Liba

We are flying internationally, four kids, 13 hours of flights plus 3-15 hour stop overs, so I would love to find some special games and surprises to pack. Small is good, since they will each be carrying a change of clothing, snack and toiletries besides their games.

Decks of cards, paper and pens/markers are all given, but which of the commercial travel games is small and successful?

Thank you!

Liba

Eclipsepearl

I like the chess/checker sets which you have to insert the pieces. Usually, they have a hole to insert each piece. Very turbulence-proof! They also usually come in the box which becomes the board when opened and turned over. Very compact.

McDonalds was giving out mini-board games for awhile. Lose a piece and it's not a big deal. Handy because they were all paper. Wonder if you can buy similar.

Do your kids like Sudoku? Mine aren't crazy about it on the ground but it keeps them busy when we travel. You can print them up from the web or get a book with hundreds.

If you bring cards, be sure to have some games they can still play if a card or two gets lost (easy to do on an airplane). Also, bring a spare pack!

Rubiks cube!

If you are connecting and your children have electronic games, be sure to bring the recharger and an adapter if necessary.

Liba

Eclipsepearl thanks. Sudoku is a great idea for the older ones.

I can get some more basic color by number and activity books for my four year old.

Eclipsepearl

Don't forget some books, especially for the little one. Ones with flaps and other things that move and open are great for keeping them occupied. You can also buy the story books they sell in drugstores. Get some of his favorite characters and they're floppy and easy to pack.

TravelinTX

Pipe cleaners, you can find books that tell you how to make animals, etc. out of them.

Eclipsepearl

Play dough and stickers. I've also heard that pinwheels are good for little one (note, nothing that will be too sorely missed if lost).

mechteach

My kids love Wikki Stix. They are like pipe cleaners, but have a lot of creative possibilities.

Liba

Will play dough get through security?

sjpd

Target sells magnetic tangrams that my kids love - they can use the shapes to make animals or other "characters" and the packages come with maybe 8-12 boards per pack. My 3- and 5-year old think they are fun. Cheap stickers are really popular, as are post it notes.

Bring more snacks than you think you'll need, especially things that are "treats". For some reason my normally not-picky children turn into fine connoisseurs when confronted with airplane choices, so I have an endless supply of fruit snacks and animal crackers, both in short supply on land.

Liba

Thanks sjpd!

I will have to look for the tangrams for our trip home. I raided my school supply cabinet, where I keep extras, and found that I have lots of stickers, paper, composition books, markers, mechanical pencils, and crayons. I went shopping and bought them each a couple Buki books http://www.leisurelearning.com.au/in...ory&path=47_80 . I bought a couple more decks of cards and a set of dominoes today as well.

tinyglobetrotters

Hi!

My kid (6 years old) LOVES Hangman. There is specific ones you can buy online, but you can also do the free version with just a pen and a paper.
Keeps him working on his spelling.

Caroline

manuc

travelling long haul with my 4 year old, i find that a toy drum set and accompanying toy working microphone keep her occupied for hours and also lightens the mood in a packed economy cabin - i also like to stick a target on the seat back infront of her where she can practice landing hard kicks

but seriously my child is a well behaved traveller and i find that a travel sized doodle pro is great and i we carry her leapfrog with a couple of new games, tag reader with new books and spare batteries ar. she has her own head phones so the sounds dont disturb others. this time around we also have a fisher price camera for her - she can click away @ the airport during the layover. she also enyoys activity and sticker books so we always buy a couple of new ones with her favourite characaters (dora, etc.) for her before travelling

needless to say all of the above keep her occupied for an hour - 90 minutes tops - after which i quickly request for a few rum n cokes and resort to the drum / target combination so she can keep herself oocupied for the remaining part of the flight

exbayern

I vote no for PlayDough. It is sometimes rejected by security, but beyond that it has a bad smell, and it stains. I know someone who ended up with several colourful stains on her suit after a flight, (she didn't realise that someone had left tiny balls behind on the seat) and they could not be removed.

I have no experience with Crayola Modelling Clay, but apparently it is odourless and does not stain, so I would strongly suggest that instead.

I also suggest felt pictures, puzzle blocks, Rubix cube (even for those too young to solve one), pipe cleaners, sticky tape, post it notes, and anything which doesn't make a noise and which doesn't have small parts.

Rylph

I am not sure if people are still interested, but I downloaded Jumpstart Games via their apps along with BBC Games for when I had to travel with my kids. It kept them occupied during our long airtrips.

lost*in*cyberspace

Nothing entertains my grandson as well as an iPad loaded up with games and movies.

Play dough is not a good idea. It makes a mess. It may cause other issues:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/pract...-play-doh.html