10 Ways to Amuse Kids at the Airport

Airport delays are all too common and may even turn into downright nightmares when traveling with children begging for entertainment and something to do. Whether it's one hour or hours of delays, we've got 10 ways to amuse your kids when stranded at the airport.

1. Download and play new games on your phone. Game apps galore exist for iPhone, Droid and other smart phones, including many free games that can be downloaded in seconds. When the kids get tired of Hangman and Tic-Tac-Toe, download a new game to occupy their time. Some popular apps include Scribble, Shapes, Bug Squash, Whacker and Hippo Blast.

2. Play in the airport playground. If you're lucky, you may be at a kid-friendly airport, complete with a play area for kids. Terminal Two's "Kids on the Fly" activity center at O'Hare in Chicago, Terminal C's "Kidport" at Logan in Boston, and San Francisco's aquarium at Lobby E are our favorites.

3. Go on a Scavenger Hunt. Create a list of items that need to be found in the airport, from a plastic fork to rainbow-colored sprinkles at an ice cream stand to a blue teddy bear in a gift shop to a view of the control tower. Everyone can go together, or split up the kids with the adults and make a competition out of it.

4. Enjoy a day at a museum. Many airports feature art galleries, including Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International, where the walkway between the T and A gates feature beautiful stone sculptures from Africa, and San Diego's Terminal Two West temporary and rotating cultural exhibits.

5. Play "car" games. When killing time in the car, you may play "I Spy" as well as search for the alphabet one letter at a time -- do the same at the airport. Walk around and try to find every letter of the alphabet in your terminal, and "spy" items like a red suitcase, a Dora doll, a sleeping baby and a soda bottle.

6. Take a dip. If your airport is connected to a hotel, you may be able to purchase day passes to the hotel's swimming pools, such as the Grand Hyatt DFW Airport Hotel's rooftop saltwater pool.

7. Enjoy a progressive dinner. Instead of selecting one restaurant, jump around and sample different restaurants in the airport for a progressive meal. Appetizers at one, dinner at another, dessert at yet another while not only kill time but may prevent kids from getting too antsy during the meal.

8. Visit the spa. From chair massages to full table massages at OraOxygen in Detroit to manicures and pedicures at Passport Travel Spa in Indianapolis, spas are popping up across the country. You've got time to kill, pamper yourselves!

9. Use Your Energy. Run the kids ragged -- and give yourself a workout -- with a walk around the airport. Go from terminal to terminal, up and down stairs and escalators and through various gates and you'll rack up the miles in your walking shoes. Split up and make it a walking race to see who gets back to gate the fastest. (Runners are disqualified!)

9. Watch the lucky take off. Maybe you're stuck, but you can watch others make their getaway at airport observation decks. Baltimore/Washington's airport provides rocking chairs to take in the views at the upper level Observation Gallery (between B and C Concourses), and LAX recently reopened its outdoor observation deck on top of the Theme Building.

Click here for more ways to survive the airport with kids. And visit our sister site, Independent Traveler, a comprehensive online travel guide, for more tips on managing airports, including security, air deals and more.