What it’s Like to Fly on an Airplane for the First Time
A Note from Mom
One of the goals of Preparing to Travel is helping kids get excited about international travel, too. That's why our A Kid’s POV articles are written by our tween daughter, who shares her opinions about the places we've visited.
They're her honest thoughts, favorite memories, and tips for other kids traveling internationally. We leave her personality and voice intact because we want you to be able to envision each destination through a kid's perspective.
What It’s Like to Fly on a Plane
Airplanes can be boring. Very boring.
Trust me, I know.
My first big trip was when I was eight, and my little brother was 5. I was terrified of the airplane. We looked at so many videos, but we couldn’t find something good enough. This is why Preparing to Travel is here. It tells you everything you must know. So… let’s get started.
Taking Off
Taking off can sometimes make your stomach twist and turn, and sometimes your ears pop. It may feel a bit weird, but it’s part of the experience. (I hate rollercoasters, and it was totally ok.)
Now, more about your ears popping. If you don’t have gum or Ear Planes, you can open your mouth super wide and close it repeatedly.
Also, they go over safety precautions. They may scare you, but they do this for every flight.
Food
I’ll just say that airplane food is not good. It’s something to fill your bellies on international flights, but it’s not very good.
If you have allergies, you definitely should bring your own food because they have dairy, nuts, coconut, etc. in some of the food. Sometimes they serve lasagna, ice cream, and broccoli. Things like that.
Bathroom
The bathroom is crazy tiny. There is the smallest toilet in the universe, and when you flush it, it makes a gurgling/screaming noise. The toilet paper is super thin. After you wash your hands, do NOT touch the sink! Do you know how many people have touched that?
Turbulence
Turbulence can cause a rocky ride! Sometimes the plane shakes. You know how when the garbage truck comes, the ground sometimes shakes? It’s like that… except you are on an airplane.
A great way of calming yourself down is by keeping your brain busy with puzzles or books.
Entertainment
This is going to be a long one! If you are doing an international flight, you will have a TV. But you shouldn’t be on screens the whole time!
For kids ages 6-7, I recommend:
Dragon Masters
Chronicles of Narnia
Coloring books and card games could be fun too.
I highly recommend the following book series for ages 9-12:
Harry Potter
City Spies
The Keeper of the Lost Cities
Best Worst Summer
Eragon
Paint by Sticker and the Kanoodle games are also great for that age group.
For older kids (ages 13-14), I recommend these series:
Eragon
Harry Potter
Kanoodle sets, Paint By Sticker, and mazes may be fun, too.
Landing
Landing will be the same as taking off.
