It is simply not easy for young children to sit still for hours in a cramped airplane seat. However, there are tricks to keep the little ones sweet on the run. Eindhoven Airport knows that flying with children can be quite a challenge and come up with tips to make that a bit easier. We put some of the their tips on a row.

Get them excited about flying

Tell the children in advance about the wonders of flying: taking to the air with enthusiastic children saves half. Also during the flight, you can keep them enthusiastic. Point out the increasingly smaller houses, the setting sun and enjoy the moment that you break through the cloud cover. Those who fly regularly often forget how special it really is, but a child will experience the whole event completely differently.

Prepare enough activities

Plan your flight in blocks of 15 minutes, preparing a new activity for each block: for example, for a three-hour flight, prepare twelve activities. Reading a favorite story, coloring or sticking stickers are good activities to do with your children during the flight. You probably won't even get around to all the activities (with a bit of luck they'll fall asleep in between), but it's better to prepare too much than too little!

Bring small gifts

Pack some small gifts in advance and use them as a reward when the children have behaved well. For example, every half hour. This way they always have something to look forward to and they will be extra motivated to be nice. You can combine this point well with the activity schedule by linking a present to certain games.

Dress them strikingly

Put your child(ren) on colored clothes, so that they stand out better in the crowd. This makes it easier to keep an eye on them, both at the airport and on the flight.