SEAAirport Guide

Things for kids to do at Seattle airport

SEA has two play areas, at Gates A1 and D25, plus sensory rooms, nursing rooms and an observation deck. Where each sits, the rules and what's nearby.

A child's dinosaur backpack and a toy airplane on the patterned floor of the play area at Seattle-Tacoma airport.
Play area, SEA

Kids get two Children’s Play Areas at SEA, one near Gate A1 and one near Gate D25. The airport’s other kid spaces are two sensory rooms, nursing rooms, family restrooms and an observation deck on the C Concourse.

The two play areas

The Port of Seattle says both areas have hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, with a family restroom and a nursing room nearby.

A1 play area D25 play area
Where Near Gate A1, where the A and B Concourses meet. The airport’s map puts Qdoba beside it, and Qdoba lists Gate B1. Near Gate D25, in the D Annex (Gates D21 to D26, across from Gate D5) on the baggage claim level
Nursing room Inside the play area, after security Lower level of the D Annex near Gate D24, after security
Closed Tuesdays and Saturdays, 1 to 3 a.m., for deep cleaning No closure listed
  • Shoes come off before anyone plays, in either area.
  • The Port recommends the areas for children under four feet tall and 100 pounds.
  • No food, drinks or pets.

Older kids over the size limit can use the sensory rooms, the observation deck and the free activities below.

What the airport doesn’t publish

The Port gives no opening hours for either area beyond the A1 cleaning closure. It gives no minimum age and no cap on how many children can play at once. Call Customer Care at (206) 787-5388 or (800) 544-1965 for a live answer. Our families and kids page lists both areas with their nursing rooms and the size limit.

Kid spaces by concourse

The A, B, C and D Concourses connect on foot. N and S don’t, and both need the airside train. The Blue Line from S stops at A Station, across from Gate A3. The Green Line from N stops at D Station, across from Gate D2. Our terminal layout page shows how the concourses join.

Concourse Kid-friendly spaces Also there
A The A1 play area. A sensory room in the A Station hallway, near the elevators. A nursing pod near Gate A10E, by the restrooms. Cobb’s Popcorn, Lowrider Cookie Company and Theo Chocolate at Gate A1, each listed 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
B A nursing pod near Gate B11. McDonald’s at Gate B1, listed 4 a.m. to 11 p.m.
C The Lookout at C, a free observation deck above Gate C3. A sensory room and a nursing room, both on the third floor above Gate C3. A nursing pod near Gate C10A/B. Great State Burger on the mezzanine, listed 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., with milkshakes on its menu. Seattle Macaron Co., listed 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., for gelato.
D The D25 play area. A second nursing room near Gate D1. An all-gender restroom near Checkpoint 5, with 10 large single-person stalls and several baby changing tables.
N A nursing suite on the mezzanine near the Alaska Lounge, with a single-use restroom and a changing table. Wendy’s at Gate N11, listed 4:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
S A nursing pod between the train and concourse levels, by the escalators. Hudson at Gate S2.

The C Concourse has no play area. Its free draw for kids is the Lookout.

Every nursing space has a lockable door and a place to sit. Each also has a flat surface and an outlet. Our nursing rooms page lists all eleven, ten past security and one, near Checkpoint 6, before it.

When a kid gets overwhelmed

The sensory rooms in the A Station hallway and on the third floor above Gate C3 are open daily from 4 a.m. to midnight. Call (206) 787-5229 and press 1 to get the key code.

Each has bench seating and interactive chairs. The lighting dims, and the room has acoustic panels and storage for shoes and luggage. Space is limited, and children need an adult with them at all times. Our sensory rooms page lists both locations and the number for concerns.

For a child who struggles with the airport itself, the Port publishes a SEA Social Story and Resource Guide. It walks through each step of the trip in storybook form with recent photos of SEA. The Port designed it for travelers with autism and says it may help young children too.

Before security

SEA has a TSA Families on the Fly lane, so look for the signs at the checkpoints. When the adults have the TSA PreCheck indicator on their boarding pass, children 17 and under get PreCheck without their own Known Traveler Number. Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby food over 3.4 oz can go in carry-on without fitting a quart-sized bag, so tell the TSA officer at the start of screening. Strollers, car seats and baby carriers go through the X-ray. AskTSA answers screening questions by text at 275-872.

Travelers under 18 need no ID to fly within the U.S. under TSA rules, and most airlines ask only for the boarding pass. For an unaccompanied minor, airlines usually issue a gate pass at booking so a parent or guardian can take the child through security. Allow extra time at check-in for the minor’s paperwork, and see our unaccompanied minors guide for the checkpoint and where to meet an arriving child.

Any of the six checkpoints reaches every gate, and Checkpoint 4 is open around the clock. Our security wait times guide shows when lines are longest.

Things to pick up along the way

  • Diapers and medicine: the Port points to the Hudson stores, and a Baby Foodie vending machine by Gate A1, next to the play area, stocks snacks, formula, diapers, wipes and pacifiers.
  • Car seats and strollers: rent them at Baggage Service by Smarte Carte, the desk between Carousels 9 and 10. The Port doesn’t publish a price, so call (206) 248-3645.
  • Changing tables: in the family restrooms.
  • Pets: relief areas after security are near A10, at the restrooms by C3 and D1, and at the N and S train stations. SEA Pups therapy dog teams, certified through Pet Partners and Reading with Rover, offer a friendly face in the airport.
  • Water: bring an empty bottle through security and fill it at a refill station. Our water refill page lists them by gate.
  • Food: the flySEA app lets you search for specific foods, and our food directory lists every restaurant by concourse.

Free things to do between the play rooms

The Port lists these free ways to fill time.

  1. Art walk. More than 100 works of art hang in the airport, and the Port calls touring them a way to work off some energy.
  2. Live music. Local Pacific Northwest musicians play in various spots. The Port says times vary, so check its music schedule.
  3. Agents of Discovery. This is a free app. Search the mission names while you’re at SEA, and each mission is a set of interactive challenges.
  4. Free libraries. A children’s Little Free Library sits across from the A1 play area, and a general one is above the A train station near the escalator across from Gate A3. Take a book or leave one.

Getting to the airport with kids

Youth 18 and under ride free on all Sound Transit services, including the Link light rail, which takes 39 minutes between the airport and Westlake, according to Sound Transit’s timetable. Our light rail guide explains the walk from baggage claim to the station.

The Train-to-Plane cart between the station and the garage is free, open to everyone, and has baggage storage on the back. Our cart page has the hours.

Sources

Pages on this site:

Official pages:

  • Port of Seattle, quick tips for families video
  • Sound Transit, 1 Line
  • Sound Transit, fares