Our Kids Airplane Travel Kit: Best Airplane Activities for 5 to 7 Year Olds

Five years ago, I probably would have approached this very differently. I would have packed more. More activities. More snacks. More “just in case” items. More things to carry.

But after travelling regularly with a child for the last five years, I’ve found myself moving in the opposite direction. These days, I want less. Less to pack. Less to carry. Less to keep track of. And surprisingly, I think we’ve all enjoyed travelling more because of it.

One thing I’ve learnt is that children don’t need to be entertained every second of a journey. The airport is entertainment. Watching planes take off is entertainment. The safety demonstration, the moving map, and the excitement of wondering what the meal will be—it’s all entertainment.

A young child in a striped shirt looking out an airport window at a British Airways airplane with a large mountain Gibraltar in the background. — Even boredom has its place. Some of my favourite travel memories from childhood involved staring out of a window…

Even boredom has its place. Some of my favourite travel memories from childhood involved staring out of a window, daydreaming and wondering what would happen when we arrived. I want to leave room for that, too.

So instead of trying to fill every minute, we carry a small collection of activities that can be brought out when they’re needed. Our travel backpack isn’t there to replace the journey. It’s there to support it.

Now that we’ve firmly moved past the toddler phase, our focus has shifted to finding the best screen-free airplane activities for 5-7 year olds that actually keep them engaged without weighing us down.

The Travel Backpack

One thing that has worked incredibly well for us over the years is having a dedicated travel backpack. Ours is a Joules bag that only comes out for holidays and flights.

We chose it quite deliberately because, if we’re being honest, there is a good chance one of us adults will end up carrying it at some point. I didn’t particularly want a bright children’s backpack, and my husband certainly didn’t either. It’s practical, comfortable, and doesn’t scream “kids’ bag,” which means it works just as well slung over an adult’s shoulder while navigating an airport.

The contents don’t live in everyday circulation. They’re packed away between trips and brought back out when it’s time to travel again. By the next holiday, old favourites often feel new again. That’s one of the reasons we’ve stopped buying new activities before every trip. Instead, we rotate what we already have and keep a few things exclusively for travel. It’s cheaper, simpler, and, in our experience, just as effective.

What’s In The Bag? The Best Airplane Games and Activities for 5 to 7 Year Olds

Before I show you what’s currently in our travel backpack, it’s worth mentioning that not everything comes on every trip.

Some activities disappear for a few months and then make a comeback. Others are only packed for longer journeys, while a few have earned permanent status and seem to survive every clear-out.

For a short flight, we might only take a notebook, a few pens, a card game, and some snacks. For a long-haul journey, however, almost everything comes out to play.

The aim isn’t to carry lots of things; it’s to carry enough variety that there’s always something to reach for if needed. Over the years, the backpack has become less of a children’s travel bag and more of a family travel kit. The iPad belongs to all three of us, the headphones get borrowed by whoever needs them, and the notebook is a shared canvas.

A dark blue Joules backpack on a white counter surrounded by travel activities, including Stabilo Cappi pens, a small water bottle, and an Usborne sticker book. — As a friend once told me, you’re only as good as your last flight. ✈️ Here is the exact, unglamorous lineup keeping us sane on the move (yes, that includes a roll of dog poo bags and a simple piece of string). Proof that you don’t need a suitcase full of new toys to get to the destination happy.

Here is what currently makes the cut.

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🖍️ Stabilo Cappi Pens (24 Pack)
Buy the larger pack and split it into two sets. Ours are approaching 3 years old and we haven’t lost a single pen.
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🎧 Belkin Wireless Headphones
Over 3 years old and still going strong. Simple, wireless and no unicorns in sight.
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📱 Apple iPad (Family iPad)
Prepared before every trip with downloaded Netflix programmes and films for all three of us.
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📖 Usborne Airplane Activity Book
Packed and ready for our next trip. We’ve been remarkably loyal to Usborne over the years.
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🌟 Usborne Little Sticker Books
Still surprisingly effective for travel, even with older children.
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🧩 IQ Puzzler Pro
One of the few activities all three of us genuinely enjoy doing together.
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🃏 Uno
We’re still learning how to play it properly!
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🐟 Go Fish
The surprise winner. Given to us by a friend and now a firm favourite.
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🪢 Cat’s Cradle
Proof that a simple piece of string can still compete with modern technology.
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🧱 Coco Crash Cubes (Happy Cube)
Small, nostalgic and much harder than they look. Great fun for adults too.
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🍱 Sistema Snack Pot Trio
Usually filled in the lounge before boarding with nuts, dried fruit or crackers.
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💧 Sistema Water Bottle (330ml)
Small enough that nobody minds carrying it and easy to refill on the go.
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📱 Tablet & Phone Stand
One of the least exciting items in the bag and one of the most used.
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📓 A5 Notebook
Drawing, writing, holiday diaries, Hangman, airline logos and endless doodles.
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🎨 Painter’s Tape / Washi Tape
Cheap, lightweight and surprisingly versatile for travel activities.
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The Family iPad

