Arriving early at the airport to navigate the long check-in and security lines during the holidays is tough enough for adult travelers.
Imagine that same scenario with a handful of kids under the age of 5, and you have a Herculean task.
Airports are now heeding the call of desperate parents looking to entertain their tikes during long waits with kid-centric activities and entertainment that can ease the pain of traveling.
“With three children under 5, airplane travel is, to put it plainly, a nightmare,” said Jane Caruso, a stay-at-home mother from Catonsville.
“I end up packing an extra bag just to carry all the toys and activities I need to have on hand to distract them.”
Many airports are now opening new, innovative play areas and museums to help parents cope with long wait or layover times. A full list of attractions at 24 major U.S. hubs and 10 international airports can be found on Cheapflights.com in their “Kids’ Airport Diversion Guide.”
“Whether you are traveling domestically or internationally, the “Kids’ Airport Diversion Guide” offers a variety of activities to keep your kids entertained,” said Carl Schwartz, chief travel officer at Cheapflights.com.
Attractions range from a 300-seat cinema in Hong Kong International Airport to a full-size pool at the Singapore Airport to a 3,000-gallon fish tank in Orlando, Fla., where divers occasionally descend to feed the critters.
Closer to home, the under-5 five crowd will be thrilled with the array of airplane parts to climb on in the Observation Gallery at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Older children will appreciate a visit to the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower at Washington Dulles International Airport, which offers panoramic views of arrivals and departures.
And what about a cure for the ubiquitous ear pains that kids experience when planes change altitudes? Jerry Chandler, spokesman for Cheapflights.com advised, “Alleviate their misery, along with those of your fellow passengers, by asking the flight attendant to soak a couple of paper napkins in very hot water. Wring the napkins out and stick them in the bottom of plastic drink cups. Put the cups over your kid’s ears to create a vacuum and reduce the pressure fast.”
