Emirates Airlines has launched Child Boredom Quotient (CBQ) to keep children entertained aboard a plane, said a press release.
CBQ will help parents figure out the moment their children will get bored and take counteractive measures to keep their boredom at bay.
Emirates teamed up with psychologist and boredom specialist Dr. Sandi Mann at the University of Central Lancashire to create CBQ.
CBQ helps parents mix the perfect blend of activities to catch the boredom of their children before it sets in, so they can enjoy stress-free travel.
Dr Sandi Mann categorises activities into Active (A)-, walking up and down the aisle, playing with a pack of cards, Passive (P)- watching films, listening to music, Interactive (I) -reading a storybook, chatting, Creative (C)- drawing, colouring books and Sensory (S) – refreshments.
Study reveals that aboard a plane, films are the most popular for keeping youngest age group (0-2) occupied for around 40 minutes and the oldest (11-12) for around 1 hour 45 minutes.
This is followed by games either on a smart device or on the inflight entertainment system, keeping children occupied for 30 minutes for the youngest and 1.5 hours for the oldest.
Besides, creative pursuits such as drawing is the most popular until age 9 when quizzes and puzzles become more engaging. Colouring and sticker books have most appeal to the younger ages.
Older children can be given simple materials like notebooks and pens, puzzle books and comics. It is necessary to ensure that they take breaks every so often to walk up and down the aisle and try to restrict the passive viewing just like one might at home.
Emirates Cabin Supervisor Jade Cobbs said, “We understand that parents often dread the idea of travelling on a long-haul flight with bored children.”
However, parents need not wait until the boredom alarm sets off. Whether it is asking the cabin crew to provide your kids with activity packs to watching the family friendly TV shows and movies on Emirates’ entertainment system, families can avoid the boredom threshold via some pre-prepared activities, interactive games or in-flight entertainment, she added.