14 ways to keep your kids entertained on the plane

I love those colouring books that come with one water-marker, because it’s simple and less messy. And toys that suction onto the tray table! — Claire Sibboney, Today’s Parent Editor

$7, thebay.com

We packed a new item for each hour of our flight. This includes magnetic travel games, colouring books, word search, Imaginext figures, Lego figures, and a sensory bag for the littlest one. — Andrea Linthorne Mugford

$8, amazon.ca

Photocopy an assortment of colouring and activity workbooks so you can throw them out instead of schlepping the book around with you after the flight. — Kim Shiffman, Today’s Parent Editor

$7, walmart.ca

$10, uline.ca

For toddlers, puffy stickers from the dollar store are a great pick! Because they’re thicker, kids can peel them off the backing themselves, but it still takes them time to place each one. I toss about 10 sheets, a mini pack of construction paper, and a box of crayons or markers in my bag, which has saved my sanity on epically delayed flights. — Katherine Handcock

$6, well.ca

Window clings are a safe and fun toy for kids to play with on the plane. — Amy Valm, Today’s Parent Editor

$24, amazon.ca

I feel like some parents still don’t know that you don’t need Internet for Netflix—just download movies onto your tablet before travelling. — Kim Shiffman, Today’s Parent Editor

A small, flexible photo album with pictures of all important people in their life. It kept both my girls busy for quite some time! — Elyse Genesse

$17, socialprintstudio.com

The way to my daughter’s heart will always be her stomach. Rather than feed her one big meal during a flight, I pack tons of smaller snacks that can be doled out little-by-little. I recommend picking things that require effort to eat, like apples or corn on the cob. — Simone Olivero, Today’s Parent Editor

I let my kids play with a roll of washi tape on our last flight. They were quiet, and it was easy to clean up before we got off so we weren’t leaving a mess for the flight attendants! — Sharon Durrell

$4.50, thepaperplace.ca

New toys are essential. We brought our 18-month-old daughter finger puppets, stickers and the Crayola no mess coloring books and markers. — Julia Silvestri Wong

$20, chapters.indigo.ca

You can buy little mini Transformer figurines from the dollar store—they come in a small bag and you don’t know what you’re going to get. Opening one every 30 or 60 minutes really helps. (They also have Thomas and LEGO Mini figures.) Also, a mini tub of Play-doh and plastic animals or dinosaurs to tromp in it. — Ariel Brewster, Today’s Parent Editor

$10, toysrus.ca

This may be a choking hazard depending on the age of the kid (so proceed with caution), but mints can be a great distraction. Likely, your little one doesn’t get to enjoy this treat much so they will be so excited to have it (and constantly ask for it!) and the sucking will help them pop their ears during take-off and landing. — Alyssa Ashton, Today’s Parent Editor

$3, walmart.ca

Being a tablet-free family, these are life-savers. — JoJo Roxs

$4.50, chapters.indigo.ca

Read more: Flying with your baby doesn't have to be a nightmare Tips to survive flying with a toddler 10 tips for flying with kids