How to Survive a Long Layover

We’ve all had that sinking feeling when you realize your flight has been delayed and you’re going to be stuck in the airport for hours. And when you’re traveling with kids? That amount of downtime can feel…daunting.

But we’re here to help shift your thinking, so if you find yourself on a long layover, try this: take a deep breath, remember it’s all part of the experience, and have a look at this list we’ve pulled together for a few of our best ideas to make the most of extra airport time.

Prepare by packing a board game.

Pack a travel-size board game before you go. They’re great to have for layovers, flights, train journeys, or rainy days in hotel rooms. Some of our faves? Guess Who, Connect 4, and Chutes & Ladders. A deck of Uno cards is also easy to slide into a side pocket of your WeePack!

Tag-team.

It’s ok to need a little break; you’re traveling too. So if your group includes more than one adult (a partner, spouse, grandparent, etc.), tag-team entertaining the kids so everyone gets a chance to sit down for a few with a book or a podcast and catch a breather.

Hide and seek.

Okay, first of all: only do this one if there are multiple adults in your travel party. But if, for instance, you’re a couple traveling with one or more kids, have adults team up with littles to play a massive game of hide and seek in the airport. Set parameters (eg. “only between gates 40-45”), and then send one grownup/kid team off to find a hiding spot while the other counts.

Research your destination.

Stuck in one place with access to wifi? You might as well use the time to do a little trip prep! Get kids involved by looking at photos of your destination, and use one of the blank pages in the passport from your WeePack to make a list of places to see, food to eat, and things to do.

Make a friend.

Take it from our team of parents who have traveled with children: it’s great to share the load! Making new friends doesn’t need to wait until you arrive at your destination; start at the airport by being brave and striking up conversations with other parents and kids. Finding a playmate can be an excellent distraction!

Get some exercise.

Once you board your flight, you’ll be wishing you could move around, so take advantage of the opportunity to do it now. Find an empty corner of the airport and do some simple yoga or stretches, jog in place, or have a contest to see who can jump the highest. To get kids involved, take turns being the fitness instructor - everyone has to follow the leader! If everybody has headphones, turn on some tunes and have your own silent disco.

Go on a scavenger hunt. 

Another team activity, let your imagination run wild to make a list of interesting treasures: A cat in a backpack. A neon-colored suitcase. The weirdest souvenir you can find. Take pictures with your phones, and whoever gets back to an agreed-upon meeting point first with everything checked off their list (and the photos to prove it) is the winner.

Have a tea party. 

Use your travel blanket as a picnic blanket and spread the snacks from your snack box for an airport tea party. Grab a latte from an airport kiosk and invite stuffies, siblings, and maybe even a new friend to a very posh tea party. Heading to a country with a royal family? Even better - get into the spirit by turning your floor picnic into high tea and take turns being the King or Queen.