This summer we did a lot of traveling. It was super exciting for everyone and surprisingly a lot of fun. I said surprisingly, because usually traveling with 3 kids (newborn including) isn't that glorious: long layovers, canceled flights, endless lines and long flights. In matter of fact, we spent 12 hours at Istanbul airport this summer. 12 hours! With 3 kids.
We HAD to be creative and we came up with these travel activities for kids that require no preparation, no need to bring anything with you. These travel activities helped us survive never ending lines and those brutally long flights this summer.
The activities are divided into two parts: activities while at the airport and activities on the airplane.
Jump to:
PART 1. Travel Activities For Kids At The Airport
If it all goes smooth you may not spend a lot of time at the airport, but it NEVER goes smooth, does it? Waiting in lines for security check, passport control, boarding. A lot of waiting. These games are all super easy, most of them don't need any set up.
Travel activities for kids video
- Fly an airplane. Make your own airplane from a magazine (we found plenty of them at the waiting lounges). Find a quiet corner and fly the planes away.
- Good balance. Get a water bottle and try to balance it on your head while walking. Make start and finish points and see who can successfully walk without dropping the bottle on the floor.
- Confused yet? Get two paper cups (we finished our coffee and used them), put one small item under one cup. Turn the cups around, mix places, do it until you see kids are confused. Then, ask them to guess where is the item you've hidden.
- Starring contest. This game is perfect to play while waiting in a long line to check in or board. Stare at each other until one of you blinks, laughs.
- What's in the bag? Find a paper/plastic bag and put a small item in there. (good ones to consider: camera sim card, a coin, candy, cookie, hair clip, ring, key etc). Kids have 3 seconds to feel the item in the bag and guess what it is.
- Catch the treat. Make the snack time more fun and entertaining for everyone by telling your kinds in order to get those M&Ms or grapes they need to catch it with their mouths.
- Air doodling. All you need is fingers for this game. Simply draw a picture with your fingers in the air and ask your kids to guess what did you draw. If they can read yet, doodle words instead of pictures.
PART 2. Travel Activities For Kids on the Airplane
We have created travel activity cards for flights with the kids, because we all tend to forget even the most simple games and activities when we are under pressure or in stress, so having cards in your purse and being able to pull them out to glance at them was a life saver which made our kids occupied the entire flight. There are 17 beautifully illustrated cards with different activities on each card. 10 minutes per activity equals almost 3 hours of kids not screaming, not begging for an iPad and maybe even letting your watch a movie. Sounds pretty dreamy, right? 🙂
Travel activities included:
- Mini pat a cake
- Twister
- Cookie stacker
- Collage
- 3 in a row
- Make me laugh
- Finger puppet show
- Rubbish basketball
- Bubble maker
- Straw pick up
- Sky spy
- Drama
- This looks like...
- Finger doodling
- Puzzler
- Masterpiece
- What's in the bag?
The files are delivered digitally. You will receive an email after the purchase on how to download the link with PDF files. Super simple! I suggest printing the files on cardstock paper for better durability. After you print it, cut out the cards. You can simply keep them in a stack as is or punch a hole and hold them with key ring holder, like we did. If you have any questions or suggestions please email playtivities@gmail.com.
