10 Fun Activities to Do the Next Time You’re Stuck at the Airport

Here are a few fun activities next time you’re stuck in the airport. We know sitting around the airport can be incredibly boring—when you’ve just missed your flight or are waiting for a delayed arrival.

At some point, most of us have to face this annoyance. But what do you do when you’re stuck there? What activities will keep your mind occupied, at least?

We have come up with a few ideas to help take the boredom out of your travel moments.

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1. Take a Nap

Sleep is essential for our bodies and minds to recharge. If you’re at an airport and there’s no place else to sleep, go ahead and nap on one of the benches in the terminal or even on the floor if necessary. You’ll feel much better after a good nap.

Sleeping in airports is common, and many travellers even utilize airport hotels, bars, lounges, and clubs as their nap-taking spots.

2. Go People-Watching

You’ll love people-watching because it’s easy to do and usually entertaining. There are always people around, whether it’s an airport or a bus station. And you can do it for free!

Try to find something interesting about the other travelers around you—maybe they have attractive luggage or are wearing a funny hat or shirt. You could even try to guess where they’re from based on what they’re wearing.

3. Buy a Book Or Listen To a Podcast

If you’re looking for something interesting to read while waiting for your flight, check out Amazon’s list of 100 books from around the world that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.

You can also consider buying a book from an airport bookstore. You can read it while waiting for your flight or during the flight itself. If you don’t want to carry a book all day, consider downloading an e-book instead (as stated earlier).

If you are not into reading, you can listen to an insightful podcast instead to pass the time. Whether you are a sports enthusiast, art lover, academic, or PE teacher, nowadays, podcasts are available on every imaginable topic. So, start listening and enjoy!

4. Have a Child with you? Here’s what to do…

If you’re traveling with children, ensure they’re entertained and occupied. Plenty of fun activities can keep them busy while you wait at the airport.

Bring a pillow and blanket for your child to take a nap while waiting for the flight. This will help increase their energy level once they get on board.

Bring along some snacks that are easy to carry in your carry-on bag. This includes granola bars, Goldfish crackers, and whole-grain pretzels, or you can even pick up some of the best protein chips available in the market if you want your children’s travel snacks to be healthy.

Use a portable CD player or a tablet to keep them entertained during your flight delay or cancellation.

5. Play a Puzzle Game Online

Puzzle games are fun because they can be played in small chunks of time and take up little mental space. You don’t need to sit in front of a computer to play them; many of them can be played on your smartphones, like Sudoku, Spider Solitaire, or Online Chess.

If you are traveling with someone like a group of friends, partner, or kids, you can try playing word games to pass the time while waiting for your flight. Games like Scrabble or Words with Friends are a great option where you can create a list of customized unscrambled words as a trick and declare yourself a winner in every round. It’s an excellent way for parents to bond with their children on long flights or road trips.

6. Get an Upgrade To Business Class or First Class

If you’re stuck at an airport overnight or for several hours, try asking the desk staff if there are any upgrades available. If they have empty (business class or first class) seats on a flight that hasn’t taken off yet, they might upgrade you for free.

It’s worth asking about, even if you don’t think it’ll work. Who knows? You might get a surprise.

7. Catch Up On a Movie

There’s nothing better than watching a movie while waiting for your flight. We all know how frustrating it can be to try and fall asleep or relax when there are so many people around you making noise.

But if you’re stuck at the airport and waiting for your flight to depart, there’s no reason why you can’t catch up on some movies.

8. Take Photos

Take photos of anything and everything you can. The more random, the better. Think about it: You could be stuck at the airport for hours or days, depending on what happens with your flight. Take advantage of this time and capture as much as possible.

Take a photo of yourself at every terminal. If you have your passport on hand, you can even take a photo of your picture. This fun activity will give you something to look back on in the future.

9. Change Into Your PJs

Change into your pajamas before boarding your flight. Airports can be cold and uncomfortable, so getting cozy will make the wait much more bearable. Plus, it’s an easy way to express your personality while traveling.

10. Spot Planes

Spotting planes is a great way to pass the time at an airport (or anywhere else with a clear sky view). It’s easy, free, and fun, making you feel like a pilot.

Look up at the sky and spot as many planes as possible. You might want to start by looking for large ones first — 747s are easy because they’re so big that it’s hard not to notice them. Then move on to smaller planes like 737s or A320s.

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Final Take Away

While there’s no doubt that being stuck in an airport is a miserable experience, there are ways that you can have some fun and pass the time productively. Try out one of these fun airport activities the next time you find yourself waiting at the terminal, and you might end up having more fun than you expected.