40 Creative Kids That Gave Colour To This Flight
Imagine a flight with 40 children on board… Not something to look forward to? Cabin Attendant Suzanne Jansen did. I recently heard that she organized a coloring contest on a flight from Amsterdam to Curacao. I tracked her down and asked her all about this fun flight.
Suzanne heard pre-flight there would be 40 children on board. She spontaneously suggested to organize a coloring contest for them. The whole crew loved the idea. Suzanne made copies from a coloring book, added some KLM details and boarded the aircraft full of anticipation. I wish I had ideas like this when I was a flight attendant!
The crew announced the contest at the beginning of the flight. They walked the aisles up and down to hand out the copies and crayons to the children. I wonder if they had enough KLM-blue crayons…
Lovely youngsters and their pieces of art
The children were divided into 5 age categories, some being as young as two years old. Suzanne walked through the cabin to pick up the pieces of art that were ready, but some children brought them to the galley themselves. The crew put everything on display, resulting in a small galleria in the galley.
Giselle (13) created a new airline, with equality for all, irrespective of race, gender, opinion or sexual orientation. You don’t agree? Then you are not welcome on board of this company!
All passengers applauded when the names of the winners were announced over the public announcement system an hour before landing. Suzanne handed out Brazilian bracelets and medals which she brought as prizes. The children even got to wear the captain’s cap and were invited, with their parents, to visit the cockpit after landing.
‘People will forget what you said and what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel’
Suzanne is already looking forward to her next flight. She makes a habit out of giving her best to each and every passenger, every flight. She evens studies mandarin because Shanghai is her favorite destination and she likes to communicate with passengers in their own language. How great! I just mimed ‘chicken or fish’ to passengers speaking chinese.
Suzanne told me that when she thinks of her job, Maya Angelou’s quote comes to mind: ‘People will forget what you said and what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.’ Well Suzanne, I think you made all passengers on this ‘art’flight feel great!