Traveling with Kids: How to Pass Time in Any Airport

Are you traveling with kids? Do you have some time to kill at the airport before your flight?  I’ve flown over 30 flights with my two young boys and had our share of up to 8 hour delays in airports.  Here’s some advice on how to keep the kids occupied.   

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1. Find the Moving Walkways

Traveling with kids is not for the faint of heart. Before you are confined to the narrow rows of your air carrier, get your kids moving. Ride the escalator or moving walkways. Depending on how much time you have, find the terminal map and have your kid draw it out.  Do some laps and get those steps in.

2. Visit a Gift Shop

Budget for this stop, because it will most likely be overpriced, but if you’re really trying to keep your kids from crawling over passengers while waiting at the gate, visit a gift shop and let them pick out a toy jet, kids magazine, or activity.  Whatever you get, turn it into a tradition and do it again on the way home. (So don’t break the bank the first time!)

3. Read Aloud about Airports

You’ll probably need to revisit this on the airplane as well, but keep this book as a surprise.  Pull it out when you need to reign in the kiddos at the airport and enjoy some classic Richard Scarry.

4. Get a Snack

Airport food is expensive, we know. But stop at a fast food joint and buy a small ice cream cone or a kiosk with some fruit.  It will take at least 20 minutes to buy it and eat it… and when you’re traveling with kids, time is money.

5. Craft it Up 

If at all possible, save these for the long flight, but if you have a long layover, pull out some mess free WikkiStix and construct your own airplanes.

6. Locate a Viewing Area

Many airports have official or unofficial viewing areas in which you have a great view of the runway or taxiway.  Keep your little ones occupied with the ground traffic.  If you have older kids traveling with you, check out live Air Traffic Control and let them listen to the tower on your phone and see if they can spot the planes the controllers are referring to.

7. Find a Play Area

A select number of airports have these, but God bless the ones that do! This one in MSP (Minneapolis) has a jet play structure kids can play in while parents sit to recharge their devices. 

8. Get some Wings while traveling with kids

Have your child introduce themselves to the plethora of pilots that amble about the airports until one has some wings for kids. A lot of them do!

I hope these tips for passing time in an airport while traveling with kids is useful to you.  What have you done when you’re stuck in an airport with kids?

Don’t miss another post about my advice that will make you the best air traveler with kids.