Are you traveling with children during the holidays? These festive airports can help turn airport chaos into (almost) Christmas cheer

This holiday season, AAA projects that more than 8 million passengers will take a domestic flight between December 20 and January 1, 2025, surpassing last year’s record number of vacation travelers by 2.3%. With so many of us heading to the airport, the chaos and crowds seem more likely than candy canes and Christmas cheer.

If you’re traveling with children, air travel brings a whole host of additional problems. After watching their favorite stuffed animal go through security, kids have to sit still for hours. And as a parent and former preschool teacher, I can also say without a doubt that sitting quietly in an airplane seat goes against the natural instinct of almost all young children.

When you fly, your journey begins and ends at an airport terminal. Smooth terrain this experience can start your trip off on the right foot, but unfortunately all airports are not created equal. An airport with family-friendly services and facilities, such as casual restaurants, playgrounds, clean family bathrooms and private care areas, is essential when traveling with children. Which means you’re lucky if your vacation travels take you to one of these family-friendly airports that will help make your trip a little merrier and brighter.

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Chicago O’Hare International Airport

At this point, O’Hare International Airport is almost synonymous with flight delays. But for many travelers, connecting through O’Hare is virtually inevitable. And at least at Christmas, there aren’t many other airports in the United States better suited to helping families get through this experience.

“My favorite airport to travel to on vacation with my kids is Chicago O’Hare International Airport,” says travel writer Johnny Jet, who travels the world with his wife and two young children. “The airport does a fantastic job of Christmas decorations and our children love recreating the famous Alone at home scenes. The children’s playground and a four-story-tall replica of a brachiosaurus skeleton always impress them.

Kids and hot dogs are a match made in heaven. America’s Dog in Terminal 1 serves a lively Chicago-style version that locals call “yard drag,” filled with an assortment of crunchy vegetable toppings. Of course, many children may prefer a plain hot dog, which is also available.

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Mamava Lactation Pods are designed to make breastfeeding and expressing breast milk easier in public spaces. In 2025, O’Hare tops Mamava’s annual list of best airports for breastfeeding parents..

“Airports are stressful, hectic environments, and the physiology of nursing requires a certain calm for disappointment to occur,” says Sascha Mayer, co-founder and chief experience officer at Mamava. “A dedicated private space makes a significant difference. At large airports like O’Hare, pods complement existing lactation spaces and help meet demand.”

Each private, mobile module is designed with a built-in seat, lighting, mirror and fan. The XL Lactation Pod model is wheelchair accessible. Download the free Mamava app to easily locate and access pods.

Boston Logan International Airport

Airport playgrounds give children the opportunity to exercise. At Boston Logan, playgrounds were created with the help of experts in the field of museum education. In partnership with the Boston Children’s Musuem, Logan is home to Kidport play areas in Terminals 1, 2 and 3. According to Charlayne Murrell-Smith, the museum’s vice president of external relations, “Kidport provides a welcome respite for parents and their children in the middle of a hectic travel day. For children, it serves as a space to burn off energy, play and interact with others, making the airport experience more enjoyable for everyone.”

Restrooms are also a fundamental part of the airport experience. Logan has changing tables in all men’s and women’s restrooms and spacious family restrooms, also known as companion care or family assistance restrooms, in all terminals.

Looking for kid-friendly dining options with local flavor? There’s nothing more New England than a bowl of clam chowder at Legal Sea Foods, made from the chain’s award-winning recipe. The kids’ menu includes chicken fingers, burgers and fish and chips.

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New York LaGuardia Airport

LaGuardia Airport’s renovated Terminal B features an innovative water feature: an audiovisual show with 4,000 gallons of cascading water that wows young passengers as they watch the water form abstract shapes and patterns. The terminal’s two play areas are also a perfect elixir for spending hours on board.

On Level 3 of Terminal C, a sensory room provides a calm space for neurodiverse and sensitive passengers. To further accommodate passengers with sensory needs, sensory bags containing noise-canceling headphones, noise-canceling tools, sunglasses and communication aids are available at Terminal B customer service counters.

Dining options, from soft bagels at Poppy’s to the best cheesecake in Brooklyn at Junior’s, provide a sense of place. The spacious family-friendly restrooms feature large stalls and hands-free soap dispensers.
If you’re a top American Express cardholder, the airport’s Centurion Lounge has a designated family room. According to Audrey Hendley, President of American Express Travel, “Our family rooms in Centurion Lounges were designed to partially alleviate this problem. [travel stress] providing a welcoming space where children can feel comfortable and parents can take a moment to pause and recharge.

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