Children: Games for the plane

After the initial thrill of take-off, there's plenty you can do to keep youngsters amused at 30,000 feet - other than counting clouds. It's best to check exactly what hand luggage you can take with you into the cabin. Let children over five carry their own lightweight mini rucksack containing toys, books or drawing materials - it's fun for them to feel part of the whole travel experience. Most airlines provide a funpack for children so make sure you get yours.

Younger children

As younger children can't amuse themselves so easily, you get the job of doing it. On a long flight, babies may sleep most of the way. Most children love being read to so take an old favourite and perhaps something new. Take a well-loved lightweight toy but not the all-time favourite in case it gets lost. The following are also useful to entertain:

• Finger puppets
• Small stubby wax crayons and paper or a colouring book
• Play the alphabet game e.g. how many animals begin with A?
• Sticker books - the best ones help children learn new vocabulary in a fun way
• Dolls with clothes such as Barbie or Sindy
• Simple card games like snap

Older children

Older children may be happy to watch the movie or listen to music or comedy channels on their headset. A visit to the flight deck can sometimes be arranged on longer flights and is always a source of fascination. Other things that may relieve the boredom include a mini Etch-A-Sketch or a travel diary for your child to log their trip. Games ideas include:

• Magnetic or pocket games like chess, Scrabble and classics such as Connect 4
• Twenty questions along the "animal, vegetable or mineral" lines. They get 20 questions to guess who or what you are and you can answer only yes or no
• Consequences. Each fold a piece of paper over six times. Write a name (John) met (Susan) he said to her, she said to him, etc or draw a monster bit by bit (head, body, legs, feet)
• The memory game. One person starts: "I went to market and I bought a cow," the next person repeats and adds a purchase and so on till you crack up
• Tongue-twisters e.g. "red lorry yellow lorry", "unique New York" or compose your own
• Make as many words as you can (three letters minimum) from a longer word like passenger
• Hangman - a classic where the other player has to guess each letter of a word and another part of the hanged man is drawn in each time they guess wrong
• Famous people. Start with a person e.g. David Beckham - the next player thinks of a person whose name begins with the last letter of the surname e.g. Michael Caine. You can also do it with place names
• Card games e.g. patience, snap, Happy Families