The long-haul journey to and from Southeast Asia taught us everything about keeping busy boys entertained.
You know what’s wild? The journey to Southeast Asia took four full days to get there from Texas. Not a typo – four days. When Delta surprise-canceled our route and we had to pivot to Southwest through Burbank, rent a car to LAX, overnight at a Marriott, fly to Bangkok, sleep at a gorgeous golf resort (no golf this time!), then finally reach Koh Samui the next afternoon… we thought that was the real test of toddler airplane entertainment.
But the real trial? The route home. After 24 days of travel, we flew Jakarta to Doha (8hrs), Doha to Dallas (17hrs), then our final flight home. By that point, every toy was “old news,” and the kids had seen every downloaded show twice. That’s when we learned what actually works, and what you need to refresh, for keeping busy boys entertained on genuinely long travel days.
And honestly? We survived it really well with our 4-year-old and 22-month-old. We broke up the trip smartly, got decent sleep between segments, and barely felt the time change. But that success came down to packing the right stuff in our personal item carry-ons.
Here’s what actually made it into our bags, and I mean actually. I laid out everything we unpacked from both backpacks after we got home, so this is the real deal.
Entertainment Arsenal for Busy Boys
Look, the long-haul flights have built-in entertainment systems (Asiana’s & Qatar long-haul were great with plenty of games, movies, and TV), but we still packed our own arsenal because you can’t rely on screen time alone for that many hours in the air.
The iClever Headphones Were MVP
I did a ton of research on kids’ headphones before this trip. The decibel-limiting factor was my main concern, and these iClever over-ear headphones won out especially for the price. They limit volume to safe levels, and their over-ear design so they block a decent amount of noise naturally.
The best part? My almost-2-year-old was happy to wear them even when no sound was playing. Just the noise reduction alone made him comfortable. Plus, you can plug them into each other so both kids can watch the same screen and hear the same audio together, it’s game changer for sibling entertainment.
Get the same iClever over-the-ear headphones here.
Reusable Sticker Books
I kept seeing these mentioned in my traveling-with-kids forums askign about toddler airplane entertainment, so I gave them a shot. Loved them. The kids loved them more, which is what really matters. They’re mess-free, easy to pack, and kept little hands busy during that awkward descent time when you have to put screens away.
Shop Reusable Sticker books 3-pack here.
Stick 4 Ever spiral-bound here.
Books That Actually Traveled With Us
We brought a solid collection of favorites:
- Lift-the-flap books – My kids always find something new in this travel-themed flap book.
- Indestructibles Flat Books – lightweight and great for my younger boy who loves books
- “Pete the Cat’s Train Trip” book – a favorite character always travels well
Thin, tear-free books are great for travel because they’re so light and pack flat. But my boys love a lift-the-flap book, and these have so much to look at – they keep them busy for a long while. Worth the extra bulk in the bag.
Small Toys That Made the Cut
We kept it simple with tried-and-true toddler airplane entertainment favorites:
- Toy tractors (a couple of these colorful push tractors) – always a hit with my vehicle-obsessed boys the 4 year old loves a Hot Wheels car, these John Deere Tractors are a fave
- Magnetic People – I grabbed these as a new option for the trip. Honestly weren’t super popular on the plane, but my kids played with them the entire rest of vacation, so I’d say they’re worth trying. They’d be amazing on a car ride or camping trip, too!
- Otter from Slumberkins – our usual flat stuffy that’s easy to pack (though we actually lost him on this trip, RIP Otter, 4 pairs of socks, 3 swim suits, and a linen shirt, hahaha)
- Digital Cameras – (be warned they have games on them)
- Doodle Board – fun for messages, drawing, and tic tac toe
For Layovers and Downtime: Card Games
My mother-in-law gifted our 4-year-old a Santa-themed Go Fish game and Farkle. These weren’t really hits on the plane itself, but during layovers and hotel downtime? Perfect. Card games are clutch for older toddlers who can understand simple game rules and need something to do while waiting. Farkle kept it entertaining for something to play with the kids learning numbers or math.
Bonus Item: Kid Binoculars
My boys loved having their own binoculars to look out the airplane windows. they take them all over the place on walks and play with them in the house. Made them feel like little explorers and gave them something to do while looking outside instead of just staring.
