Offline games for kids: a checklist for flights and road trips

Plenty of games say they work offline. Fewer actually do. Some need to download levels the first time you open them, some show an error when they can't reach their servers, and some quietly stop working once their ads can't load. The only reliable way to know is to test before you leave.

How to test if a game really works offline

1. Open the game once with internet and play for a few minutes. Many games download extra content on first launch.
2. Close the game completely (swipe it away from the recent apps list).
3. Turn on airplane mode and make sure Wi-Fi is off too.
4. Open the game again and play the parts your child likes most: a few rounds, the menu, the shop or dress-up screens.
5. If anything shows a spinner, an error or an empty box, assume it will on the plane too.

The night before you travel

• Update apps at home. Some games refuse to start until they're updated, which is a bad surprise without a connection.
• Open each game once after updating so any new content downloads on your Wi-Fi.
• Download videos and audiobooks inside their apps; streaming won't work in the air.
• Charge everything, including a power bank, and pack the cable.
• Pack headphones that fit your child, ideally with a volume limit.

Keep a young child in one app

Both systems have a built-in way to lock the screen to a single app, so small fingers don't wander into your email or the store.

• iPhone and iPad: Guided Access. Turn it on in Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access. Open the game, triple-click the side or top button, and start. Triple-click again and enter your passcode to leave.
• Android: app pinning. Usually found in Settings → Security (sometimes called "screen pinning"). Once on, open the recent apps view, tap the app's icon and choose Pin. The exact steps vary by phone maker.

While you're in Settings, check that in-app purchases need your approval. Airport Wi-Fi has a way of reconnecting when you least expect it.

Volume and screen comfort

• On iPhone, Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Headphone Safety can reduce loud audio. Many Android phones offer a media volume limit in sound settings.
• Lower the brightness a little and turn on night mode for evening flights.
• Games with short rounds are easier to pause for meals, landing or a toilet trip than games with long levels.

Mix screens with other things

The tablet works best as one option among several. A small bag with stickers, a notebook, a favourite book and a snack buys a lot of calm time, and makes the screen feel like a treat rather than the only thing to do. For long drives, simple games like "I spy" or counting red cars still work as well as they did for us.

Pre-trip checklist

Tibblo was designed to need no internet at all: the pets, rooms and mini-games all live on the device, so it works the same on a plane, in the car or at grandma's house with no Wi-Fi.