DIY Airplane Activities for Kids

Several months ago, my friend took her two little children on an overseas airplane flight for the first time in their lives.  I was so excited to provide some activities for her kids that were small, portable, and had lots of play potential for different skill levels.  Since I usually write about and create for road trips, I had a lot of fun putting together this list for all of you, too.

I had some leftover plastic spider rings from Halloween time, so I thought a Catch a Spider game would be perfect.  I cut the backs off of the spiders and added a pair of tweezers.  The child can use the tweezers (so great for fine motor skills) to pick up the arachnids and move them in and out of the tin.  I added some counting cards to expand the play into a learning opportunity.  I included cards 1-5 because of the kids' ages and 15 spiders so they could make a number line.  Click on the picture to see the original blog post.

As part of donut week this year, I created this donut matching game that fits in an Altoid tin.  Although I didn't include this game in my activity pack, you could easily take it along.  The small container means that it fits in a pocket or purse for a quick, on-the-go game.

Skimmer (age 6) loves Star Wars characters, so I made him this Star Wars Matching Game.  Like the other one, it fits in an Altoid tin.  If you have a fan of lightsabers and space ships, they'll love this game.  Click on the picture to visit the original post.

This miniature Mickey Mouse Matching Game fits in an Altoid tin, too!  It's a fun and easy way to practice colors.  Click on the picture to print it for yourself.

Magnetic fishing games are so easy to make and fun for kids to play.  My kids played a long time with a set at the children's museum.  This set breaks my "altoid tin" rule since only the fish fit in the tin.  I sewed the pond out of felt and added plastic canvas in the middle to give it some structure; although that wouldn't be necessary.  The fishing pole is made from a wood dowel covered in felt and the hook is a magnetic jewelry closure.  Obviously with magnets, children need to be supervised, which makes this a perfect toy for an airplane flight.

I made this felt map a few years ago, and decided that my friend's trip was a great time to pass it on to another family.  I added a few shells, pirate toys, and jewels for extra small world pirate fun.  The map rolls up and ties with a ribbon, while all the other little toys fit in an altoid tin.  Click on the picture to see the original blog post.

Oops!  This one isn't an altoid tin.  The container is a recycled Crystal Light canister, which can hold quite a few activities.  I cut a hole in the lid for poking down the hair bands and miniature dominoes (poking is good for fine motor skills development too).  The hair bands can also be sorted by color, counted, or worn on fingers.  The dominoes are about the size of a piece of gun, so care must be taken with little ones; however, they are so fun to touch and can be used to play a real game of dominoes.

I made this printable a few years ago, and it's one of my most popular.  The Zoo Train tracks are the perfect size for mini Thomas the Train cars and very cute.  Add some tiny zoo animals for extra fun.  Click on the picture to print the map.

Which one would be your kids' favorite?

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