Travel with Children - Children's Play Areas in Airports

Dear Readers,

Last year I had a layover with my kids at Miami International airport and was very disappointed by the lack anything that seemed to resemble a play area for children. My home airport is YVR (Vancouver International) and it has some wonderful facilities for kids (recent renovation). I was hoping some of you knowledgeable readers and fellow travelers could share with me some of the best airports with regards to kids facilities in North America.

Thank you ! :)

http://thetraveltot.com

Chicago O'Hare Airport

The Children's Museum play area in Terminal 2 is a hit with my kids. Probably could use a good renovation, though. It's pretty worn.

The play area in Terminal 5, on the other hand, is an absolute joke.

Last I recall, SFO had one near the gates that are numbered in the upper 80s (at the very end of that wing). But I'm not sure if it's still there.

That's the only children's play area I recall seeing in any airport. :( Then again, I'm still a new parent (one year in is still new, right? ;)); so perhaps I haven't been looking as closely as I might be in the future.

I'd venture to say that a large fraction of major airports have them, including Miami---the trick is knowing where to find them ;) For example, I walk by the one in ATL regularly, but cannot for the life of me recall what concourse it is on as I write this.

The following site might help, though:

http://www.havekidswilltravel.net/airport-play-areas-the-cure-for-terminal-boredom/

I recently flew to HK from Toronto Terminal 3 and near the gate where I boarded the CX plane, there was a big play structure with slides, tunnel, etc. The structure itself was on some sort of soft flooring to avoid injury. My son spent 1hr there and had it just for himself.
It's also near big windows. My son could go check out the planes once a while then went back to the structure. There are seats just beside it and could easily keep an eye on him while I was using my laptop :)

It does seem like the international airports have it going on in terms of play areas ! We were in Australia in the Spring and the domestic Adelaide airport had a fantastic kids play room with slides, activities and a kids movie playing !

http://thetraveltot.com

I think there's one in Frankfurt but it was so far away from our gates (and the check-in/security areas) that I only bothered once, when we had a really long layover.

The tiny airport in Baden-Baden (they even call it an "Air Park") has a nice children's play area but it's outdoors, apparently sponsored by Europapark (an amusement park in southern Germany). So of course, during our 8 hour delay there once, it rained, and my kids couldn't use it.

Funny though how a really small airport has one of the best kids' play areas I've ever seen in an airport!

It does seem like the international airports have it going on in terms of play areas ! We were in Australia in the Spring and the domestic Adelaide airport had a fantastic kids play room with slides, activities and a kids movie playing !

http://thetraveltot.com

MSP and ORD both have decent children's play areas. Even a smaller regional airport smack dab in the middle between GRB and MSP has a much better children's play area airside than anything I see airside at much bigger airports like LGA or DCA or even many international airports in Europe.

One of the surprises for me of an airport with a decent enough children's play area airside is at WAW. HEL's having such has never been a surprise to me.

IIRC YYC has some nice kids play areas as well..

SYR has a play area in the center of the baggage claim areas, downstairs and land side. It has at least one cockpit and seating area from an old airplane, so that it is intesting to adults too, at least those who are plane geeks.

The nice one at MDP is roughly across from the C SC, near gate 12 and a food court. This is in Terminal 1, near some DL mainline gates and on the way to the DL RJ gates.

They are not play areas, but both SFO and DCA have airport museums land side, in DCA on the way to the A gates and close to the restored old check in counters that are used now as display cases, and at SFO as
you walk from domestic into the international terminal, where there are also display cases.

Many airports have the interactive red flowers and umbrellas, IIRC a Travellers Insurance ad. I have seen kids and adults have fun stretching and jumping to make the flower petals move around on the wall.

PHL has a very nice play area in concourse D, very convenient to the United gates. Similar theme to the one at ORD, but newer and nicer.

At ORD, my kids are disappointed that the slide at the back of the plane got closed in. And I wasn't thrilled to have to kick out some guy who thought he was going to sleep up in the fake control tower last time we were there (but that's another story; never seen that before).

PIT has a kids area (concourse C), with very nice "kid" bathrooms complete with low toilets/sinks. And the Mr. Rogers display nearby is fun for us GenXers.

IAD has no formal play area, but making a circuit of trains, escalators, moving walkways, and mobile lounges can entertain them (and me!) for a while :-)

There are Play Zones in both terminals at LGW, Playrooms at Gates A and E at ZRH, my daughter had lots of fun on a mini roundabout at ZRH :)

DOH has a soft play area in the departure hall, its a few years since we've been but it had two or three levels to it :)

There's some information in this related (but slightly different) thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-children/1185246-childrens-facilities-airport-lounges.html

MSP and ORD both have decent children's play areas. Even a smaller regional airport smack dab in the middle between GRB and MSP has a much better children's play area airside than anything I see airside at much bigger airports like LGA or DCA or even many international airports in Europe.

One of the surprises for me of an airport with a decent enough children's play area airside is at WAW. HEL's having such has never been a surprise to me.

I was going to note this one, too. Overall, it seemed like it was decent, but, as with any play area, make sure to have antibacterial wipes to clean up afterwards.

I was going to note this one, too. Overall, it seemed like it was decent, but, as with any play area, make sure to have antibacterial wipes to clean up afterwards.

My wife has lots on her all the time..

I literrally buy numerous boxes of wipes because she is a perfectionist when it comes to avoiding germs..:)

What about DEN? I see mention of a play area on the mezzanine level of Concourse B, but for the life of me I can't picture it. We have a long layover with a young child in DEN later this year.

I'd venture to say that a large fraction of major airports have them, including Miami---the trick is knowing where to find them ;) For example, I walk by the one in ATL regularly, but cannot for the life of me recall what concourse it is on as I write this.

The following site might help, though:

http://www.havekidswilltravel.net/airport-play-areas-the-cure-for-terminal-boredom/

Yeah these are pretty hard to find...with so many families travelling...i wish they would have better signs at airport for these

A variety of airline business class (and/or first class) lounges have children's play areas. Some airline lounges' children play areas are better than others, and some are better or different that airside public play areas too. The main AC lounge at YYZ has a better designated child play area than the play area down below the lounge.

SZG as a big indoor children playground.

So far the most play areas to passengers I've seen is at Bangor, Maine. 3 play areas - one pre security, two post security. I think they have 2 gates and maybe a dozen flights a day!

You can also come up with some lists and results using Google. Here's "Let me Google that for you" results <link (http://bit.ly/PAbUcB)>.