Winter Activity #4 - Take Flight

Our boys have been flying on airplanes since they were young enough not to need an an airplane ticket. Although we've enjoyed everything from playing on the beach to feeding exotic birds, our boys' favorite memory from each trip is flying in an airplane.

I wish I could fly with them somewhere every week. But I didn't marry a pilot.

So we take flight in our own house. Playing airplane with your kids lets their imaginations soar, and these airplane activities liven up the fun.

We start with setting up chairs for our airplane's seats. We also pack a suitcase, make our own airline tickets and go through security.

Once my children board their flight, their personal flight attendant (me!) brings a snack to their seats. Their wagon makes the perfect beverage cart!

They don't fly alone either. Their fellow travelers are usually Snoopy, Mickey Mouse, Cookie Monster and SpongeBob.

For our most recent flight, Snoopy browsed a magazine, Mickey Mouse watched DVDs, Cookie Monster read a book and SpongeBob listened to music on his headphones. We staged them to look like they were doing these things to make our flight a little more realistic ... as realistic as a flight with dining room chairs for airplane seats and stuffed animals as passengers can be, that is.

When the plane takes flight, my boys use a tray to color or read a book while they fly toward their destination. And when the plane lands, they start their adventures on the ground.

So far, they've flown everywhere from the North Pole (we wrapped up in blankets and ate ice cream) to a tropical island (we had a beach picnic in our living room and painted our cheeks bright red for a sunburn). We even make silly souvenirs to take home with us. On our last excursion, we painted funny faces on seashells and packed them in our suitcases for our return trip home.

Where we go next is up to them. But I'm hoping they opt for that tropical island vacation again. Mama's T-shirts and shorts are already packed in the suitcase!

More Winter Activities:

• Winter Activity #1 - Kids' Building Projects
• Winter Activity #2 - Indoor Hopscotch
• Winter Activity #3 - Make a Wall Canvas
• Winter Activity #4 - Take Flight
• Winter Activity #5 - Shoot an "I Love You" Photo Collage
• Winter Activity #6 - Create an "I Ruff You" Foam Dog
• Winter Activity #7 - Play a Life-Sized Board Game
• Winter Activity #8 - Turn Your House Into a Movie Theater
• Winter Activity #9 - Create a Website With Your Kids
• Winter Activity #10 - Explore Cultures of the World

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