52 Fun Things to Do on the Plane by Lynn Gordon (Chronicle Books Gift Works divisions, 52 cards, color illustrations by Susan Synarski, $5.95, ISBN 0-8118-1098-4)
(Editorial Note: Although this is not a book, this neat product will be a boon to those of you who regularly travel with children)
Whether you are flying intra-state or internationally, traveling with children can be a challenge. Now Lynn Gordon╒s 52 Fun Things to Do on the Plane will offer the child traveler of all ages dozens of innovative, imaginative, and fun things to do during a plane trip to keep them occupied for hours. There are plenty of drawing games, word games, and even action (while seated) games. Many require little more than the use of paper and pencil, and the omni present airline peanuts, but all of them require imagination!
Here are some examples:
Cloud of Animals is delightful for all ages. You have the child look out the window and see if they can find any animal shapes in the clouds.
Hand Pix: Draw around your hand and then draw a picture based on the hand. Try this with your hand in several different positions.
Songs about Travel: Think of as many songs as you can that are about cars, boats, planes, and more.
Sto: If you were stowing away on an airplane for a secret trip, what places you can think of to hide in? Where are you going? Now, write or tell about your secret trip.
Map Memory: Study the in-flight magazine map. When you are ready, close the magazine. Can you remember where each city appeared on the map?
Mime Language: Communicate with another person through mime. See how long you can ╥talk╙ this way before they figure out what you are saying.
Finger Puppets: Draw faces on the fingers of one hand with a pen and use your tray table as a puppet theater to act out a puppet show. If someone else is with you, you can put on a show together.
Seatarobics: Don╒t move from that seat, just see how many ways you can stretch part of your body starting with your toes, turning your ankle, and so on.
For that next trip that requires air travel, be sure to pack 52 Fun Things to Do on the Plane for your children and it will make time fly!
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