Last July, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration announced a new initiative to make airport travel less stressful for families.
As part of its “Families on the Fly” campaign, the Transportation Security Administration has established dedicated security checkpoint lanes for families at more than a dozen airports and announced plans to roll out the facility at other airports across the country.
Many families are already using TSA’s new home lanes, but it’s not a new idea.
The history of family-friendly airport services
Some travelers may remember that back in 2008, the TSA offered a ski-area-inspired checkpoint system at many airports where travelers could choose their own path.
In addition to the black diamond (or expert) traveler lane and the blue square (frequent traveler) lane, there is a green circle (beginner) lane for families and those who may need special assistance.
The program was phased out around the time TSA PreCheck was launched.
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Airports across the country already offer many other family-friendly services and amenities to make traveling easier for families. For example, while not just for children, a growing number of airports now have calming sensory rooms to help relieve anxiety and overstimulation during travel.
While not heavily advertised, many airports offer free crayons and coloring books, scavenger hunt maps, airport trading cards and plastic pilot wings for kids to pick up at information kiosks. You can often find more information about these (and other resources) online before traveling or at the airport.
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US airports feature child-friendly spaces
For example, Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) lists the locations of family lounges and mother’s rooms under its “Traveling with Kids” website tab, as well as a list of restaurants with great views of the airport. There are also coloring book activities and an art scavenger hunt highlighting the airport’s art collection.
Thanks to the Mother-Friendly Airports Act (and its update, the Mother-Friendly Airports Improvement Act), small, medium and large hub airports are now required to provide dedicated nursing spaces for traveling breastfeeding mothers.
Families traveling with children will also find Step ‘n Wash folding step stools next to the sinks in restrooms at airports in more than 100 U.S. cities.
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“Adults don’t have to lift their children to reach soap and water, spilling liquids and getting their clothes wet,” said Api Appulingam, chief development officer at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), which just installed family-friendly amenities in newly remodeled restrooms.
Nursing rooms, family TSA lanes and playgrounds are just some of the amenities airports offer to support families, said Julie Melnick, founder and CEO of SkySquad. SkySquad is a service company that helps travelers navigate airports.
Melnyk knows that kids love the Cloudscape playground at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) Terminal 1 and the Disney Store for Entertainment at Orlando International Airport (MCO). They also like the children’s play space at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which she said offers a view of airplanes.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) has three children’s play areas in Terminal A, located at gates A6, A20 and A29. There is also a student-created book exchange or children’s lending library next to Gate A32 in Terminal A and Gate C104 in Terminal C.
At John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Terminal 5, kids can get outside (and play with their dogs) at the Rooftop & Wooftop Lounge. They can also hang out in the aviation-themed play area.
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At LaGuardia Airport (LGA)’s Terminal B, two concourses feature airport-style children’s play areas, two sky bridges provide great spots to watch airplanes, and there is a water feature that provides excitement with choreographed lighting, video projections, music and seasonal performances.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has a large aviation-themed area next to Gate A1, but in May 2025, a smaller, second children’s area was added in Concourse D near Gate 25, themed to the Palouse region of Eastern Washington.
Denver International Airport (DEN) not only has three outdoor decks that offer great views for kids (and adults), but it also has two themed play areas for toddlers. The play area in Concourse C (near gate C4) has an outer space theme, while the new play area opened in Concourse A (near gate A25) last December has an aviation theme.
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) features pre- and post-security observation decks, as well as multiple children’s play areas throughout the terminal. Look for Walter Kitundu’s handmade mural themed around Bay Area birds (Terminal 2, near Gate D7); Eric Staller’s Spirogyrate, which features 6-foot-long rotating spiral disks on the floor and walls (Terminal 3, Gate E7); and Tree Town (Harvey Milk Terminal, near Gate B18).
The many changing exhibits in the SFO Museum’s extensive exhibition schedule are sure to interest children, too.
