Every parent knows the feeling: the airplane doors close, the Wi-Fi drops, and your toddler realizes they’re trapped in a metal tube. Reaching for the tablet feels like the easy way out, but it usually ends in a meltdown when the battery dies or the flight attendant makes you put it away for landing.
I learned this on a red-eye to London. Boarding at 5:40 a.m., I thought I was prepared with a giant bag of toys. I remember sitting there as we took off thinking: why did I ever assume a bag of toys equaled peace? Here are the screen-free tricks that actually worked for me after a lot of trial, error, and mid-flight apologies to the people sitting next to us.
Quick links (I swear airports delete 30% of my short-term memory, so here’s the short version):
- Square books - trust me on this
- Thick lines
- The rotation thing
- Crayons + wipes (don’t skip the wipes!)
- No tiny stuff
- Age reality check
- The snack box
Square books
Most activity books are 8.5 x 11 inches, which is a disaster on a cramped airplane tray. It slides off, invades your neighbor’s space, and makes your kid frustrated.
I switched to square 8.5 x 8.5-inch books after a particularly embarrassing incident where my daughter’s coloring book kept sliding onto the lap of the businessman next to me. Square format just stays put — it fits on the tray without hanging off the edge, so their workspace doesn’t spill into the next seat.
Thick lines
Try coloring inside the lines during turbulence. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Exactly. Thin, intricate details are a recipe for a toddler meltdown. Thick lines are forgiving when the plane’s bouncing around and their hands are all over the place. Plus they actually feel successful, which is huge when everyone’s tired.
The rotation thing
Handing over one big bag of toys gets you about 20 minutes of peace, then they’re done.
Now I pack 4 or 5 activities in separate opaque envelopes. I only hand over a new one when the current one dies. The novelty buys you time, and they don’t realize it’s just the stuff I packed three hours ago.
Crayons + wipes
Standard, skinny crayons snap under pressure and roll right off the tray table onto the dirty airplane floor.
I use jumbo, triangular crayons now because they don’t roll away. But I used to think wet wipes were optional for a flight. They’re really not. Even washable crayons leave marks on seatback screens, and you really don’t want to be the parent scrubbing the plastic in front of you while the flight attendant glares.
No tiny stuff. Seriously.
I tried magnetic puzzles once. Never again. Tiny magnets ended up everywhere—in the seat crack, stuck to my watch, probably still somewhere in that plane.
Stickers are just as bad because peeling them requires fine motor skills a tired toddler just doesn’t have. Stick to flat activities. Shadow-matching or simple coloring means zero loose parts to drop into the abyss of the airplane seat. Once something falls down there, it’s gone for the rest of the flight.
Age reality check
- 12 to 18 months: Forget coloring. Give them painter’s tape to peel off the tray table (test a corner first so you don’t ruin the plastic!) or a board book with textures. Low expectations equal survival.
- 18 to 24 months: Big scribbles and pointing games. Water-reveal pads are great, just keep the water pen clipped to the book or it will vanish into the seat cushions.
- 2 to 3 years: They can finally start following simple rules. First mazes, matching pairs, coloring big shapes.
The snack box
I’ve realized that snacks are basically an activity at that age. Put a few unusual, toddler-safe things in a compartment box. The act of opening and sorting takes up way more time than you’d think. Also, chewing or sucking on something during takeoff and landing helps their ears pop.
I write this checklist out every time I fly because I always forget something at the gate:
- 1 Square activity book
- Triangular crayons + wet wipes
- 3 sealed envelopes with flat activities
- Compartment snack box
- Backup clothes (for the kid and me, projectile yogurt is real)
“The envelope trick made a big difference on our flight to see family. It didn’t make the whole thing perfect, we still had a meltdown over a broken cracker, but it bought us some solid calm stretches.”
— Sarah, mom of a 2-year-old
We make these books, but we also genuinely use them. Square format, thick lines, no bits to lose:
- For vehicle obsessives: My First Vehicles Colouring Book
- For animal lovers: My First Farm Colouring Book
- For dinosaur kids: My First Dinosaur Colouring Book
Stuff people ask me at the playground
What do you even do with a 1-year-old on a plane without an iPad?
Honestly? You survive. Painter’s tape on the tray table, a textural board book, and a lot of walking up and down the aisle when the seatbelt sign is off. Don’t expect them to sit and do an activity.
Are those water-reveal books actually good for flights?
They’re a lifesaver because there’s no ink to spill. Just don’t let the water pen drop. Once it rolls under the seat, you’re not getting it back until we land.
How do I stop their ears from hurting?
Get them to swallow right as the plane goes up or comes down. A pouch, a straw cup, or a slightly chewy snack works best.
What about sticker books?
I avoid them. Peeling tiny stickers is frustrating for a tired kid, and if they drop one, it’s stuck to the airplane carpet forever.