Waiting around at an airport for your flight to take off can be a stressful time, especially as check in times are getting earlier & earlier, & even more so if you have young children travelling with you! I decided to check out some of the UK’s busiest airport websites to see what family facilities they have on offer to keep the kids entertained…
Heathrow The BAA information desks offer free colouring books & crayons to children & the airport has unsupervised, soft play areas for children aged 2 to 6, including one after security in Terminal 1, near Gates 35-56. In the newer Terminal 5 there are 3 children’s play areas, suitable for children under 8 years old, in the departures concourse after passport control
Gatwick Airport Kids Zones are located upstairs in the South Terminal departure lounge opposite Café Rouge & behind Boots in North Terminal departure lounge - they provide a separate area for the kids to play & watch TV with plenty of seating for parents. They’re free of charge to use & make keeping an eye on the kids just that little bit easier
London Luton There is a children’s play area in the departures area & children’s video arcades that are located on both the landside & the airside of the terminal building
Birmingham Airport Throughout the main summer months the airport is offering the ‘Sky Side’ experience - starting from the moment your child arrives at check-in & ending when they arrive at a themed ‘Sky Zone’, an area furnished with modern interactive games & activities, including touch screen tables, interactive floor projection, a gazing station, music light beams & story-telling pods. A 12 page Sky Pass will be issued at check-in & contains tasks, activities & prizes that will earn participants their ‘Wings’ to give to them access to the Sky Zone at the end of their journey through the Airport
Manchester Airport The Terminal 2 play area has a dedicated toddler section suitable for under 3s, plus a zone for slightly older children & is located in the Departures Lounge next to Gate 213. The airport website has loads of ideas on how to occupy the kids, along with quizes & puzzles to print out before you travel
Glasgow International Airport Offers a unsupervised soft play area for young children (2-6 years) after security on the international pier, near Gates 27A and 27B. Additionally, puzzle tables, Lego play equipment & Fingabox interactive screens can be found next to seating areas at several locations around the terminal
Overall, our UK airports really leave a lot to be desired – very few offer any childrens facilities that will keep the kids entertained & quiet for more than a few minutes, a real shame when you consider how many families will travel through them in a year…maybe they should take a look at what other airports around the world offer families…
The Kids Forest – Amsterdam Airport
Canopy Playground – Singapore Airport
Paris CDG Airport
In the meantime, if you are happy to pay for the service, most UK airports offer ‘lounges’ where you can relax, enjoy complimentary drinks & snacks & many offer family friendly areas with kids TV programs, computer games & toys…
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