A large passenger jet sitting on top of a tarmac at an airport

Travelling with children: tips to kill time at the airport

March 9, 2020

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Whether you have a few hours to kill before boarding your flight or a long layover at a random airport, the last thing you’ll want is for your children (and even you) to get bored and, in turn, grumpy. That’s why it’s always important to have plan A, B and C. I’ve put together some ideas to ensure boredom stays away whilst you are at the airport. 

Enjoy free airport activities

From looking at amusing destination names on the departure boards (Batman and Mafia are real airport names!) to being mesmerised by beautiful fish and jellyfish at Vancouver Airport, there are thousands of activities that you can enjoy for free at airports around the globe. Cheap Flights shared an infographic with 50 things to do at airports worldwide, where they mention these two activities and much more.

Image and City

Play games

I-Spy is my favourite game to play with the little ones when we are at the airport. It encourages us to learn more about everything that goes on at airports, from the equipment that is used to prepare the plane for boarding to different people that can be seen at airports. For some extra help learning about the equipment that is used on aeroplanes, visit Aviation Spares website, an aviation equipment supplier.

Pet a therapy animal

As HuffPost mentions in this article, “more and more airports are adding therapy dogs to their of entertaining and aiding in the relaxation of travellers.” If you find yourself at San Francisco International Airport and are looking for their therapy dog, you’d find the first-ever therapy pig instead! Her name is LiLou, a 5-year-old Juliana pig, that helps make travellers’ experience through the airport a bit less stressful.

Make walking fun

Walk like Frankenstein, walk like a chicken, walk like a penguin or whatever you’d like! And don’t worry about other people looking, it’s the best way to discover the airport and you’ll have fun all together. 

A plate of food sitting on top of a wooden table, with Restaurant and Sandwich

Grab a bite to eat

Nobody wants to get hangry before boarding a plane. So, fill up your tummies at one of the many airport restaurants or buy some sandwiches go the flight.

Top tip: If you have enough time to spare, enjoy the luxuries of the airport lounge. It often isn’t as expensive as you might think and it generally includes free drinks and food, as well as a quiet area for you to relax.

Take a free city tour

If you have a long layover at Changi Airport in Singapore, you can visit the city for free! As the airport’s website mentions, “if you have at least 5.5 hours to 24 hours to spare till your connecting flight, join one of our free 2.5-hour guided tours.” There are other airports around the world which offer free city tours, so make sure to see if your layover airport offers anything similar.

What’s your favourite thing to do at the airport to pass the time?

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