Let’s be honest, nobody necessarily loves sitting on an airplane for long stretches of time. Between cramping legs, and screaming babies, airplanes can easily be a source of frustration for many.

However, for children, long flights can be even more complicated. They get restless and bored, and without the comforts of home to keep them soothed and entertained, long flights can be a challenge, to say the least.

The good news is that there are parent hacks out there that won’t just make the flight easier for your child, but also for you as the parent. To help, here are some of the best tips for keeping children entertained on the long flight.

Pack Plenty of Activities

Rather than assuming that your child is going to entertain themselves with in-flight movies the entire time, it’s important that you come armed with plenty of activity choices. Assembling a travel activity kit, and switching up the activity every hour is a great way to decrease your chances of them getting bored.

Ideally, each activity should be something that they’ve never seen before. These activities don’t have to be expensive, either. Bring a coloring book, travel-size board games, or even stickers. You’d be surprised how long children can entertain themselves with things as long as it’s something they’ve never seen before.

Download Movies

Even though most flights promise in-flight entertainment, you can’t guarantee that your child will have access to all of their personal favorite shows and movies. It helps to download their favorites, so that they feel at home. Above all, make sure that you bring headphones. The last thing you want is to blast Paw Patrol on your iPad for dozens of passengers to suffer through.

Don’t Forget Snacks

Usually, long flights have snacks and meals available, however, they may not always come exactly at the time your child is hungry. This can be a serious issue if you’re on the verge of a hunger-fueled breakdown.

Nothing keeps the little ones happy like on-the-go snacks. Bring a wide variety of snacks, from healthy ones to indulgent treats. A nice mix between the two will ensure that your child doesn’t get too jacked up on sugar, and consequently result in an in-flight tantrum.

Books

Although technology is incredibly convenient on a flight, too much screen time can start to make your child agitated. It’s important to give them breaks from the screen every now and then, which will benefit not only their brain but also their attention spans.

Make sure you bring plenty of books, whether picture books or stories you can read to them so that you have a nice healthy balance between screen time and encouraging them to use their imagination.