The Best Toy for a Kid on a Plane Is Not an iPad - East Idaho News
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The Best Toy for a Kid on a Plane Is Not an iPad

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GETTY 72314 KidPlane?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1406138995639iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Many parents with young children avoid flying on planes because they worry about keeping their kids entertained in a small enclosed space for hours on end.

Most parents grab the iPad and hope for the best. But a new study from British Airways suggests children might be occupied longer, and stay happier, with far simpler toys. Plus a little adult interaction.

The airline placed children — aged 2 to 10 — on a two-hour flight and were observed by scientist and TV personality Robert Winston and a team of educational psychologists.

“You can’t expect any child to just be involved in solitary play whether it’s an iPhone, iPad for the duration of the flight,” said Dr. Vivian Hill, an educational psychologist. “If you mix up the activities and recognize that sometimes you will need to interact with the young person to make it more interactive and more interesting for the young person, you will prolong their period of engagement.”

One little boy said he loved the top toy on the list because “they can keep you occupied for hours.” Another said he wanted to stay on the plane forever.

“Although the temptation is for parents to play a film in the hope that their child falls asleep, activity based toys, such as Lego, sticker books and travel games are also a great way to keep them engaged,” Winston said. “Bringing out a different toy at regular intervals is guaranteed to keep them quiet for longer than 90 minutes.”

Here are British Airways’ top 10 toys to take on a plane:

  1. Loom Bands
  2. Playdoh
  3. Lego
  4. Top Trumps
  5. Uno
  6. Usborne Activity Cards
  7. Magnetic travel game
  8. Aquadoodle!
  9. Finger puppets
  10. Sticker book


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