Snack Strategy (Because Food-Motivated Kids Need Constant Fuel)
My kids are very food-motivated. Not a lot unlike their mother, haha. So we bring an arsenal of snacks that won’t spike their energy levels at 35,000 feet. This is my first defnece in toddler airplane entertainment:
What we actually packed:
- seaweed snacks – lightweight, mess-free, no sugar crash
- Sahale Pomegranate Cashews – these are my airport store weakness, not for the kids
- Paleo Valley meat sticks – always a winner for sustained energy, no processed junk
- Fresh or dried blueberries (for departure day) – vitamin C boost before the long haul
- Shelled Nuts (pistachios and other varieties)
I really try to get sugar-free snacks because they’re offered sweets so much otherwise – I don’t need to double down on that energy mid-flight. Trust me on this one. You do NOT want a sugar-buzzed toddler on hour 8 of a 14-hour flight.
The Parent Survival Kit
I have a detailed breakdown of everything in my carry-on backpack in my how to fly with a baby post, so I won’t repeat the full list here – but the essentials are always packed and ready to go:
- Water bottles (recently switched to these Yeti Rambler Jr bottles) Seriously, staying hydrated is the only hack to staying healthy. wash you hands and drink your water!
- Charging cables for all devices
- Ear plugs for mom and dad during takeoff/landing
- Electrolytes – I am really into the ProMix clean electrolytes as of late, in this flavor
- Cold Calm Kids – I swear by this stuff at the onset of symptoms
- Passports and Priority Pass card in secure access pocket
What We DON’T Pack (Lessons Learned)
- Complicated toys with pieces – they disappear under seats so easy
- Messy snacks – goldfish crackers sound innocent until they’re dumped down your leg inside your sock (don’t ask me how I know)
- Too many new toys – save the novelty for when you really need it, like hour 10
- Heavy books – stick to the thin ones
The Real Toddler Airplane Entertainment MVP: Strategic Screen Time
Look, we avoid screens for the most part in everyday life. But travel days? Screens are not the enemy. I’m not saying let your kiddo watch 14 hours straight, but don’t feel guilty about reasonable screen time on long flights.
The key is being strategic: when we wanted everyone to sleep, we all turned screens off so no one was distracted by the glow. It was also dark outside, which helped signal sleep time. But during the day? Let the Disney+ and downloaded Netflix episodes flow.
Apps & Downloads That Saved the Return Flight
Here’s the thing about 24 days of travel – by the time you’re heading home, your kids have seen every downloaded movie twice. For our return flights, I downloaded a bunch of new apps and YouTube videos to change things up, and it was genius. This is also a great strategy for toddler airplane entertainment before any trip – having fresh content ready to go.
Apps that were hits:
- LEGO Duplo World – kept my boys busy building virtual LEGO Trains
- Endless 123 – Endless Alphabet, Endless Reader, etc. Pick your poison.
- Peek-a-zoo – so easy and fun for kids
- Starfall ABCs – first step in learn-to-read
- Toddler Puzzle Games for Kids – great for quiet concentration time
- Baby Balloon Pop – simple but surprisingly entertaining
- Reading.com – this one’s paid, but worth it for the educational value, needs adult attention
YouTube Downloads (because WiFi at 35,000 feet is a gamble):
The key is downloading everything before you leave. Hotel WiFi or airport WiFi works way better than trying to download mid-trip, and you don’t want to be scrambling when you need entertainment most.
What Saved Us on the Longest Flight
Honestly? The combination of those noise-limiting headphones (so they could watch their screens comfortably without disturbing anyone), the arsenal of snacks (constant grazing kept them content), and breaking up the journey into manageable segments with good sleep between flights.
When it comes to planning your own toddler airplane entertainment strategy, the key is having multiple options ready – screens, physical toys, snacks, and books – so you can rotate through them as attention spans shift.
What are your toddler’s must-haves for long travel days? Drop a comment below – I’m always looking for new ideas to try!
Related Posts You Might Like:
- How to Fly with a Baby: Complete Guide
- Essential Family Travel Packing List: After 150+ Flights
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