Flying with kids this holiday season? These festive airports can help turn airport chaos into (almost) Christmas cheer

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

If you are traveling with children, air travel brings other problems. After watching their beloved stuffed animals go through security checks, children have to sit for hours. And as a parent and former kindergarten teacher, I can say without hesitation that sitting quietly in an airplane seat goes against every child’s natural instincts.

When you fly, your journey begins and ends at the airport terminal. The ground surface is smooth experience can start your trip on the right foot, but unfortunately all airports do No created equal. Airports with family-friendly services and amenities such as casual dining options, playgrounds, clean family bathrooms and private breastfeeding areas are key when you’re traveling with kids. That means you’re in luck if your holiday travels take you through one of these family-friendly airports that will help make your trip a little more merry and bright.

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Chicago O’Hare International Airport

These days, O’Hare International Airport is almost synonymous with flight delays. But for many travelers, connecting through O’Hare is almost unavoidable. And at least at Christmas time, there aren’t many other airports in the US better suited to helping families navigate the experience.

“My favorite airport to travel to during the holidays with my kids is O’Hare International Airport in Chicago,” says travel writer Johnny Jet, who travels the world with his wife and their two young children. “The airport does a great job with holiday decorations and our kids love recreating the famous decorations Home Alone scene. The children’s playground and the four-story replica of the Brachiosaurus skeleton always impress them.”

Kids and hot dogs are a match made in heaven. American Dog in Terminal 1 serves a sharp, Chicago-style version that locals call “dragged through the park,” piled high with a variety of crunchy vegetable toppings. Of course, many kids prefer regular hot dogs, which are also available.

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

“Airports are stressful and busy environments, and nursing physiology requires calm for disappointment to occur,” said Sascha Mayer, Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer at Mamava. “Dedicated private rooms make a meaningful difference. At large airports like O’Hare, pods complement existing lactation rooms and help meet demand.”

Each moveable private pod is designed with seating, lighting, mirrors and a built-in fan. The XL Lactation Pod model is wheelchair accessible. Download the free Mamava app to easily find and access pods.

Boston Logan International Airport

Playgrounds at airports give children the opportunity to exercise. At Boston Logan, a playground has been created with the help of experts in museum education. In collaboration with the Boston Children’s Museum, Logan is home to Kidport play areas in terminals 1, 2, and 3. According to Charlayne Murrell-Smith, VP of External Relations at the museum, “Kidport provides a respite for parents and their kids in the midst of a busy travel day. For kids, it serves as a space to burn off energy, play, and interact with others, making the airport experience more enjoyable for all.”

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

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

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LaGuardia Airport in New York

LaGuardia Airport’s renovated Terminal B features an innovative water feature: an audio-visual show with 4,000 gallons of cascading water that amazes young passengers as they watch the water form abstract shapes and patterns. The two play areas in the terminal are also the perfect solution for sitting on a plane for hours.

On the 3rd floor in Terminal C, the Sensory Room provides a calm space for passengers with neurological disorders and sensory sensitivities. To further support passengers with sensory needs, Sensory Bags containing noise-cancelling headphones, fidget devices, sunglasses and communication aids are available at the Guest Services Desk in Terminal B.

The food choices, from chewy bagels at Poppy’s to Brooklyn’s best cheesecake at Junior’s, provide a sense of place. Spacious family restrooms are equipped with large stalls and hands-free soap dispensers.
If you’re a top-tier American Express cardholder, the Centurion Lounge at the airport has a dedicated family room. According to Audrey Hendley, President of American Express Travel, “Our Family Rooms at Centurion Lounges are designed to alleviate some of those issues. [travel stress] by offering a welcoming space where children can feel comfortable and parents can take a moment to pause and recharge.”

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