Fun (And Effective) Ways to Keep Kids Entertained at the Airport

The airport is probably not anyone’s favorite place to be, but it is a necessary part of many journeys that do take us to the places we love the most, so it is always a good idea to make the most of them if we can. As you will probably know, if you have kids, this can be all but impossible!

Many kids will love the airport the first few times they visit when everything is new to them and it’s all a bit exciting, but the novelty soon wears off, and the boredom sets in which can lead to complaining and tantrums aplenty!

The good news is, there are lots of fun things you can do to entertain the kids and keep them happy, even during those long airport waits, including the following:

1. Airport Scavenger Hunt

One of the best ways to keep the kids happy and having fun in the airport is to start your very own airport scavenger hunt! Prepare a list of items commonly found in airports – think flight attendants, suitcases of a certain color, or planes taking off, and then have the kids race to spot these items from where they are seated in the airport lounge. Not only is this a lot of fun, but it’s also a great way to get children to observe their surroundings more keenly, and at least you’ll get to sit down without any complaints for a while!

2. Runway Artisans

Who needs a canvas when you have a window with a view of the runway? Equip your budding artists with washable window markers, and let them draw their impressions of the planes, clouds, and the runway right onto the window Just make sure to ask first, and wipe everything away before you leave because it is important to teach your kids to respect other people’s property too, of course. But, you’ll be surprised at how many airports in U.S and elsewhere are fine with this if you ask nicely.

3. Tale of the Traveling Toys

Before you head off to the airport on your next travel adventure, ask your children to select one or two of their favorite toys to be the “travel buddies”. At the airport you can then encourage them to craft tales about these toys and their great airport adventure. Perhaps Teddy is a pilot flying to a picnic in the clouds, or maybe Dino is a globe-trotting adventurer seeking new lands within the airport. Take the time to document the toys’ travel stories and you can all have a giggle over them in the years to come.

4. Airport Bingo

Create bingo cards with different airport sights and sounds, like a blue suitcase, a coffee shop, or someone wearing a pilot’s hat. This is not only a fun way to keep the kids entertained but also helps them develop their observational skills as they keenly look around to spot items on their bingo card.

The airport might not be the most exciting place in the world, but if you have kids you can make it just as fun as the average playground or them if you put some effort in!