When you’re flying with kids, the phrase you least want to hear isn’t “There’s been a delay” or “We’ve hit a bit of turbulence.” Parents know that the worst thing to hear is actually this: “I’m bored.” That’s why I’ve put together a whole bunch of boredom busters to keep your kids entertained on the plane.

I feel for kids on the plane—after all, their super-active bodies are forced to sit for hours, and they’re not allowed to do anything. But you can keep kids happy on a plane. And while I’m a big fan of tablets and movies while traveling, these are no screentime suggestions!

So whether this is your child’s first flight or her hundredth, I’m confident my ideas below have something new for her to do on the plane. Flying with kids doesn’t have to be stressful for you or your child; make it fun with these boredom busters!

So next time your kids say “I’m bored” on the plane, use one of these responses. I guarantee your family trip will go more smoothly!

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Keep your children entertained while flying with kids

So you’re 30,000 feet in the air and your child says “I’m bored.” Here are TK ways to respond that inspire creativity, curiosity and of course fun!

If your child says “I’m bored,” say…

1. “Let’s problem solve together.”

When your kids are bored on the plane, I bet you $100 they are waiting for you to figure out how to entertain them. By offering this response instead, you’re disrupting their expectations, which science says actually wakes up the brain and makes it pay more attention.

Childhood education experts call this approach collaborative problem-solving approach. My husband teaches special education, and we’ve been using this technique. We’ve found it empowers our kids to help themselves—and you can use it when you’re trying to entertain kids on a plane, too! When you respond to “I’m bored” like this, their ideas might surprise you! They might come up with a wacky idea you’d never think of.

2. “What haven’t we played with yet?”

Chances are, you packed a ton of toys, activities and games for the kids to play with on the plane. (Because when you’re flying with kids, better to be uber prepared, right?) I noticed that my kids hardly played with all these goodies when we fly, and I bet your kids are the same.

By drawing their attention to the great plane activities they already have, they’ll see there’s still plenty to play with.

(I wrote about what to pack in a plane activity kit over on my other blog, Ten Thousand Hour Mama. Check it out if you want ideas!)

3. “Do you want to close your eyes?”

Boredom might be crankiness. Family travel often disrupts kids’ sleep schedules, so they might simply be tired. My older daughter, who is 5 1/2, will almost never nap—unless I point out that it’s totally ok if she closes her eyes.

4. “Let’s take a walk to the bathroom.”

Taking a walk to the bathroom isn’t really about peeing; it’s about moving. Your kids aren’t used to sitting for such long stretches, and it’ll do them (and you) good to walk to the lavatory. If they use it, bonus!

5. “Let’s ask the flight attendant a question.”

We adults are jaded, but kids see the world in a fresh light: We’re flying! In the air! Even though we’re not birds!!! The technology that powers this feat is incredible. So why not take advantage of this amazing opportunity to indulge kids’ curiosity?

When flying with kids, have them come up with a question to ask a flight attendant. You might learn something too!

6. “Is there something we can do to fill up another passenger’s bucket?”

Research consistently shows that the best way to boost your own happiness is by doing something kind for someone else. Help your kids shift their focus from their own boredom to generosity.

If your kids can’t think of a way to make someone else smile, here are some ideas:

• Draw a picture
• Tell a joke
• Give a compliment
• Ask if someone wants a beverage, then bring it to them
• Start a conversation (ask about their life)

(By the way, the phrase “fill up someone’s bucket” comes from a children’s book we absolutely love called Have You Filled a Bucket Today? This book was a total game-changer in my house, teaching my young kids about empathy in a way that totally made sense to them. I absolutely recommend it!)

7. “What could we make out of this magazine?”

In-flight magazines are in just about every airline’s seat pockets. Why not make use of them?

When your kids are bored on a plane, see all the things you can do with a magazine together. Can you rip out a page and make a fan? Turn it into a tent for your child’s toy to go “camping” in? Stretch your imagination!

8. “Let’s get something to drink.”

This response is a two-fer: It gives you and your kids an excuse to get up and stretch your legs. It also encourages your kids to drink fluids. After all, kids get just as dehydrated while flying as adults do, but they sometimes don’t recognize thirst (or act on it by drinking up).

9. “Can we tell a make-believe story—together?”

Flying with kids gives you an excellent opportunity to engage with your kids without distractions. After all, there are no emails to answer or dishes to wash, so your kids have your undivided attention.

Why not make up a story together? Take turns telling parts of a story, building on each other’s additions until you come up with the silliest story you’ve ever told! My kids are still giggling about the story we made up together about the princess pony who got a toothache and met a shark that sprayed glitter out of its mouth.

10. “What would Batman do if he were bored?”

This response is so unexpected that I guarantee it’ll jolt your kids out of their boredom. Use their favorite character, from Pinkie Pie to Moana to Thomas the Engine, to spark their imagination. This boredom buster for the plane will lead to some hilarious conversations!

11. “What do you think is happening on the ground beneath us right now?”

The world looks so different from up in the air. Why not take a new perspective in another way by imagining what’s happening below you?

Encourage your kids to peek out the window, if you can see the ground (or water!). Look for clues. Is it farmland? City? Mountains?

Even if it’s dark or cloudy, you can play this imagination game.

Your kids might not have a lot of ideas at first, but that’s ok. Come up with your own ideas—the wackier, the better! Maybe narwhals are having a birthday party, or someone is digging a tunnel to search for his lost pet earthworm. Your goofy responses will show your kids there isn’t a right answer and that they can let their imaginations run wild.

12. “Let’s make a puppet show!”

I hope you never have to make use of plane barf bags for their actual purpose. Instead, use them to make puppets!

That’s right: Barf bags are the perfect size and shape to make hand puppets. Decorate the barf bags to make faces or creatures, then put on a show. You might even turn around in your seats and put on a show for the folks behind you!

Plane barf bags puppet show from Catherine Ryan Gregory on Vimeo.

13. Pass a note

Use a scrap of paper (or even the back of your boarding pass) to write a note to another passenger. It could just say “hi” or ask them a question. Going old-school, like you did when you passed notes when you were a kid in school, will surprise and delight other folks on the plane.

Plus, everyone will be so impressed by how well behaved your kids are on a plane. That doesn’t hurt!

I know these tips will help you entertain your kids on a plane. Best of all, these boredom busters can be used anytime—an require no screen time!

Do you have any suggestions? How do you keep children entertained on a plane?

PS – If you’re flying solo with kids, don’t miss my post on solo travel with kids. The post is full of tips to make one-parent travel approximately a million times easier.