What I Pack in Each Kid's Airplane Bag for a Long-Haul Flight

Ages 6, 9 & 12 — Three Very Different Bags

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Three kids. One long travel day. And three completely different airplane bags.

We're flying across the country to Vancouver before heading out on our Alaska cruise adventure, and every kid gets their own backpack packed specifically for them.

Now, I'm not pretending my kids won't touch a screen during a long flight. They absolutely will. But I also don't want a Switch to be the only thing in the bag.

So today I'm sharing exactly what goes into each kid's airplane bag at ages six, nine, and twelve — because what works for one kid absolutely does not work for another.

I'm Mama Bird, and we are a family of five — two parents, three kids, one very ambitious itinerary. This is our fourth Alaska cruise and our second on the Disney Wonder. We've done enough long travel days at this point to know what works, what gets ignored the second we board, and what we wish we'd left at home.

What Goes in a Kids Airplane Bag - and Why the Backpack Matters

Before we get into what's inside, a word on the bags. I use old retired school backpacks when we travel.

Part of that is practical — I can start packing weeks ahead of time without stealing their current school bags. But the bigger reason is that once I pack them, they're done. The kids don't have access to them. Nothing disappears. Nothing gets moved.

And honestly, it adds a little mystery. Travel day becomes a surprise. They get to rediscover old favorites, find a few new things, and see what showed up in their bag. My kids absolutely love that.

Little Brother's Bag (Age 6)

Little Brother is six years old and turns seven while we're actually in Alaska. And if you know anything about him, you know he loves two things: building and cars. So that's exactly what this bag is built around.

First up are his Magna-Tiles. These were a huge hit on our last road trip. The thing I love most is that they come in their own metal container, and that container doubles as a magnetic building platform. On an airplane tray table, that's perfect.

🔗 Magna-Tiles (travel set): https://amzn.to/4fkUpBO

I also picked up a second magnetic building set for him to try. Now, I accidentally discovered he's probably at the very top end of the recommended age range for these. So this is what I call a risk pack. He may love them. He may completely ignore them. We'll find out together.

🔗 Travel magnetic blocks: https://amzn.to/4u58bfD

Then we have the tiny cars. I packed about a dozen little metal Cars-themed vehicles into a snack-sized zip-top bag. These actually started life as Big Brother's cars years ago, but Little Brother is the one who truly loves them. I already know he'll spend time lining them up, sorting them, racing them, and creating elaborate little stories with them.

🔗 Tiny metal cars: https://amzn.to/4vhz8xu

Because this is also his birthday trip, he's getting a couple of early birthday presents before we leave. The first is the new Bluey game for his Switch Lite. The second is Farming Simulator. This child loves farming — we once took him to my uncle's farm and let him drive around on a tractor, and I genuinely think it was one of the greatest days of his life. So that one felt like an easy choice.

🔗 Bluey's Quest for the Gold Pen (Switch): https://amzn.to/3QfouZh

🔗 Farming Simulator 26 (Switch): https://amzn.to/4vkRDRF

For quieter moments, I packed a Bluey Imagine Ink book, some Pokémon coloring pages, and an ocean-themed sticker activity book. The dinosaur version was a huge success on our last trip, so hopefully the ocean version works just as well.

🔗 Imagine Ink (Bluey): https://amzn.to/3RKZJEI

🔗 Brain Games: Sea Animals sticker book: https://amzn.to/4uLSiMc

He also has a Bluey stickered dry-erase board for doodling, drawing, and whatever else six-year-olds decide to do when they're trapped on an airplane for hours.

🔗 Dry erase board (Bluey themed): https://amzn.to/4o2pFrz

Looking at this bag, it is pure Little Brother. Building. Cars. Bluey. Farming. If it isn't one of those things, there's a good chance he isn't interested.

Sister's Bag (Age 9)

Next up is Sister. She's nine years old, and she is our creative kid. She doesn't need constant stimulation — give her something she can make, build, draw, or design and she can happily entertain herself for hours.

The heart of her bag is a Rainbow Loom. This child makes bracelets constantly. Bracelets. Necklaces. Long chains. Occasionally what accidentally becomes a whip when the boys discover it. She would probably bring an entire craft room if I let her.

🔗 Rainbow Loom bracelet kit: https://amzn.to/434rsTl

Her MP3 player is another favorite — one of the best purchases we've made for her. She loves music, and this gives her a way to listen while still doing something creative. She can work on bracelets, draw, color, or do sticker books while listening to music. That's pretty much peak Sister.

