20+ Stimulating Things to Do on the Plane (That Aren’t Sleeping)

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Have you ever been about twenty-five percent through a flight, tried all of your usual anti-boredom activities, and felt stuck?

Like, you’ve still got a good few hours left and don’t know what the heck you’re gonna do to stay stimulated and sane?

Yeah, I’ve been there, too.

Boredom in itself isn’t always the most comfortable or sought-after feeling.

There’s always this uneasy feeling you get when you reach a point of complete boredom and can’t think of anything to stimulate your mind.

But this gets worse when you’re on a plane. Because there’s only so much you can do with sucky Wi-Fi in a large metal tube 30,000 feet in the air.

I’m going to help you combat that problem today. In this post, I’m sharing 21 things to do on the plane (that aren’t sleeping).

Because even though sleeping on the plane can be nice, most people — including myself — have trouble falling asleep in such an unideal conditions.

By the end of this post, I hope you’ll have a handful of activities to add to your flight routine.

Ready, friend? Let’s go!

THIS POST IS ALL ABOUT THINGS TO DO ON THE PLANE.

THINGS TO DO ON THE PLANE

INDULGE IN AUDITORY MEDIA

This is my absolute favorite go-to airplane activity because it requires such little effort, but is so incredibly stimulating.

Simply download your media before you get on the plane, sit back, and enjoy the ride.

Here are some ideas for auditory media:

• Music
• Podcasts
• Audiobooks
• Church sermons
• Lectures
• Speeches
• Motivational messages

READ A BOOK

It’s funny because I always have a book downloaded and ready to read on the plane, but never end up reading it.

That said, I 100% recommend reading on the plane. It’s quiet and you usually have at least two hours to catch up on a good book.

The only time this might be an issue is if you’re experiencing motion sickness. This could make it incredibly difficult to read, so I’d advise against this if you find yourself in this predicament.

DRAW IN A SKETCHBOOK

This is for my artsy travelers! If you’re into art — or willing to try it — then drawing in a sketchbook can be a fun, stimulating airplane activity.

COMPLETE A WORD SEARCH

Not only is this a great way to pass time, but you’ll also be exercising your brain. That’s a great deal if you ask me!

PLAY SOME GAMES

These could be iMessage games with a friend (I’m totally obsessed with these), some other type of digital game (I love bowling games), or even a good ‘ole traditional deck of cards.

Consider asking your seat buddy if they want to join! The great thing about most games is that you don’t need Wi-Fi to play them, which is perfect for flights.

COLOR IN AN ADULT COLORING BOOK

Now, it doesn’t necessarily HAVE to be an adult coloring book; I just recommend these because I prefer them over children’s coloring books.

But of course, use whatever you prefer!

WRITE IN YOUR (TRAVEL) JOURNAL

This is another one of my favorite things to do on the plane because, well, I love journaling.

And the plane is the perfect place for this because I think it gives you an unparalleled wave of creativity, inspiration and self-expression.

Sometimes I’ll write in my daily journal, and other times I’ll specifically write in my travel journal. It really just depends on what I’m feeling in the moment.

Either way, both of them are digital, so I don’t have to worry about pulling a notebook and pencil out.

LOOK OUT THE WINDOW

Sometimes the best thing to do on the plane is to act like you’re the main character of a movie and stare out the window.

I like to pair this with listening to music, and it’s one of the BEST airplane combos. There’s truly nothing like it!

WORK ON YOUR ITINERARY

I do this on almost every flight. Mainly because I like to make minor tweaks and adjusters to my itinerary before I even arrive at my destination.

But I also do this because plans change, and I prefer for those changes to be reflected in my itinerary before I land.

LOOK AT PHOTOS FROM YOUR TRIP

Obviously you’ll be doing this on your returning flight.

I find this to be one of the best times to browse through these photos because you’re not busy unpacking or mentally preparing yourself to return to work or school.

