What can children do at the airport while they wait?

An airport scavenger hunt gives the children a list of things to find in the terminal, so the wait goes to looking and marking off instead of getting impatient.

How does an airport scavenger hunt work?

The children get a sheet of things to find at the airport, like a trolley, a departures board or a plane outside the window. They mark off each thing they see, until the list is complete.

The scavenger hunt comes for ages 4–6, 7–9 and 10–12. The youngest look for pictures, while the oldest get small tasks like counting planes or finding a gate number.

Can I print it for free?

Yes. It's a free A4 PDF you download with no sign-up and print at home before you travel, or along the way at a hotel.

Do the children need any equipment?

Just the sheet and a pencil to mark with. It fits easily in the hand luggage along with a book to lean on.

Does it suit young children who can't read?

Yes. The variant for ages 4–6 uses pictures instead of words, so the children can look for and recognise the things without being able to read.

Airport scavenger hunt for kids

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Airport scavenger hunt for kids

An airport scavenger hunt for kids is a ready-made list of things for the children to find while you wait at the gate, like a suitcase on wheels, a departures sign or a plane outside the window. You just print the sheet, and the children have something to do for the whole wait.

About this sheet

An airport scavenger hunt is a ready-made list of things for the children to look for while you wait for departure. Instead of hidden clues it's a find-it list: the children go exploring in the terminal and mark off each thing they see, from rolling suitcases to the departures board. Everything is made in advance, so you just print the sheet.

The wait at an airport is often long, and that's exactly when children get restless. This scavenger hunt gives them a reason to look around and be curious instead of nagging or staring at a screen. It works in any terminal, because the things on the list are found at most airports.

The scavenger hunt comes in three age variants: ages 4–6, 7–9 and 10–12. The youngest get pictures to recognise, while the oldest get small missions like counting how many planes they see or finding a particular gate number. Choose the variant that suits the child, and it'll be just the right challenge.

The sheet is a free A4 PDF that downloads right away, with no sign-up. Print it at home before you travel, or at a hotel along the way if you have several legs. If you want to fill the whole wait, you can combine the scavenger hunt with plane bingo, so the children have two things to keep busy with at the gate.

What you get

A ready-made find-it list on one A4 sheet with typical airport things — trolley, departures board, gate number.
Three difficulty levels: pictures (ages 4–6), simple words (ages 7–9), tasks like counting planes (ages 10–12).
A tick box by each item, so the children can see how far they've got.
Bonus missions — find a flight attendant, hear a departure called out, count rolling suitcases.
An 'airport detective' certificate to print and fill in once the list is complete.

How to use it

Choose the age. Set the difficulty to suit the child. The youngest get picture cards to look for, the older ones get words and small tasks to solve in the terminal.
Print and pack it. Print the sheet at home before you leave, or at a hotel on the way. Pack it in the hand luggage along with a pencil, so it's ready at security.
Send the children hunting at the gate. Hand the children the sheet once you've sat down to wait. They go hunting around their seats and mark off each thing they find, until the list is complete.

Download the airport scavenger hunt free

Choose the age, download the sheet as an A4 PDF and print. Ready to use right away — no sign-up.

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Frequently asked questions

What can children do at the airport while they wait?: An airport scavenger hunt gives the children a list of things to find in the terminal, so the wait goes to looking and marking off instead of getting impatient.
How does an airport scavenger hunt work?: The children get a sheet of things to find at the airport, like a trolley, a departures board or a plane outside the window. They mark off each thing they see, until the list is complete.
What age is it for?: The scavenger hunt comes for ages 4–6, 7–9 and 10–12. The youngest look for pictures, while the oldest get small tasks like counting planes or finding a gate number.
Can I print it for free?: Yes. It's a free A4 PDF you download with no sign-up and print at home before you travel, or along the way at a hotel.
Do the children need any equipment?: Just the sheet and a pencil to mark with. It fits easily in the hand luggage along with a book to lean on.
Does it suit young children who can't read?: Yes. The variant for ages 4–6 uses pictures instead of words, so the children can look for and recognise the things without being able to read.