🔗 MP3 player: https://amzn.to/4uPXY82

Speaking of sticker books, I packed her a new sticker-by-number activity book. The last one was such a hit that getting another one felt like a safe bet. She also has her dry-erase board, markers, and mini colored pencils.

🔗 Sticker by Number (unicorn): https://amzn.to/4dH4705

🔗 Dry erase board: https://amzn.to/4o2pFrz

🔗 Mini colored pencils: https://amzn.to/4wSKQAe

I recently found some of her old Disney Doorables in her room, which told me she's apparently started playing with them again. So I packed a few favorites into a small bag and added a mystery Doorables box for the flight. I do not understand mystery boxes. I don't know why kids love mystery boxes. But every single one of my children does.

🔗 Disney Doorables (mystery box): https://amzn.to/4dW2NW1

I also found these glittery magnetic tiles. This is another risk pack. She might love them. She might ignore them. Little Brother might steal them. Honestly, all three outcomes feel equally likely.

🔗 Mini magnetic glitter tiles: https://amzn.to/3RxE8Qd

What I love about her bag is that almost everything inside encourages creativity. Nothing in here feels random. It feels exactly like her.

Big Brother's Bag (Age 12)

And then we have Big Brother. He's twelve now. And I want you to notice something: his bag is lighter. A lot lighter. And that's completely intentional.

As kids get older, their needs change. Big Brother doesn't need nearly as many activities packed around him because he's perfectly happy with a book. As long as he has his Kindle loaded with light novels, he's set. He reads constantly — he goes through books faster than I can keep track of them. Honestly, the Kindle alone could probably get him through most of this flight.

🔗 Kindle: https://amzn.to/4dSBA6r

🔗 Kindle case: https://amzn.to/4u6SJPO

He'll also have his Switch 2. A few of his birthday games will definitely be making the trip with him — Kirby Air Riders, Tales of Arise, and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book.

🔗 Switch 2: https://amzn.to/4u57Lpz

🔗 Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn: https://amzn.to/4ffYUgU

🔗 Yoshi and the Mysterious Book: https://amzn.to/4udue3v

Another thing going into his bag is his magnetic travel chess set. The men in our family love chess. Big Brother and Papa can sit down and play almost anywhere — airport, airplane, cruise ship lounge, it doesn't matter. If there's a chess board, they're happy. And yes, I checked. Every piece is still there.

🔗 Magnetic travel chess set: https://amzn.to/437HFqQ

I also added a travel journal. All three kids are getting one for this trip. I thought it would be fun for them to document Alaska in their own way. Big Brother will probably write. Sister will probably draw. Little Brother will probably surprise all of us.

🔗 Travel journal: https://amzn.to/3PVDFqf

I also tucked in a mystery LEGO Minifigure — because apparently the mystery box phenomenon does not disappear when you turn twelve.

🔗 LEGO Minifigures (mystery): https://amzn.to/4u4eJLj

Looking at his bag compared to the other two is kind of fascinating. Fewer activities. Fewer toys. Less stuff. And that's not because he's harder to pack for. It's because he genuinely needs less.

The Takeaway

One of the things I find most interesting about these bags is how clearly they reflect each kid's personality. At six, we're packing things to build and play with. At nine, we're packing things to create. At twelve, we're mostly packing books.

Same family. Same flight. Completely different bags.

And honestly, that's probably the biggest lesson I've learned from traveling with kids. Don't pack for the child you wish you had on a plane. Pack for the child you actually have.

What's Next

Next I'll be sharing the travel day essentials our whole family packs for a long flight — the things that aren't kid-specific, but that everyone on this trip is going to need. Then after the trip, I'll be back with what actually got used, what completely surprised me, and what I'm leaving at home next time.

Shop the Bags

Everything I mentioned is linked here, organized by kid so it's easy to find exactly what you're looking for.

🔗 Little Brother's Airplane Bag (Age 6) — storefront: https://a.co/d/0i65GA2j

🔗 Sister's Airplane Bag (Age 9) — storefront: https://a.co/d/0co17B4H

🔗 Big Brother's Airplane Bag (Age 12) — storefront: https://a.co/d/0aBgQQ92

🔗 Airplane Travel Essentials (family) — storefront: https://a.co/d/04cBGd2c

🔗 Switch Games for a Long-Haul Flight — storefront: https://a.co/d/0dv7g2V9

🔗 Full Amazon Storefront: https://a.co/d/08A826Vz

I hope this helps you pack for your own crew's next big trip. For more honest family travel tips, finds, and reviews, follow along with Mama Bird Adventures on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Because after all — we're birds of a feather that travel together. 🐦✨