My sweet family took a KLM flight from Amsterdam to LAX recently. At the beginning of the flight, they handed out a free packet of goodies for kids. While we were thankful for the gift, I could not help but analyze the product experience.
Unfortunately, it is extremely obvious a committee of people WITHOUT CHILDREN or consideration of the materials + space assembled this kid pack! Let’s explore each item…
Crew Patch Sticker = COOL. This nifty adhesive patch sticker has an airplane and “Crew”. No complaints here.
KLM Lanyard = FAIL. As a general rule, we are cautious parents and monitor our kids so they do NOT put anything around their necks because of the whole choking-to-death thing. I would not want my kiddos playing with this on a 12 hour international flight where the adults may fall asleep. Further, they didn’t include anything cool to attach to the lanyard!
Colored Pencils = FAIL. Let’s assume I’m not overly cautious about the whole sharp-point. Kids grab a coloring utensil with their whole hand and press down very hard. IF the pencil tip does not break off immediately when used, these pencils would last a few minutes before being worn down to the nub. Unlike crayons that can be unwrapped to [create a wrapping paper mess and] expose more crayon, pencils have to be sharpened. A sharpener was not included, and I’d venture a guess that most folks don’t include one in their carry on baggage.
Coloring Sheet = FAIL. Have you ever watched a child color? They tend to scribble hard and fast. My kiddos burn through a full 8.5 x 11 coloring sheet in about 2-4 minutes (on the top end). Further, this particular coloring sheet had shiny layer of veneer, which caused the color pencil to not absorb well into the paper.
Memory Game Card Deck = FAIL. This was the classic card-based matching memory game. It included about 30 cards. People tightly wedged into airline seats (especially kids!) and planes in general are fairly mobile. Imagine trying to neatly organize 30 cards on a small seat-tray. In actuality, 30 yards would not fit even with great precision. See picture below.
