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September 15, 2009 | 23 Comments

Pretend Play Travel For Kids

airplane pretend play

We love to travel. we don’t get to do it as much as we like or get to go as far as we once did but we still want to instill a love of travel, of exploration and geography in our son. Between the trips we do make, playing with maps and pretend play travel like this I think we are getting to our goal. I like making props because I find they support more complex pretend play, and keep the activity going as well as the questions and learning going as well! It’s easy to sneak in letter and number learning too.

  1. Gather your materials. You will need some chairs and your child. Really that’s all you need, but we also used some paper,crayons,  a marker, painters tape ( protect your chair finishes) our passports , an atlas and a backpack.14th 056
  2. Start by making your boarding passes. We chatted about what to add, I asked him where we should be going and we grabbed the atlas and found our destination and decided on our seats ( letter and number recognition! ).14th 059
  3. He decorated the boarding passes while I made14th 061
  4. The seat numbers and pilot sign.14th 065
  5. And a ticket counter sign.14th 062
  6. Next we arranged the chairs14th 063
  7. Added the seat numbers ( in order so it took some talking and figuring out)14th 066
  8. Played- we acted out getting our tickets at the counter, showing them our passports, saying out name etc..
  9. Find your seat14th 068
  10. Fill the rest with friends14th 070
  11. Next I pretended to be a flight attendant and passed out snacks- he’s sharing with Brother Bear.14th 072
  12. Have fun by no means should you follow all our steps, make your own but don’t be afraid to use props with your pretend play travel. After we played like this my son played independently with his stuffed animals many many times, acting out things we did as well as many new scenarios.

Books for Pretend Play Travel!

planes

Planes by Byron Barton is a basic little board book that kept my son’s attention as a 14 month old long enough to read it. It’s bold colors and basic text are perfect for introducing planes to babies and young toddlers. We used to read this before going on trips with our son when he was tiny and always took it with us as well.

the little airplane

The Little Airplane by Lois Lenski is the exact opposite to the previous book.  I have been around airplanes all my life and I learned more about them from this picture book than I have from anywhere else before.  To say this book is detailed is an understatement , it goes step by step how a prop plane works, and what a pilot does during the flight. The retro pictures are both a favorite of mine and my son’s, they take you back and make you feel like you are in another place and time. This book will be too long for young toddlers, there is a lot of text.

Angela’s Airplane by Robert Munsch captures children’s fantasies about flying planes and adds in a cautionary tale about what could happen if the fantasy became reality. Angela finds her way onto a plane and starts pushing buttons, before she knows it she is in the air alone. The plane crashes but she is ok, and promises to never fly another plane. Do you think she keeps that promise? My son adores this book and while you may think that the crash would be scary for kids it’s not , the ridiculousness of a 5 year old flying a plane makes the crash equally as fictional though effective in opening a dialogue about touching buttons you shouldn’t!

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Filed Under: Age Preschool, Age: Toddlers, Airplanes, Pretend Play | 23 Comments

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23 Comments

  1. The Activity Mom says

    September 15, 2009 at 5:01 am

    fun!

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  2. PsychMamma says

    September 15, 2009 at 8:48 am

    Love it! Our hallway is frequently a train or bus with similarly lined up chairs, but we never even thought of an airplane. Will have to give it a try. Thanks!

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  3. Holli says

    September 15, 2009 at 10:21 am

    I am a stay at home mom with a 3 year old and 2 year old. I love all your activities and we frequent your site for lots of great ideas. I have to admit, I am sometimes uptight and don’t do any painting projects….I’m a little nervous. I am trying to be better and would like to try some painting, I know my kids would love it. Any help/suggestions????? What kind of paint do you buy???

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    • admin says

      September 15, 2009 at 12:54 pm

      Holli- I think you are in good company, I get asked this question all the time. If the weather is nice paint outside if you are worried about mess, get cheap shower curtains or sheets at the dollar store for drop cloths. I use crayola washable kids paint, it really IS washable. Wear old clothes ( you too) so if paint does get on them it’s no biggie!

      Have fun!

      to admin" aria-label='reply to this comment to admin'>reply to this comment
  4. Stefanie says

    September 15, 2009 at 11:07 am

    oh, that’s brilliant. We’re going on a holiday this year and this would be a terrific “dry run”.

    to Stefanie" aria-label='reply to this comment to Stefanie'>reply to this comment
  5. Kristi says

    September 15, 2009 at 12:08 pm

    What a fun idea!

    to Kristi" aria-label='reply to this comment to Kristi'>reply to this comment
  6. Katie L. says

    September 15, 2009 at 12:44 pm

    Wow! What a great idea!! My husband and I love to travel, but with two little ones who can barely stand a 45 minute car ride, we just aren’t up for an 8 hour plane ride! So, this would be the perfect way to take them abroad! I think it’d be fun to go all out with this and make big props like the eiffle tower, big ben, an ocean, etc out of large cardboard! I think we’ll start taking monthly trips now – thanks so much for sharing all your fantastic ideas!

    to Katie L." aria-label='reply to this comment to Katie L.'>reply to this comment
  7. Barb says

    September 15, 2009 at 7:13 pm

    We are in desperate need of a vacation! I think this may have to do for now. GREAT idea!

