Long delay or layover? Find free things to do at the airport

With the global aviation industry in a state of post-COVID lockdown paralysis, one thing is certain: we're spending more time in airports. Cue to terminal boredom? Happily, many airports have free time-killers on top of the traditional occupations of people watching and plane spotting.

Art as playgrounds, open-air gardens, the world's greatest buildings and even Giant Flemish bunnies all get a showing at airports across the globe. Is it enough to divert us from the gaping hours spent waiting for delayed flights, errant luggage and drawn-out transit periods?

Lucky travellers find themselves in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport (AMS), where Europe's third largest airport has a longstanding collaboration with the country's most important art gallery, the Rijksmuseum, with a free, permanent display of works by Dutch Masters to ease ennui. Qatar has been taking notes: Doha's blockbuster Hamad airport (DOH) features large-scale sculptures that not only look good, but the aptly titled Playground by American sculptor Tom Otterness doubles as a series of slides and encourages little travellers to climb its bronze curves. Meanwhile, Los Angeles (LAX) goes big with Air Garden by Ball-Nogues Studio, one of the largest sculptures currently on display in the Tom Bradley terminal, which is used by most incoming flights from Australia.

For more in-transit culture hits, tap into LAX's series of live music performances, while travellers can trade trakkies for a selfie in Hanbok (Korea's traditional clothing), make bead bracelets or play folk games in the K-Culture Zone in Seoul's Incheon Airport, (ICN) – amazingly, it also has a free ice skating rink (pay for skate hire) while Munich (MUC) also ices up its rink during its annual Christmas market.

Athens International's (ATH) Acropolis Museum lets you get up close to the (faux) Parthenon, while a second museum exhibition shows artefacts dating back to the Neolithic period, which were uncovered around the airport. For a more recent hit of history, those nostalgic of the Golden Era of travel can get their fix of vintage cabin crew uniforms and luxe livery at San Francisco's (SFO) Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum.

SFO is also one of several US airports, including Portland International (PDX) and Los Angeles (LAX), that have gone to the dogs: stress-relief dogs, that is. SFO's Wag Brigade helps calm anxious passengers, and if your average hound doesn't do the trick, they bring on the bunny – a 12kg Flemish Giant rabbit named Alex the Great. Not heading to San Fran any time soon? Keep up via his Instagram account, alex.thegreat100.

Make like a business-class passenger and arrive smelling good and looking fresh. Remember to pack a mini towel and soap for the free showers at airports including Abu Dhabi (AUH), New Delhi's Indira Ghandi (DEL) and, domestically, Sydney (SYD) and Melbourne (MEL). For bathing of a different kind, go forest bathing in Incheon's (ICN) Sky Garden, or Singapore's (SIN) HSBC Rain Vortex, the world's tallest indoor waterfall set in leafy surrounds, or go chase butterflies in its butterfly garden.

Even in the shabbiest airport, you can usually get the steps up with a power walk around the building (hit the perfume testers afterwards) or go planespotting. With windows everywhere, it's a free show, though many airports have dedicated observation decks for the best view: try Frankfurt Airport's (FRA) open-air rooftop terrace in Terminal 1 (frankfurt-airport.com)

If all else fails – find a cosy recliner, set your wake-up alarm and, instead of counting sheep, run through the world's 47,000 airport codes 'til sleep comes – or your flight is called.