Let’s start with the most obvious one. We do travel with an iPad.

However, it’s important to mention that this isn’t “our daughter’s iPad”. It’s the family iPad.

It gets used for everything from Portuguese lessons at home to checking restaurant recommendations, booking tickets and, of course, watching the occasional film while travelling.

Before every trip, we spend a few minutes downloading Netflix programmes and films that any of us might want to watch. Some are children’s programmes, some are family films and some are things my husband and I would happily watch ourselves.

I like knowing it’s there if we need it. Ironically, it often stays in the backpack.

On long-haul flights, the seat-back entertainment system is usually far more exciting. The moving map, the endless film selection and the novelty of having a screen built into the seat still haven’t lost their appeal.

That said, I’d much rather have the iPad and not need it than need it and not have it.

For us, it’s a travel essential, but it’s certainly not the centre of the trip.

Belkin Wireless Headphones

These have been living in our travel backpack for over three years now.

When we bought them, I had two requirements: I didn’t want anything covered in unicorns and I didn’t want anything that would immediately be outgrown.

The Belkin headphones came in a simple white design, were sized for children and came from a brand we already knew and trusted.

I also liked the fact they were wireless.

That said, I still carry the charging cable and airline headphone adapter because I’ve learnt never to rely entirely on technology when travelling.

Three years later, they’re still going strong and have more than earned their place in the backpack.

Stabilo Cappi Pens

If I had to recommend just one set of pens for travelling, it would be these.

The trick is to buy the larger 24-pen pack and split it into two sets.

One lives in our restaurant backpack and the other lives in our travel backpack.

What makes them different is the cap ring. The pens stay connected together which means they don’t roll away, disappear under seats or get left behind on restaurant tables.

Ours are approaching three years old and are still going strong.

Amazingly, we haven’t lost a single pen.

That might be the strongest recommendation I can give.

Paired with a simple A5 notebook, they provide hours of entertainment. Drawing, writing, playing Hangman, keeping a holiday diary or inventing new airline logos — sometimes the simplest activities are the most successful.

Usborne Airplane Activity Books & Stickers

We’ve been remarkably loyal to Usborne over the years.

The Airplane Activity Book is packed and ready for our next trip, but we’ve used plenty of their books before and they’ve consistently been some of the best travel activities we’ve found.

One thing that still makes it into our travel bag from time to time is one of their small A5-themed sticker books.

I know sticker books aren’t particularly exciting recommendations for a 5–7 year old, but there’s something about having one tucked away in the backpack that still works surprisingly well when you need a quiet activity on a journey.

IQ Puzzler Pro

This was originally a birthday gift from a friend and has become one of those items that quietly earns its place trip after trip.

I love the fact that it doesn’t have to be a solo activity.

Sometimes it’s used independently and sometimes all three of us end up trying to solve the same challenge together.

It’s small enough for both planes and restaurants and doesn’t require much space, which makes it ideal for travel.

Not every activity needs to be something a child does alone.

Uno (And Go Fish)

At some point, Uno became one of those games that everyone expected us to own.

In fact, we’ve been given Uno by several different people over the years and eventually felt obliged to learn how to play it properly.

We’re still working on that.

While Uno continues to travel with us, the surprise winner in our house has actually been Go Fish, which was given to us by a friend.

It’s easy to learn, quick to play and works just as well in a restaurant as it does on a plane.

Cat’s Cradle

I rediscovered Cat’s Cradle recently when I bought a pack of six for just a few euros.

I wasn’t expecting much from it. It quickly became one of the most popular things in the backpack.

