A topic of on-going interest among the moms in Hong Kong was entertaining our kids on the long hauls to and from the US.  Faced with a 14-hour flight (just to get to Newark, New Jersey) and usually at least one shorter flight prior to arriving at the final destination, this was no small concern.  Use this advice, garnered from parents that have been there, and save yourself from the agony of bored kids on your next flight.

Pack surprises -- lots of surprises.  New coloring and activity books, colors, and stickers are essential to every flight, but they generally are not enough.  Add excitement with lots of small toys and other items -- variety is key!  Explore the impulse bins at your local independent toy store and buy small toys and novelties.  Cloth tape measures, magnetic drawing boards, small plastic animals, and wind-up toys work well.  A rule of thumb to follow is one new toy or activity for each 15 minutes of flight time.   

Think outside the box.  Your daughter may love pink princesses but a bag of princess things likely isn't going to keep her entertained for the whole flight.  Add interest with a car or fun animals.  We always include a few small plastic animals, finger puppets, something with wheels, and a craft project.  Don't go for the elaborate crafts -- simple color your own masks or hats are quick and fun.  Origami, puzzle cubes, and magic tricks are a hit with older kids.

Remember to pack some things for before takeoff, while waiting in line, or on layovers.  It is a hassle to drag out a bunch of things before boarding the plane.  Pack a very small personal bag for each child with a snack, wikki stix, four-pack of crayons, mini coloring pad, stickers, and a few small animals to stave off boredom.  

Don't count on airline entertainment systems.  Family friendly movies are not guaranteed on any flight.  If you are bringing your own DVD player or other electronics, pack a spare battery -- nothing is worse than the battery dying in the middle of a movie.

Bring snacks.  No experimenting.  Bring a good mix of things they enjoy -- both savory and sweet.  Don't count on kids eating airplane food, so plan accordingly.  Buy water after clearing security and bring it on-board.  Our general rule is to bring double what we think we will need.  

Carry on a change of clothes.  Accidents and spills happen.  Be prepared with complete set of fresh clothes for each child (and a clean shirt for each adult).  

Always bring favorite comfort items!  A flight is not the time to make a break from the blanket, stuffy, binky, or bottle.  

Now that you have gathered all this stuff together, how do you get it on the plane?  Through much trial and error, we have developed a system that works for us.  Each child has a small rolling bag that is filled with their favorite animals, blankets, change of clothes, books, etc.  I supervise the packing of this bag but let the kids handle the details.  When they are done, I include a few surprises (such as a new book) and snacks.  The kids are responsible for pulling this bag through the airport.  Each child also carries a small personal bag that holds a miniKiddy and candy.  They play with this while waiting in line at the ticket counter, waiting for takeoff or on layovers.  We save the big things for the flight.  

In a separate bag, I pack a TravelKiddy (of course) for each child and extra snacks.  The kids are not allowed to look in this bag until we takeoff.  While we give our kids their TravelKiddy bags all at once, many people choose to hand out items individually.   

Finally, remember to relax and enjoy your kids during the flight.  A long flight can be a great time to reconnect without all the stress of day-to-day activities.

Happy Travels!