Travel is an incredible educational opportunity, and if you don’t mind going the budget route, travel dollars can be stretched to include children. Over the years we took our children to other countries, sometimes in extended family groups with grandparents and cousins, sometimes one-on-one for a senior trip. We learned several tricks to adapt travel to the needs of young people. For this blog, I’d like to introduce our strategy for long flights.
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Travel Kit
Though carry-on baggage is stowed in the overhead bins, it’s useful to have a small bag (like a hip pack) that can fit in the pocket of the seat in front of the passenger. We include items that provide entertainment as well as comfort items. Digital devices are revolutionizing the amount and types of media that can be brought along. Remember to charge them while waiting in the airport since not all planes are equipped with charging stations at each seat.- Earbuds: some airplanes have in-flight entertainment that can be accessed with your own earbuds
- Digital device if applicable: we have used a Y connector with two sets of earbuds to double the access to the same device.
- Comfort items: chapstick, empty mini-water bottle (the stewardess can provide refills), toothbrush for overnight flights, hand sanitizer, calcium tablets like Tums, candy or gum to chew during take-off or landing to help ears adjust
- Notecards and pen
Overnight Strategy
Most overnight flights depart around dinner time, so our strategy is to eat dinner and then sleep as much as possible. This usually means that there is time for one movie before trying to fall asleep. We have had mixed results with trying to sleep, but we keep trying anyway. I let the children know when it’s time to sleep, and some children have found that the sleep masks provided by the airline help them. Buckle the seatbelt over the airline blanket so that the stewardess will not wake you up to check that you have your seatbelt fastened.
Take the time to appreciate a new experience
With young people, I never know what will impress them most about airplane travel. For some it has been the experience of watching the clouds below the plane; for others it is the novelty of watching movies or eating airplane food. One of my children kept the airplane kit with sleep mask, socks, ear plugs and travel toothbrush as a cherished souvenir. The serendipity of what delights your fellow travelers is part of the fun, so take the time to appreciate new experiences or to see them fresh through young eyes.
Joyce McPherson is the author of books for young people, and her children have helped with research for both biographies and fiction novels set in other countries. Her most recent book is The Dickens Connection which is set in England and spins the story of a secret camp for children with unusual gifts.
Also see the first in that series the Pandora Device available in the UK!
