Tips for 8 hr daytime flight

We will be flying home from Barcelona after our cruise, and it is an 8 hour day time flight. I'm trying to plan what I'm going to do with my 4yo for 8 hours during the day! She has flown this long before, but always overnight and she slept most of the time.

It is a United Airlines flight. Am I correct that there won't be outlets to recharge my tablet/laptop? My tablet will keep her occupied for quite awhile, and i can load it with some videos, but I don't think the battery will last for more than a couple of hours.

Please pass on any suggestions you have for occupying a preschooler for this long on a plane. I'm also concerned because it is after our trip, so she won't have the pre-trip excitement to build on.

Thanks!

You can buy portable battery chargers that you plug into your device when it's run out of juice. One of my girls will not sleep on a plane and we've done a dozen 8+ hour flights since they were 2 - I won't kid you, I get exhausted, but my daughter actually stays pretty happy with a bunch of movies, games, post its, pipe cleaners, lots of snacks, etc.

Have a great trip!

Best,

Mia

Save a handful of new (cheapo) toys and books for the return. Ones she's never seen before. It will buy you some time. Check and see if your UA plane has an AVOD - again, that will buy you time and hopefully it will have stuff she hasn't seen before.

Those day flights back from Europe are brutal sometimes. We always have him 'cornered' in a window seat just to ease the wrangling. Last time we had brutal turbulence for a few hours and couldn't...get up.....to use.........the bathroom............... (sorry, next passenger).

Some planes do have power outlets at your seat, pull up your reservation and you can see what your plane offers. First class is more likely to have an outlet. Also check out if there is wifi, might be worth the investment on a long flight like that.

seatguru can tell you if your specific flight has power outlets - sometimes one row will have them and one won't, so you can choose your seats accordingly

I forgot I also always choose seats toward the back when flying with kids - makes it less likely you'll be blocked by a cart when trying to get to the back for the restroom or just to stretch your legs.

Best,

Mia

Yes, those battery charges are great!

I just bought a 3-pack of Duracell battery chargers from Costco for $30. You have to charge them up first, and then they give 4 hours of pour to your device. But your device should have some power before you plug it in. Or let it drain the external charger first, and then it goes to its own power.

Is she reading yet? books are always good.

My kids also like word find and word puzzles. Maybe you could find something age appropriate for her? Check the dollar store too for activity books.

Seatguru

DD is now nearly 20YO :eek: but we did the Trans-Atlantic flight with her many times pre-tablet and pre-inseat inflight entertainments systems (think more adult-oriented movies being played for everyone!). We survived!

• Snacks - very important.
  
• Get some of the little Dover activity books -- they are inexpensive and very travel friendly.
  Sticker books are good (particularly for pre-readers)
  
• One or two of the party-favor sized playdough was always good for my dd -- I'd give her a list of shapes to make with it and she'd check each off and when she was done with the list she got a treat.
  
• Magnetic or felt "paper dolls"
  
• Books for you to read to her
  

Tiny toys - lightweight and cheap. The key is lots of different thing.

We bought one of the original portable DVD players and sprung for an extra battery pack 16-years ago for our DD (very expensive!). The universal power sticks that you can use to recharge a tiny little tablet are a godsend. In other words, this old lady is saying count your blessings that you are dealing with this now because "in my day . . . " :D

Thanks for the suggestions! I just checked seatguru and we will have power outlets!