Have Fun on an Airplane

Long trips on an airplane can get boring easily when you’re stuck in the same place with nothing to do. Try some new activities and things to do to help pass the time and even have fun while you’re on an airplane.

Steps

Bringing Your Own Fun

1. Read a book or magazine. Bring a book, magazine, or newspaper from home, or buy one or several from the airport to read during the flight. Or load an e-reader or tablet with e-books to save space in your luggage.
   • Keep your reading materials in an easily accessible place throughout the flight, either in a small bag you’re allowed to keep under the seat in front of you, or take them out of a carry-on bag before the flight begins and put them in the seat pocket so you can reach them.
   • If you’d rather listen to books and save some space in your luggage, try downloading audiobooks to a phone, MP3 player, or tablet and make sure to bring headphones so you can listen to them.
   • Try bringing along a guidebook or other travel book for the destination you’re heading to so you can prepare in advance.
2. Bring your own music or games. Load your phone or MP3 player with music you can listen to without an internet connection. Or bring a handheld gaming device with games to play.
   • Remember to bring your own headphones or earbuds. The airline usually provides them, but they are often low-quality or of a special type with two prongs that will only fit into the seat for the in-flight entertainment.
   • Never listen to music or have your game sounds on out loud without headphones. Even when you do wear headphones, make sure the sound isn’t so loud that others around you can hear it.
3. Write in a journal or draw in a sketchbook. Bring along a notebook or journal to write down the experience of your trip, or write a story, poem, or letter. Doodle or draw in a sketchbook, or color in a coloring book.
   • Try drawing or writing about other passengers on the plane, the clouds out the window, or other things you see and hear on the plane.
4. Do offline things on a laptop. Go through and edit photos, play games, or other things you can do when you aren’t connected to the internet on a laptop.
   • Your plane may even have WiFi available, in which case you can do everything you normally do using the internet, like browsing social media, chatting with friends, or playing internet games.
5. Download movies and TV shows. Get your favorite movies or TV shows, or ones you’ve been meaning to start watching, on your laptop so you can watch them during the flight. Choose just what you want to see instead of being stuck with the limited in-flight options for TV and movies.
   • Make sure you download shows or movies for offline viewing, because your plane may not have WiFi available.
   • Never pirate or download TV shows or movies illegally. Stick to iTunes or other credible sources to download any media for personal use.
6. Play a game. Do a crossword or sudoku puzzle, or play a game with a nearby friend or family member like I Spy, 20 Questions, or other verbal games that you might typically play in the car on a roadtrip.
   • Try playing a game that’s unique to airplane travel, like counting the snowflakes or frost swirls on plane windows, or picking the item you’d most like to have on every page of the SkyMall catalog.
   • Try a handheld game, too, like a Rubik’s cube, Etch-a-Sketch, or something else that will keep your hands busy for long periods of time.
   • Make sure the game you choose isn’t too loud or requires a lot of movement that will disturb other passengers.

Enjoying Plane Activities

1. Watch or listen to the in-flight entertainment. Plug headphones into your seat and select radio stations, TV shows, or movies to watch or listen to. You can also watch the plane’s movement on a map or other information about the flight and where you are.
   • Watch or listen to something at the same time as a friend or family member so you can talk about it with them later.
   • Also check out the SkyMall catalog or any other materials in the seat pocket in front of you.
2. Strike up a conversation. Talk to others around you on the plane, whether you know them or not. Get to know people by asking where they’re from, where they’re going, what they’re reading, or anything else you’re curious about.
   • Make sure to give people space and respect that they may not be in the mood to talk or may want to sleep, read, or do another activity on their own. Be respectful and polite when interacting with people you don’t know.
3. Get up and move around. Walk back and forth in your cabin and even do some light stretching where there is room next to the lavatories, for example.
   • Be careful not to bump or disrupt other passengers when you’re moving around, and don’t go into restricted areas that you’re not supposed to be in.
   • Don’t get out of your seat when the seatbelt signs are illuminated or the captain or attendants tell you to be seated. Obey all instructions from flight staff.
4. Look out the window. Enjoy seeing the sights of the landscape you’re flying over, and how different things like clouds, mountains, and fields look from above.
   • Play a game like seeing if you and friends or family can guess where you’re flying over without looking at a map, or finding animal shapes in the clouds.
   • If you’re not sitting in a window seat, you can get up and look out the window near a lavatory or other area on the plane with windows. Just make sure you don’t get in the way of other people waiting or flight attendants who need to move through the area.
5. Complete a challenge before landing. Set a challenge for yourself that you have to complete before the plane lands at your destination. Compete with a friend or family member if you can! Some ideas for challenges could be:
   • Learn 5 names of people on the plane you didn’t know before
   • Learn 10 new things about the city, state, or country you’re flying to
   • Try every free beverage on the beverage cart (ask nicely!)
   • Finish a book or piece of writing

Having Fun on a Long International Flight

1. Learn a language. If you’re traveling abroad to a country where people speak a different language, use the flight time to pick up some of the vocabulary. Download an app or language learning program or software before the flight.
   • Get a free app like Duolingo to make language learning into a fun and easy game.
2. Get maps for your destination. Download digital maps or pick up physical ones for the country or countries you’re traveling to in order to familiarize yourself with locations or plan out a travel route you want to take.
   • Look over maps for public transportation, like bus routes, subway lines, or train stops. It will really help to get familiar with these in advance, especially in another language, so you don’t get lost!
3. Make a bucket list or top 10. Read a guidebook or do some research into popular destinations in activities in the country and city you’re visiting. Make a “bucket list” of all the things you’d most like to do before you leave, or simply narrow it down to a top 5 or 10 “must-do” items.
   • There are a lot of things to do in another country, so try prioritizing your list so that you have a group of things you absolutely must see or do, a group of less-crucial things or “maybes,” and a group of things that you’ll do only if you have the money and time.

Warnings

• Always make sure your activities aren’t too loud or disruptive to avoid disturbing guests or flight staff. Always listen to flight attendants or the captain when they make announcements or tell you to sit in your seat.

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Relieve Flying Anxiety
• Be Comfortable on a Long Airplane Trip
• Keep Yourself Occupied in an Airplane
• Travel when Flying on a Plane
• Prepare for a Long Plane Ride
• Amuse Yourself on a Plane
• Not Be Scared of the Airplane Toilet
• Be Comfortable on a Long Plane Ride As a Teenager
• Tolerate an Unpleasant Flight
• Charge a Device on an Airplane

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