Delayed flights, long layovers and jet lag struggles are enough to drive adults to the edge, let alone young travelers. Sitting idly at an overcrowded terminal is a formula for disaster with little ones in tow. Airports have finally taken notice that happy kids benefit everyone, from harried families to the solo business traveler looking for some quiet and relaxation. With a rise in play areas, video game stations and more open spaces, kid-friendly airports are a welcome reprieve from the standard sit-and-wait terminal.

As kids burn off energy at play areas while happily remaining out from underfoot, the hope is that by the time they get on the plane with a captive audience, their adrenaline subsides and they’re ready to quiet down with an in-flight movie or a nap. Some airports are more amenable to young travelers than others, with a handful cornering the market on family-focused amenities and service. Here’s a tour of 10 of the world’s most kid-friendly airports.

Kids on the Fly playground at Chicago O’Hare © Chicago Dept. of Aviation

THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM of Chicago designed an interactive playground at Chicago O’Hare International Airport appropriately named Kids on the Fly. Located in Terminal 2 past the security checkpoint, the aviation-themed exhibit lets kids fuel up a cargo plane, climb into a fantasy helicopter cockpit and man the air traffic control tower. The area also offers plenty of LEGOs for hours of creative brainstorming and building.

Families can stroll through O’Hare to see one of the world’s largest mounted dinosaurs, the Brachiosaurus. It stands four stories high and is on loan from Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. There’s also a World War II F4F-3 fighter plane replica in Terminal 2 and a hydroponic garden with 26 plant towers to provide a little nature fix.

ZÜRICH AIRPORT offers its Family Services in departure areas A and E, complete with playrooms stocked with toys, tables and activities to keep kids happy. Older kids can park at the PlayStation to kill time with video games or for a spirited playoff over at the foosball table. There is also a craft workshop for more creative-minded kids who want to work on something to commemorate their trip.

Kids are bound to get banged up now and again, and Zürich Airport is ready to assist with minor issues like getting a Band-Aid or arranging for medical assistance if needed. Family areas house changing tables for infants, some baby care products and rooms to grab a quiet nap or breastfeed. And parents who need a place to prepare a snack can set up shop in the kitchenette to use the microwave and grab some cutlery and supplies.

WIDE-OPEN SPACES where kids can run around and stretch welcome families at Orlando International Airport, including the Hyatt Regency Hotel atrium in the Main Terminal. It also showcases a water fountain with changing flow patterns, palm trees, real plants and natural light. In the airport’s food court, kids cluster around a 3,000-gallon saltwater tank, measuring nearly 8 feet tall and 8 feet in diameter, filled with tropical fish.

Orlando is Disney country, and the airport didn’t get overlooked. Area amusement parks infiltrate the airport with 3D interactive displays from Disney, Universal, Sea World and Kennedy Space Center. Throughout the year, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orlando Ballet and jazz bands provide live entertainment. While music may fill the terminals during performances, the airport also thought ahead to subdue noise by covering nearly two-thirds of its building in carpet, not just for comfort but to dampen the sounds. That adds up when there’s a building full of kids ready to start a mad sprint.

A WAITING ROOM resembling one from the 1930s greets nostalgic travelers at San Francisco International Airport’s Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum. Admission is free for travelers and spreads over 11,500 square feet of the main hall in the International Terminal. Note the exhibit is open only from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is closed on Saturdays and major holidays.

The airport’s SFO Kids’ Spot entertains with a weather-themed playscape complete with interactive colors activated by sound, along with plenty of crawling and climbing areas. Over in Terminal 1, three aquariums furnished by the Steinhart Aquarium and California Academy of Sciences feature a colorful array of curious fish. And for families on a long layover, take the self-guided, educational tour culminating with a small prize from the Information Desk.

SEATTLE–TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT designed a special 1,400-square-foot kids’ area between its Central Terminal and Concourse A outfitted with a padded play space, toy airplanes and cars. There’s also a private nursery with rocking chairs to help soothe babies or unwind in between flights. One small feature, albeit a charming one, is the talking water fountains over on Concourse B that gurgle when you drink.

Restless families can embark on a self-guided, half-mile Sea-Tac Art Walk exploring 16 permanent art installations and rotating temporary exhibits. Kids who aren’t interested in the art can still have fun locating the displayed QR codes guiding parents through each piece and finding information on the artists. Teenagers wander over to the airport’s music program with curated videos and discover regional artists with the overhead music displays.

AMSTERDAM AIRPORT Schiphol values its quiet areas designed as relaxation zones with sofas and easy chairs illuminated by faux fireplaces. It’s perfect for teenagers who want to hang out with their tablets and gadgets, or parents who want to recharge after kid-wrangling at one of the play areas. Older kids can also head over to Amsterdam’s famous Rijksmuseum with a branch right in the main terminal. Admission is free for travelers. After a tour through the museum, head next door and sit down with a book from the library.

Located beyond passport control on Holland Boulevard between Piers E and F, Kids’ Forest at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is a great place for children to let off a little steam. There’s an open-air observation deck perfect for plane-watchers, and kids run themselves ragged in a forest-like setting complete with tree houses and playground favorites.

Changi Airport’s Orchid Garden © Changi Airport

CHANGI AIRPORT Singapore charms kids and adults, too, with the world’s first airport Butterfly Garden trimmed with flowering plants and a 20-foot grotto-waterfall. It’s easy to forget you’re even in the airport when you get to Terminal 3, where the garden is home to more than 1,000 butterflies. Travelers can also soak up some fresh air and sun at the airport’s open-air rooftop Cactus Garden and Sunflower Garden and stop by the koi pond in the Orchid Garden.

For more serious playtime, head to the children’s playgrounds with climbing structures and slides in terminals 1, 2 and 3. Older kids enjoy the Xbox Kinect Room, watch music videos at the MTV booth or see a movie at the airport’s 24-hour theater. The latter shows the latest blockbuster flicks and offers kid-appropriate options. Changi also holds the distinction of being home to the world’s tallest slide in an airport. Towering at four stories, its spiraling descent reaches speeds of nearly 20 feet per second.

TWO KIDPORT AREAS in terminals A and C at Boston Logan International Airport offer climbing structures, a replica of the airport’s control tower and slides to keep the kids busy while parents browse nearby concessions. Terminal C also showcases vintage airplane climbing structures and carpet that mimics the look of an airfield, along with handpainted walls featuring sky and clouds. Beyond playtime, Boston Logan is peppered with rocking chairs to relax or cuddle infants and sleepy toddlers. Designated rooms for nursing mothers, family restrooms and kid-friendly concessions are also nearby.

MINNEAPOLIS–ST. PAUL International Airport features two children’s play areas on Concourse C at Terminal 1-Lindbergh and Level 2. Kids can play on the mock airplane and air traffic control tower with slides. Adult seating areas with electric outlets are nearby for chaperoning parents who want to plug in for a few minutes and unwind. The airport even has a vending machine in Terminal 1 near the children’s play area stocked with diapers and wipes and other necessary baby items. Nursing mothers can find a quiet spot in the nursing room to bond with their babies in private.

For travelers based in the Minneapolis area, the Navigating Autism program is designed to help guide families with children with autism through the steps of an airport visit all the way to finding their seats on a plane. Parents can register for one of the program’s events by visiting the airport website.

OREGON’S PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL Airport may not be one of the world’s busiest, but it keeps families with kids in mind. Head to the play areas prior to security near concourses D and E, and beyond security in Concourse C. A jungle gym with padded surfaces, slides, toy telescope, play cars and children’s TV channels keep kids busy. The airport also makes it easy to sneak into the city for a quick ride on the light rail before heading back to catch a flight.