We have taken our son to Las Vegas three times and had a blast each time. People frequently think of Las Vegas as no place for kids, but I can attest for the fact that this is not true. In our family, traveling to Las Vegas with kids comes in second to the Disney Parks in terms of activities and fun adventures.
What is it about ‘sin city’ that makes it family friendly?
1. Mandalay Bay – We have stayed here three times with our son. They have a huge wave pool surrounded by tons of sand. They have a fun lazy river that we like to race around after each other. They have two lagoon pools and two hot tubs. This is the #1 pool complex in Vegas, and we have always gone at Easter time and gotten good deals on the price, and it is full of kids at that time, which while crowded, is more fun when you are going with your kids!
2. The Zoo and Dolphin Exhibit at the Mirage Hotel. The exotic animals here are up close and an amazing site to see. And while I am sad for the caged animals, these get taken back to a ranch to roam every evening, and different animals are brought in on a rotating basis, so they do not all experience caged life daily. We get to enjoy them and get reminded why we have to do more to help our planet and all species living here. And the dolphin exhibit is amazing. 3 different dolphin pools, 2 new babies (on our last trip), an underground viewing area, and constant activities.
3. The Stratosphere – Go to the 109th floor and you can go on a ride that tips over the edge of the building. Yes, you feel like the end is near. My spouse had been wanting to do this for over a decade, he finally got his wish and enjoyed the experience with our brave nephew. Me, I wouldn’t even go up that high in the elevator!
4. Shark Reef at the Mandalay Hotel. This is a pretty large aquarium in its own right, and it is at our hotel! I recommend this even if you are staying at the other end of the Las Vegas strip!
3. The Adventuredome at Circus, Circus. An amusement park for kids. Not the classiest of joints, but with 4 kids, a perfect half day diversion when they need a respite from the sun. It is actually quite large, and we also stopped in at the casino to see their acrobatic show that happens right above the slot machines!
4. The Venetian. It’s all fake, but it’s all Venice! I still can’t get over the indoor canal with gondola ride. The line was too long for us so we sprang for the cost of the outdoor gondola ride, all for our son!
5. The Bellagio Sculptures and the Conservatory: a gorgeous Chihully sculpture right above your head! And the COnservatory s exquisite, filled with stunning floral to view!
6. The outdoor Bellagio water show!
7. The Flamingos at the Flamingo Hotel! Every trip to Vegas we spend a few hours walking through this hotel checking out the flamingoes, the fish, and the beautiful propoerty!
8. The Volcano outside at the Mirage Hotel!
9. The Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel. This is built to scale and fun for the kids, as well as a walk inside the hotel where they have recreated the streets of Paris, and it is a nice place for a French snack!
10. Caesar’s Mall. There is a show that comes out of the floor, and there are humongous fish tanks that we have spent many an hour looking at. Plus it is a great air conditioned escape in the middle of the day!
And buffets. My son loves all you can eat breakfast buffets for the bacon, and at night he eats at buffets like me: I eat like it is my last meal, at every meal!
These are just a few of our trip’s highlights. Again, the kids are having a great time, and so are the adults. You may not think of Las Vegas when you think of a family vacation, but again, I can’t imagine a more fun destination other than Disney. I even have some secrets about how you can save money at Disney!
But in the mean time, visit Las Vegas – it is fun AND NOT EXPENSIVE!!!!
I want to go to see the volcano and ride the gondola.
My husband and I were talking about this – saying that there really is a lot to entertain kids…. all the above that you mentioned. M&M World, Circus Circus…. there is so much to entertain (even for us with kids). We are thinking of taking our kids when they are a bit older but we think it would be a blast!
Sounds like fun for kids. I was glad to read that the exotic animals get taken back to the ranch to roam daily or it would be too sad to think about them being caged all day.
I loved reading this! I used to go to vegas as a kid and loved it! I ant wait to take my kids!
I’ve never been to Las Vegas. It does sound like there’s loads to do for all ages and families.