Kids

Cat in the Hat at LAX Airport

Today is the birthday of Theodor Geisel – better known to most of us as Dr. Seuss – the author and illustrator of books such as “The Cat in the Hat,” “Green Eggs and Ham” and “Horton Hears a Who!”

To mark the day, airport police officers at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will hold a “Dr. Seuss Hour” from 10 to 11 a.m. as part of Read Across America Day.

During that hour, officers will read books to kids and adults and the Cat in the Hat will pose for photos with travelers. The LAX PUPs (Pets Unstressing Passengers) and their handlers will be on hand as well.

Kids who attend the Dr. Seuss Hour will get souvenir travel bags with copies of Dr. Seuss’s book, LAX activity coloring books, and “Cat in the Hat Read Every Day” bookmarks.

And don forget:

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

 

 

Bonus airport amenities

Not content to rest on the laurels of being named highest in guest satisfaction in this year’s J.D. Power North American Airport Satisfaction Study, Portland International Airport is forging ahead with new amenities for travelers.

This week it’s a cool new play area for kids on Concourse D near Gate D7. that has places for parents to sit, shoe cubbies, sculpted foam play elements (I see a plane, a bunny, a duck, a deer, and is that a pickle??) on a soft safety flooring system.

And if you’re traveling this week, be on the lookout for holiday decorations, music, and visits by Santa Claus and his elves in many U.S. airports.

On Tuesday, December 20, for example, the Austin Jazz Workshop is performing holiday hits from 1-2 p.m at Austin Bergstrom International Airport and on Wednesday, December 21, Santa will stop by Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport from 10 am to Noon for a meet and greet – and photo ops – on the ticketing level in the terminal.

Drink coffee, eat a kid’s meal to stop hunger

coffee

Here’s an easy way to help out a good cause when you’re at an airport.

Airport restaurant and concession operator Paradies is raising funds to feed hungry children in America through the Dine Out for No Kid Hungry® program.

Throughout September, Paradies will donate 25 cents for every cup of coffee sold in its food and beverage and retail venues at 40 participating locations across 18 airports.

Don’t drink coffee?

Throughout the year Paradies donates 25 percent of every kid’s meal served in the airport restaurants listed below to the No Kid Hungry program as well.

Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (Bentonville, AR): Smokewood American Grill

Long Beach Airport (Long Beach, CA): The Boathouse (formerly McKenna’s) – South Terminal

Asheville Regional Airport (Asheville, NC): Blue Ridge Tavern + Trading Post – post-security

Pittsburgh International Airport (Pittsburgh, PA): Bar Symon – Center Core, by Concourse C

Denver International Airport (Denver, CO): Big Bowl

Now it’s all about Santa’s trip

SANTA fruit label

Now that all that turkey business is over with, it’s time to start watching the skies for Santa.

NORAD – the North American Aerospace Defense Command – is already on the job with its NORAD Tracks Santa website, which has a holiday countdown, games, activities, Santa data and more in eight languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Chinese.

Leaving no Santa-tracking stone unturned, NORAD is also tracking Santa with apps in the Windows, Apple and Google Play stores, on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+.

Why does NORAD track Santa?

The story goes that in 1955 a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement misprinted the telephone number for children to call Santa. The phone number put kids through to the desk of the Continental Air Defense Command (NORAD’s predecessor) Commander-in-Chief instead and that man, Colonel Harry Shoup, played along and gave kids updates on Santa’s progress.

A tradition was born and now, using the internet and a team of volunteer elves, the whole world can check on Santa via NORAD’s satellites and Santa cams.

NORAD isn’t the only organization tracking Santa this season. Finnair, which claims to be the official airline of Santa Claus since 1983, has two of its Airbus 321 Sharklet aircraft flying with Christmas livery.

Official airline of Santa Claus_edited

The airline also is also sharing this “secret of Christmas” video.

Kidding around at Lambert-St. Louis Int’l Airport

STL KIDS PLAY 1

Lucky kids at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL) now get to play in a new 1,500 square-foot transportation-themed play that comes courtesy of the The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum.

Located in the C Concourse at Gate C2, the play area has a mini airport with a kid-sized plane, air traffic control tower, car rental counters, luggage conveyor belt and an airport screening area with (pretend) x-ray machine.

STL MOCK TSA

STL ENTERPRISE

Other forms of transportation are represented as well: in addition to a car, a truck and a van, the play area has a mock MetroLink light rail train.

(Photos courtesy Lambert-St. Louis International Airport)