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  8. My Bilingual Boys says

    September 15, 2009 at 8:19 pm

    Love this idea! Tomorrow is Mexican Independence Day so we just might fly to Mexico.

    to My Bilingual Boys" aria-label='reply to this comment to My Bilingual Boys'>reply to this comment
  9. Wandering Educators says

    September 15, 2009 at 9:43 pm

    such fun – i LOVE this. you could move to trains, next.;)

    to Wandering Educators" aria-label='reply to this comment to Wandering Educators'>reply to this comment
  10. Trisha says

    September 16, 2009 at 6:20 am

    Hi,

    We like to play bus and train but it would be fun to do this as a plane. Then we could pack the things we always bring on the plane–DS’s backpack, pillow and airplane blanket.

    One book about travel that my son likes is “Postcards from Kiwi and Pear”. It has flaps and a world map with stickers (Eiffel Tower, Great Wall of China, Macchu Picchu, etc.). We have a lot of fun with it.

    The pirate books look great, by the way. Thanks for always posting such helpful resources.

    to Trisha" aria-label='reply to this comment to Trisha'>reply to this comment
  11. Mandy says

    September 16, 2009 at 3:34 pm

    This brought back memories! Every time my mom would clean the kitchen floor, we would line up the chairs in the living room and make a train. I’ve also made trains with preschoolers using cardboard boxes for each child to decorate for individual cars. It’s a blast to watch them climb in and out, talking about their different destinations and adventures!

    to Mandy" aria-label='reply to this comment to Mandy'>reply to this comment
  12. Ksenia says

    November 5, 2014 at 7:06 pm

    This is fantastic! Such a simple idea, yet very entertaining. I tried today it with my boy and he loved it. We recently were on vacations in California, where we went by plane, so now he is all about planes. I found this game in a perfect time! Thank you, Allison!

    to Ksenia" aria-label='reply to this comment to Ksenia'>reply to this comment
  13. Sameeksha says

    May 26, 2019 at 7:54 pm

    Hi! I would love to pretend to book the South Carolina Airlines and give the card and boarding pass.

    to Sameeksha" aria-label='reply to this comment to Sameeksha'>reply to this comment

Trackbacks

  1. Pretend Play: Get Traveling says:
    September 15, 2009 at 8:42 am

    […] more: Pretend Play: Get Traveling September 15th, 2009 at 9:12 […]

    to Pretend Play: Get Traveling" aria-label='reply to this comment to Pretend Play: Get Traveling'>reply to this comment
  2. Tweets that mention Pretend Play: Get Traveling -- Topsy.com says:
    September 17, 2009 at 8:22 am

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Allison McDonald. Allison McDonald said: Turn your foyer into a 737 ! http://bit.ly/paO6t […]

    to Tweets that mention Pretend Play: Get Traveling -- Topsy.com" aria-label='reply to this comment to Tweets that mention Pretend Play: Get Traveling -- Topsy.com'>reply to this comment
  3. Five Fabulous Bloggers | Frugal Family Fun Blog says:
    May 23, 2011 at 1:43 pm

    […] learning activities, crafts for kids, books, songs, and pretend play ideas. I especially loved her Foyer Airplane post! Great […]

    to Five Fabulous Bloggers | Frugal Family Fun Blog" aria-label='reply to this comment to Five Fabulous Bloggers | Frugal Family Fun Blog'>reply to this comment
  4. How To Get Kids Excited About Traveling. | MommyNoire says:
    April 1, 2013 at 7:01 am

    […] I found this idea on Pinterest and it’s genius! […]

    to How To Get Kids Excited About Traveling. | MommyNoire" aria-label='reply to this comment to How To Get Kids Excited About Traveling. | MommyNoire'>reply to this comment
  5. 50 Books For 2 Year Olds - No Time For Flash Cards says:
    July 26, 2013 at 1:16 am

    […] Planes by Byron Barton […]

    to 50 Books For 2 Year Olds - No Time For Flash Cards" aria-label='reply to this comment to 50 Books For 2 Year Olds - No Time For Flash Cards'>reply to this comment
  6. Altay says:
    June 9, 2014 at 9:08 pm

    Altay

    Pretend Play Travel

    to Altay" aria-label='reply to this comment to Altay'>reply to this comment
  7. The Car Seat Lady – Hints for easier travel with children says:
    July 12, 2014 at 7:12 pm

    […] This post by No Time for Flash Cards has a great way of “playing airplane” with kids – that would also be a great way to prep a child for what to expect about the whole airport & airplane experience. […]

    to The Car Seat Lady – Hints for easier travel with children" aria-label='reply to this comment to The Car Seat Lady – Hints for easier travel with children'>reply to this comment
  8. 7 Fun Airplane Activities to Do and Make with Kids | Ebook Kids says:
    December 11, 2015 at 10:41 pm

    […] Image credit via No Time for Flash Cards […]

    to 7 Fun Airplane Activities to Do and Make with Kids | Ebook Kids" aria-label='reply to this comment to 7 Fun Airplane Activities to Do and Make with Kids | Ebook Kids'>reply to this comment
  9. Plan an Around the World Play Date in 4 Simple Steps - Whole Wide World Toys says:
    February 3, 2021 at 10:10 pm

    […] for take off! Construct individual planes for each little traveler from cardboard boxes, or set up chairs in paired rows to mimic airplane seats. Then you’re ready for take […]

    to Plan an Around the World Play Date in 4 Simple Steps - Whole Wide World Toys" aria-label='reply to this comment to Plan an Around the World Play Date in 4 Simple Steps - Whole Wide World Toys'>reply to this comment

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