A few things are wrong in what others wrote here, and I'll also offer a few additions. So my version for the 5year-old, as requested, is this: - you do NOT need to have the airport in sight, the preceding aircraft is good enough. - for a visual approach you need at least 3SM visibility, and the ceiling must be at least 500 ft above the MVA. However, you only need to maintain VFR at all times, you do NOT have obey the normal cloud clearance requirements (91.155). - unlike for the contact approach, for a visual approach, an IAP is not required, the airport may not have an IAP. - the visual approach is initiated by the pilot or ATC. If at an uncontrolled airport, the pilot must cancel the flight plan. - for a contact approach, ground AND flight visibility must be at least 1SM. However, you only need to maintain clear of clouds, NOT the regular cloud clearance requirements of 91.155 - for a contact approach there needs to be approach airport weather. The airport visibility is required, just having the flight visibility is NOT sufficient. A published IAP is sufficient to fulfill the official weather requirement. If the airport has no IAP, then you most likely can't get a contact approach, because there is no official weather for the ground visibility. - the contact approach can only be requested by the pilot, it can never be requested by ATC. - instead of a contact approach you could consider special VFR. If you can get it (and that's a big if!), you could cancel IFR, and proceed under special VFR. This has the advantage that you there is no minimum distance, you also have to stay only clear of clouds (no 91.155 cloud distances required), the ground visibility comes down to 1SM in class G, and there is no reported ground visibility requirement (big item in a contact approach), and you only need flight visibility of 1 SM (can proceed if ground vis is not available). Special VFR too can only be requested by the pilot, not ATC. - when you fly circle-to-land, you are effectively flying a contact approach, many pilots don't realize that.