During a recent weekend away, all of my nephews wanted to learn. A few weeks later, while travelling in Italy, it became such a conversation starter that people sitting nearby came over and joined in.

In a world of screens, batteries and charging cables, there is something rather wonderful about a simple piece of string bringing people together.

Coco Crash Cubes (aka Happy Cube)

This one is pure nostalgia.

HAPPY CUBE

I remember playing with Coco Crash Cubes when I was younger and was delighted to discover they’re still around.

The concept is simple: build a cube using the six pieces provided. The reality is rather different. It’s much harder than it looks.

One of our favourite things to do is hand the pieces to an unsuspecting adult and watch them confidently declare that it looks easy before completely failing.

We’ve tested them on friends, parents and anyone else willing to have a go.

The results are usually the same. Lots of laughter.

The cubes come in packs of six, which is perfect because we’ve gradually distributed them around our lives.

Two live in the plane backpack. Two live in the restaurant backpack. I think there’s one in the car as well.

For something so small, they provide an impressive amount of entertainment and take up almost no space.

The Sistema Snack Pot Trio and Water Bottle

Not every item in our travel backpack is designed to entertain. Some are simply there to make travelling easier.

For years, we’ve travelled with a small Sistema set of nesting snack pots and a compact Sistema water bottle. Neither is particularly glamorous, but both have survived countless trips and continue to earn their place in the backpack.

The snack pots usually get filled in the airport lounge before we board. Depending on what’s available, that might mean nuts, dried fruit, crackers or whatever happens to catch our eye that day.

The smaller water bottle is deliberate too. A giant bottle is great in theory, but someone eventually ends up carrying it. We’ve found a smaller bottle easier to manage, lighter to carry and simple to refill throughout the journey.

Like most things in our travel backpack, neither was bought specifically for one trip. They’ve simply lasted long enough to become part of our travel routine.

What You Won’t Find In Our Backpack

You also won’t find twelve individually wrapped gifts for a twelve-hour flight. I know this is a popular idea online, but if I’m honest, I simply don’t have the time. And I don’t think travelling needs to be that complicated. The goal isn’t to create a Pinterest-worthy flight experience. The goal is to get everyone to the destination happy and reasonably rested.

We pack a handful of activities, a few snacks and trust that the journey itself will provide a fair amount of entertainment too.

The Unexciting Things That Earn Their Place Every Time

Not everything in our travel backpack is there for entertainment. Some items are there because experience has taught us they’re worth carrying.

A Small Change of Clothes

Even now, I always pack a spare outfit. Usually just a top, leggings or shorts, underwear and socks. Most trips, it never gets used. But when you need it, you’re incredibly glad it’s there.

Toilet Seat Covers

Another permanent resident of the backpack. We use Loo Ready disposable toilet seat covers and simply restock them whenever we’re running low – possibly every couple of years.

Not the most exciting travel recommendation, but one that gets used far more often than some of the toys.

Roll of Dog Poo Bags

You’ll also find something rather less glamorous in our backpack: a roll of dog poo bags. Not because we have a dog. Because they’re brilliant for travel.

Wrappers, snack leftovers, tissues, colouring pages that nobody wants to keep… it all goes into a bag and can be disposed of properly when we leave the aircraft.

It’s a tiny thing, but it helps us leave our seats exactly as we’d hope to find them.

After five years of travelling, I’ve learnt that the best travel essentials aren’t always the exciting ones.

A Few Travel Tech Essentials

If you’re curious about the technology that has also earned a permanent place in our travel backpack, I’ve shared more of our favourites in Travel Tech: 10 Laptop and Smartphone Accessories You Need.

That article includes some of the small gadgets that have genuinely simplified travelling for us over the years, including the tablet stand that now permanently lives in our travel backpack.

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An airplane tray table set up with wireless headphones, a sticker book, Stabilo pens, disposable toilet seat covers, and a smartphone mounted on a seatback tablet stand. — The best travel essentials aren’t always the glamorous ones. Case in point: a trusty tablet stand, some reliable kid-sized headphones, and a pack of disposable seat covers. The goal isn’t a perfect flight—it’s just getting to the destination happy

These are the items that currently earn a place in our travel backpack. Not everything comes on every trip, but most of these have survived years of travel and continue to make the cut.