As we travel a lot with my son, keeping track of play areas is a bit of a hobby of mine. They are an essential part of our travel experience... we get to the airport early at times just to use the play area facilities, if they're good. And with people being forced to line up earlier and earlier at airports, these play areas are essential when travelling with kids (what else is there to do at an airport ... aside from watching planes, of course!).

Before a long flight, it's essential to get kids to exercise and move around -- perhaps prompting a nice nap once aboard the plane (which is really our ulterior motive). Just PM me if you need more information.

In the meantime, here's some research for your article:

The most well known of play areas called Kidport ... they have two in Boston http://www.massport.com/logan/insid_kidpo.html

Denver has a small play area upstairs in the United terminal that my son has enjoyed. They had a small one in Phoenix as well. These smaller areas are still great for younger kids.

Kids love ORD as you can ride the people movers (with flashing lights and music around you) as well as check out the life-sized dinosaur bones.

Seattle's is outstanding... here's some pictures from their Web site: http://www.portseattle.org/seatac/services/kids.shtml

Internationally, Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax and Coopenhagen all had nice play areas.

Most of the UK airports have something as well: http://www.babyworld.co.uk/informati...s.asp#heathrow

Looks like Auckland does as well: http://www.auckland-airport.co.nz/Gu...facilities.php, though I've never been there.

But here's an article in Cookie magazine that lists just about all of the big ones out there: http://www.cookiemag.com/travel/arti...7/tra200607_01. It lists:

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
Observation Gallery on Upper Level, between Concourses B and C
Children can climb on oversize model airplanes or explore an aviation exhibit.
bwiairport.com

Logan International Airport, Boston
Terminals A and C
The airport's Kidport romper rooms have baggage-claim slides and a private area for nursing moms.
massport.com

O'Hare International Airport, Chicago
Terminal 2
At the permanent Kids on the Fly exhibit, your child's imagination will take flight as she mans the air-traffic-control tower or lands a fantasy helicopter or cargo plane.
flychicago.com

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
Concourses A, C, and D
The newest addition to the airport's four play areas, which include climbing mountains, Fisher Price playhouses, and slides, is an interactive display from the Children's Museum of Cleveland (in Concourse D) that focuses on nutrition and health.
clevelandairport.com

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Terminals B and C
This summer the airport unveils two mock runways, as well as bridges, cars, planes, luggage, and air-traffic-control towers, in its Landing Zone play areas, which are decorated with vivid murals of airplanes and brightly colored, padded floors.
dfwairport.com

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Concourses A and B
Faced with six play areas (four in Concourse A and two in Concourse B) featuring picnic tables, log-cabin playhouses, and plastic ships that they can climb on, your children are sure to be ready for naps by the time you board your plane. (And isn't that the goal?)
metroairport.com

McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas
D Concourse, Level 2
The aviation-themed Children's Play Area features an interactive mini-control tower and a mock jet engine.
mccarran.com

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
Lindbergh Terminal—Concourse C; Humphrey Terminal, 2nd Floor
Two 1,000-square-foot children's play areas include mock airplanes and air-traffic-control towers.
mspairport.com

Nashville International Airport
Concourse connector between Concourses C/D and A/B
Relax in one of the airfield observation area's rocking chairs as your kids build Lego spaceships, castles, and towns in a colorfully carpeted play area.
nashintl.com

Philadelphia International Airport
Terminal D
In the Please Touch Aviation Station, pilots-in-training can take part in many interactive displays—including a mini-airplane with hand controls that activate a spinning propeller.
phl.org

Pittsburgh International Airport
Concourse C
Kidsport's 1,500-square-foot play area includes miniature airplanes and pint-size ticket counters for budding aviators (or ticket-takers).
pitairport.com

Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon
Concourses C and D
Your children will feel right at home in one of two cozy play areas full of toys, blocks, and a television that plays cartoons around the clock. There is also a small climbing area in Concourse C.
flypdx.com

Salt Lake City International Airport
Concourses A, B, and E
Let your children expend their energy at one of this airport's three play areas, which feature Legos, art easels, and chalkboards, as well as carpeting with roads and runways down which kids can drive foam cars and airplanes. Little ones will love the small slide in Concourse A, while bigger kids can explore the Hansel and Gretel playhouse in Concourse B.
slcairport.com

San Francisco International Airport
Terminal 3
The Kid's Spot is an interactive exploration area featuring a crawling apparatus and the Plasma Wall, which shoots arcs of color when kids clap or make other sounds. Private nursery rooms are also available in Terminals 1 and 3.
flysfo.com

Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport, San José, California
Terminal C
This Kidport play area includes a wooden climbing structure with a slide and a mock air-traffic-control tower.
sjc.org

Sea-Tac Airport, Seattle
Central Terminal between Concourses A and B
Visit the new 1,400-square-foot space, where children can play pilot on a giant soft-foam airplane, or climb on a control tower and baggage cart.
portseattle.org