START PLANNING YOUR NEXT TRIP

Whether you’re on your way to your destination or headed back home, this is a great travel-related airplane activity.

Here are some trip-planning ideas:

• Start thinking about what kind of vibe you’re going for. Do you want a beach escape, a solo adventure, or your big city break?
• Think about the kinds of activities you want to get into. Are you more interested in museums, group experiences, or simply wandering around the city until you find something interesting?
• Plan when you want to go, along with how long you want to stay there. Are you traveling within the next few months? Do you want to stay for a weekend or an entire week?
• Think about what will make the trip special. Is there a milestone you’re celebrating? Is it your first international trip? Are you launching something exciting during the trip?

INDULGE IN VISUAL MEDIA

I know you expected me to say this. But I mean, it’s commonly recommended for a good reason: it’s low-effort and fun! I specifically suggest watching a few things you’ve been wanting to watch for a while, but haven’t had the time to start.

This can be anything, from a Netflix series to that new blockbuster movie that everyone seems to be raving about.

Or, if the internet connection is decent, you can watch some TikToks. This alone will keep you occupied for a good 30 minutes or longer.

WRITE A STORY

Even if you aren’t the biggest writer, I think writing a story could be an amazing idea for things to do on the plane.

What should your story be about? Here are a few ideas to get your brain working:

• Write about the first trip you ever took. Place yourself back in your shoes and describe the emotions you felt during that experience.
• Write about your favorite trip you’ve ever taken. Describe what made it feel so special and memorable. And even consider writing about what you can do to plan another trip as unique as that one.
• Write about something that makes you feel inspired. Identity that person or experience, and talk about why it makes you feel that way.
• Write about whatever comes to mind first. Take that idea and write from a stream of consciousness and don’t stop until you reach a natural stopping point. (As an avid writer and storyteller, this is one of my favorite writing prompts!)

CATCH UP ON EMAILS

Yes, I know this sounds boring, but you’re in quite the perfect place to do this. It’s quiet, you’ve got extra down time, and you (hopefully) had a decent internet connection.

I say “hopefully” because airplanes aren’t except known to have the strongest Wi-Fi.

But the good thing is that it doesn’t take much to load your emails — especially on the web version.

Even if you only respond to a handful of emails, I’d say that’s still a pretty good use of your time! You’ll feel productive, and it’ll feel really nice to take care of a few emails so you don’t have as many to tend to later on.

GIVE YOUR PHONE A DETOX

We use our phones all the time, and sometimes we forget to clean them. I think the plane — or even the airport if you have extra time — is the perfect place to do this.

You likely won’t have reliable internet and this is probably something you’ve been needing to do anyway.

When doing a complete phone detox, I suggest prioritizing the following tasks:

• Get rid of screenshots, duplicate photos and photos you don’t need anymore
• Delete any apps you haven’t used within the last few months (remember you can simply re-install them if needed)
• Clean up your contacts list & get rid of duplicate contacts and people you no longer talk to
• Spruce up your playlists by adding new songs and removing songs you don’t vibe with anymore
• Customize your home screen by rearranging apps and adding useful widgets

DO SOMETHING YOU’VE BEEN PROCRASTINATING

The plane is the perfect place for this because, um, what the heck else are you gonna do?

There are even times where I specifically plan to do something on the plane because I know I’ll have a good 2 hours of uninterrupted time.

I find this to be a great time to work on The Solo Solstice or even catch up some general things in life, like college stuff.

Here are some things you might have been putting off lately (that are perfect to do on the plane):

• Schedule a medical appointment (teeth cleaning, physical check-up, follow-up appt, etc.)
• Making your budget for the upcoming month
• Plan activities for your next trip

WORK ON YOUR TRAVEL SCRAPBOOK

I’ve been slowly getting into scrapbooking and, I’ve got to say, I’m loving it so far!

I think it’s pretty on-brand to do this while traveling and it might even be the perfect time to do so.

Seriously — what better time to do it than when you’re in your element?

