Kid Diversions in Airports

Traveling by air often implies waiting long hours at airports. This is especially a problem if you are traveling with young children who tend to get bored easily and as a result become cranky and difficult. To remedy this, many airports now offer special play spaces and interesting diversions to keep kids occupied and cheerful during your journey.

• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
  
  Observation Gallery on Upper Level, between Concourses B and C
  
  Children can explore oversize model airplanes and visit an interesting aviation exhibit.
  
  http://www.bwiairport.com/

• Logan International Airport, Boston
  
  Terminals A and C
  
  The Kidport romper rooms have baggage-claim slides to entertain kids. Besides, there is also a private area for nursing moms.
  
  http://www.massport.com/

• O’Hare International Airport, Chicago
  
  Terminal 2
  
  A permanent Kids on the Fly exhibit allows your kids’ imagination to soar high as they pilot fantasy helicopters and cargo planes or take charge of the air-traffic-control.
  
  http://www.flychicago.com/

• Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
  
  Concourses A, C, and D
  
  Four play areas allow fun activities such as climbing mountains, and romping around playhouses, and slides The latest addition is an interactive display from the Children’s Museum of Cleveland (in Concourse D), which focuses on nutrition and health.
  
  http://www.clevelandairport.com/

• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
  
  Terminals B and C
  
  The Landing Zone play areas at this airport, complete with murals of airplanes and brightly colored, padded floors, are all set to inaugurate mock runways,  bridges, cars, planes, luggage, and air-traffic-control towers.
  
  http://www.dfwairport.com/

• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
  
  Concourses A andB
  
  Six play areas having picnic tables, log-cabin playhouses, and plastic ships allow your children to play all they want, so that by the time you board your plane they are ready for a good snooze.
  
  http://www.metroairport.com/

• McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas
  
  D Concourse, Level 2
  
  The Children’s Play Area here has an aviation theme that is complete with an interactive mini-control tower and a mock jet engine.
  
  http://www.mccarran.com/

• Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
  
  Lindbergh Terminal—Concourse C; Humphrey Terminal, 2nd Floor
  
  Two 1,000-square-foot children’s play areas keep your kids hooked to mock airplanes and air-traffic-control towers.
  
  http://www.mspairport.com/

• Nashville International Airport
  
  Concourse connector between Concourses C/D and A/B
  
  Your kids can build Lego spaceships, castles, and towns in a colorfully carpeted play area leaving you to relax on the comfortable rocking chairs in the airfield’s observation area.
  
  http://www.nashintl.com/

• Pittsburgh International Airport
  
  Concourse C
  
  The Kidsport’s 1,500-square-foot play area with miniature airplanes and pint-size ticket counters is great for budding aviators  and ticket-takers.
  
  http://www.pitairport.com/

• Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon
  
  Concourses C and D
  
  Two cozy play areas with toys, blocks, and even a television that plays cartoons around the clock, will help your children () from the stress  Your children will feel right at home in one of There is also a small climbing area in Concourse C.
  
  http://www.flypdx.com/

• Salt Lake City International Airport
  
  Concourses A, B, and E
  
  The airport’s three play areas, feature Legos, art easels, and chalkboards, as well as carpeting with roads and runways for kids to drive foam cars and airplanes on. Smaller kids will love the small slide in Concourse A, while bigger ones can explore a Hansel and Gretel playhouse in Concourse B.
  
  http://www.slcairport.com/

• San Francisco International Airport
  
  Terminal 3
  
  An interactive exploration area has a crawling apparatus and the Plasma Wall, which shoots arcs of color when the kids make sounds. There are also private nursery rooms in Terminals 1 and 3.
  
  http://www.flysfo.com/

• Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, San José, California
  
  Terminal C
  
  The play area here includes a wooden climbing structure with a slide and a mock air-traffic-control tower.
  
  http://www.sjc.org/

• Sea-Tac Airport, Seattle
  
  Central Terminal between Concourses A and B
  
  A new 1,400-square-foot space, allows children to play pilot on a giant soft-foam airplane, and climb on a control tower and baggage cart.
  
  http://www.portseattle.org/