How to Pass the Time During Layovers or in Airports with Kids

We've all been there....getting excited for a trip, you finally arrive at the airport and board your plane to go to your dream destination, but then you have to go to another airport in between and wait for HOURS. It can really add to the stress and exhaustion of a trip, especially one with young kids. So what are some ways to make that time bearable?

First of all, if you only have a few hours layover, it does not make any sense to leave the airport. It takes several hours to ensure you make it through security and it would not be worth the hassle and added stress to try and leave. But what on Earth can you do for hours in an airport with young kids? It's not like they're going to just sit still in the uncomfortable chairs and read a book like you might. Well there's a couple options.

Naturally, going to eat at one of the airport restaurants is an obvious choice. Secondly, you could spend some time just walking around the airport and checking out what is there. To be honest, some airports have some really cool sights to see. Yes, most are quite similar to one another and a bore fest, but I've been to some with a variety of things to see or entertain the kids related to the place where the airport is located (like artwork or educational displays etc). Some have live music playing/singers performing, and some are even outside or have outside areas. Without walking around a bit, you might never know what fun things there are to do at the airport. But even if it's a boring snooze-fest one, at the very least, you've stretched your legs, gotten some exercise, worn off some of the kids' energy, and killed some time.

Cool picture opportunity in airport in Oahu

One benefit of travel- your kid learns to sleep anywhere!

Finally, a lot of airports actually have kid zones. This was something I never knew before I had kids, but if you look online you can see if the airport you're going to does or where in the airport it's located. These kid zones are kind of like the indoor play places at malls....they have some climbing structures, games, or fun activities for the kids to work off some energy. These have always been big hits in our family. And if you have a baby, airports also often have nursing rooms or areas to help put your baby to sleep as well.

What if you have more than just a few hours layover though and want to venture out? I'd say definitely research the area first and make sure it's doable and makes sense for you. As stated, you're going to want to get back to the airport at least two hours before your next flight leaves. Some airports/cities have great public transportation to quickly get you to one or two key tourist sights and back to the airport where it might make sense. We did that in Seattle. But again, you want to know or only consider doing it if you have quite a long layover. If you do decide to venture out during a layover, I'd consider picking one to two main things you'd like to do while out that are either near the airport or at least near each other. Finally, you can look into if that specific airport has a place where you could leave your carry-on luggage so you don't have to drag it with you the entire time you're out. Again, this is something we did in Seattle when we went out- they basically had lockers in the airport that you could use.

Finally, something else to be aware of is the possibility of designing a layover specifically in mind for having a little side small trip. That is, you can have a layover of a day or two in a different city/state/country so you have that day or two to explore that place. It would essentially allow you to travel to that other place without any additional travel expenses (just the hotel and activities expenses, but not another plane or what not). This is actually something I've never done, so I can't personally speak to how easy or feasible this is, but it is something I have read about and want to try in the future and wanted to include here so you're aware it's perhaps possible.