You do have to be careful with your supplies because certain things like non TSA-approved scissors aren’t allowed through security. And you’ll probably want to bring travel-sized versions of your materials.

Here are the supplies I usually bring when traveling (that all pass securely with no issues):

• Scrapbook
• Double-sided tape
• A few highlighters
• A mechanical pencil
• Some travel-inspired stickers

MEDITATE

You may not think of this as an airplane activity, but it’s actually a great idea.

Think about it: one of the most important aspects of meditation is silence. And while airplanes aren’t completely silent, they make for a fairly quiet environment to meditate.

I suggest downloading a guided mediation on YouTube and following it during your flight. This can calm any nerves you might have, like first-time flyer jitters.

DO SOME SITTING YOGA

Yes, this exists! I discovered it when I was reading a few posts on how to stay healthy while traveling.

And while I haven’t exactly tried it just yet, I think it could be a great way to not only pass time, but also to ensure you’re staying healthy.

You’ll likely be on the plane for at least two hours and the longer you’re there, the more restricted your body feels.

Some chair yoga poses aren’t easy to do on the plane with such limited space. But there’s still some great poses you can do.

Here are some ideas:

• Chair Eagle (Garudasana)
• Chair Savasana
• Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
• Seated Twist Variation
• Neck Rolls and Lateral Stretch

Refer to this post from Verywell Fit and this post from Yoga Journal to see photos and tutorials for these poses, as well as more chair yoga ideas.

Make sure you save these for offline viewing — or screenshot them — in case your internet signal is weak on the plane. Because more often than not, it will be!

MAKE A LIST

There’s always some kind of list to make, and doing this can be really fun and interesting on the plane.

Here are some ideas for lists to make:

• Make a list of your favorite hobbies
• Make a list of the best places you’ve traveled so far
• Make a list of the not-so-great places you’ve visited
• Make a list of the things you’re most excited to do on your upcoming trip
• Make a list of your favorite songs
• Make a list of your favorite quotes
• Make a list of your favorite books
• Make a list of lists you want to write (hehe)

HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR SEAT BUDDY

If either of you feel comfortable enough to strike a conversation, this could be a fantastic way to pass some time.

Here are some great conversation starters:

• Are you headed back home or are you traveling for a specific purpose?
• Have you ever been to [your destination] before? How do you like it?
• How has your day been so far?

Just be sure to keep the conversation fairly quiet. You don’t want to disturb anyone who may be trying to sleep or indulge in some of the other airplane activities on this list 🙂

I’d also only talk to someone if they look like they’re willing to chat.

Sometimes people just want to be in their own world, and that’s completely fine. Use your own judgement to decide this. Worst case scenario, they simply don’t feel like talking!

Oh, and try not to be too nosey.

Apply the same knowledge that you have as a solo traveler, and refrain from asking questions that would require them to share private details about themselves.

FINAL THOUGHTS: THINGS TO DO ON THE PLANE

In this post, I shared some of my go-to things to do on the plane when I’m bored and need something to stimulate my brain.

If you have a flight coming up, I hope you can try some of these activities and see how they work for you!

Now, friend, it’s your turn. I’m opening the floor for you to start a conversation in the comments. Here are some discussion topics:

• What’s your favorite thing to do on the plane?
• At what point during a flight do you start getting bored?
• What activity from this post do you plan on trying for your upcoming flight?

I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you feel more comfortable chatting with me directly, shoot me a DM on Instagram or email me at demarcus@thesolosolstice.com.

ABOUT DEMARCUS

DeMarcus is a Midwest-based travel content creator and the founder of the solo travel blog, The Solo Solstice. He began his solo travel journey in December 2025 and since has been creating practical, in-depth travel guides for a like-minded community of first-time solo adventurers.

Visit the About Page to learn more about DeMarcus, and visit the Ethical & Responsible Tourism Page to learn more about his efforts to promote responsible tourism.