle Book
Fun and Facts Airplane Coloring Book
Grab & Go Play Packs (Target dollar bin)

Healthy Travel Snacks for Kids

Below I got into a little more detail as to how I pack snacks for each of my kids when we travel by plane. I have found it’s the easiest way to carry and distribute snacks and it saves me from a bit of frustration! Here are some of my “go-to” healthier snack ideas for long distance travel by plan or car! I like to try and incorporate as much of a balance as I can of healthy fats, fiber and high protein to keep blood sugars balanced (sugar spikes = more meltdowns, no thank you), and keep their bellies satiated longer.

Whole apple, uncut so it won’t brown
carrot sticks
Meat sticks (these are our favorite)
Trail mix (we usually DIY our own with a mixture of dehydrated or freeze dried fruit, nuts, sprouted seeds, coconut chips and dark chocolate nibs)
Made Good snacks (they have a mixture of bars, granola balls, rice snacks and crackers all with clean ingredients)
Fruit & veggie or applesauce pouches (I like GoGoSqueeze Organic the best because there’s no artificial preservatives)
Simples Mills crackers and bars
Skout bars
The Good Crisp chips
Lesser Evil Oh My Ghee! popcorn
The Greater Goods snacks
YumEarth lollipops
That’s It fruit bars
That’s It Crunchables
Solely fruit jerky
Rhythm Kale Chips
Wild Zora meat and veggie bars

Other Tips and Tricks for Flying with Young Kids

Remember…you’re not the first person to fly with young children! I mean that sarcastically but also seriously. Sometimes I have to remind myself of this when doing something for the first time. While this doesn’t completely eradicate the fear of the unknown because it’s still something new to YOU, it’s also kind of reassuring that you aren’t pioneering something brand new for all of mankind (although we can build it up to something that size in our minds). Hundreds of thousands of parents have gone before you and hundreds of thousands will go ahead of you. Some had quieter and more peaceful flights than others, but nonetheless, it has been done. It can be done. It will be done!

Have each child wear a backpack.
If you feel your child is physically capable of wearing their on backpack, this is a great way to keep things organized for each child and avoid a zillion and one questions asking for their book to read, a snack, their toy doll, another snack, their water bottle, another snack….you get my drift.
Use a gallon sized ziplock bag to pack snacks for each child and have them carry their own snack bag in their backpacks.
The bag can also double as a trash bag for snack wrappers so they aren’t using mom and dad as human trash cans.We allow our two oldest kids to take responsibility of their own snack schedule. Meaning, you don’t have to ask mom and dad permission to eat a snack, but once your snacks are gone…they’re gone and there will be no refills. So we just give them a rundown of how long we’ll be in the airport and in the plane and encourage them to space out their snacking. They do a pretty good job with moderation! We monitor our toddler’s snacking more closely but she typically just wants to snack when she sees the older two doing so. If you want to pack a couple “special snacks”, check out this post for some clean ingredient sweet treat ideas
Allow each child to pick out one or two new toys/seat activities prior to leaving.
Put it away for safe keeping until the day of departure so they can’t use it/play with it beforehand. Having something brand new and exciting can help peak interest levels and keep them involved for a longer period of time as they are exploring their new item for the first time. We have used the Target dollar bin, the dollar store and a second hand toy store to shop for these new(ish) items in the past and it has worked really well! I usually give them a budget and allow them to use their own money if they want to spend beyond that.
Set realistic expectations.
Remember, if it’s your child’s first time flying, they have no idea what’s truly about to happen. This could add to the excitement of it all once they’re on board, or it could frustrate them once the limited space and freedom to move sets in. A walk up and down the aisle, a walk to the bathroom (even if it’s just to wash hands) can be just enough to break the monotony of sitting stationary. If you are flying with other adults, let your antsy kiddo switch seats with another member of your party (if feasible) half way through the flight.
Don’t be ashamed to use electronics.
We may have visions of our children skipping through the airport holding hands, no whining, not having to use the bathroom until you are safely at your destination point, no lines at security and having your baggage first off the carousel. And hey, who knows?! It could happen. But flying with an entire family is stressful enough. Don’t place lofty expectations on yourself or your kids. Hope for the best but mentally prepare for the worst. We absolutely bring iPads/Kindles with us on long trips and while they are not our first “go-to” for keeping kids occupied, we have no shame using them when the time calls for it. And there are plenty of age appropriate educational games that can be downloaded beforehand.

Welp, you have done all you can to prepare yourself and your family. You have your arsenal of fun games, activities and snacks. But remember, if playing Bingo on repeat is the only thing that keeps him/her happy…run with it! If playing games or watching a show on the tablet is the only activity that will bring peace…done. Foster your sanity, momma! You’ve got this.

Finally, take a deep breath and enjoy the moments! Look for the joy and wonder through the eyes of your kiddos. Whatever your destination, I hope it’s filled with lots of fun, peaceful journeys and magical memories.

*A little sidenote, friend, these lists contain affiliate links for which I may earn a tiny commission should you choose to shop through them. It is at no extra cost to you, but means a great deal to me that you would choose to support my little blog. It brings me great joy to share these thoughts with you!