If you're looking for a special family treat, then a hot air balloon flight is an unusual experience. However, you can't simply automatically book slots for all your kids; this isn't a ride for all ages and personality types.

What do you need to think about before booking a flight?

How Old Are Your Kids?

There is no set minimum age for children on balloon flights. Some operators allow children as young as 3 or 4 to take a ride; others have a higher minimum age.

You do need to check age restrictions before booking. You might be asked to prove a child's age before the flight, say by showing a copy of their passport or birth certificate.

How Tall Are Your Kids?

Hot air balloon companies don't usually set height or weight restrictions, but you should think about the height of any child you want to take on the trip in advance. Height can affect your enjoyment in the balloon.

If your child isn't tall enough to see over the top of the basket, then they won't get much out of the ride. They won't be able to see much at all. If you aren't sure if this will be a problem for you, ask companies about their basket heights.

How Many Kids Do You Have?

While balloon rides are usually gentle and calm experiences, they do have risks. You are going to go up high. So, you need to think about the safety of your kids in the basket. Typically, operators will have an age limit under which a child can't go on a flight unless they have an adult to look after them.

If you have two kids under this age, you'll need two adults to go on the trip as well. Otherwise, you won't all be allowed to fly.

How Confident Are Your Kids?

Nobody knows how they are going to feel on their first hot air balloon flight. This applies to your children as well as you. You know your children better than anyone. So, have a think about how they might react to the ride.

You don't want them to feel scared or to freak out once you're in the air. It helps to talk to them about what the experience will be like and to show them videos of rides to gauge how they feel about going on one themselves.

If you have any other questions about taking children up in the air, talk to hot air balloon ride operators.