Las Vegas with kids

Start your vacation by exploring the world-famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. This classic neon sign has been an emblem of Las Vegas since 1959 appearing on millions of postcards and countless movies. The sign sits in the center of the median of Las Vegas Boulevard, half a mile south of Russel Road. Since we had a car, we simply utilized the free parking area just off to the side of the sign. Normally there is a lady standing offering to take your photo with your phone (she accepts Venmo and PayPal) Don’t be deterred if you arrive and there is a lengthy line. Photo ops move quickly. You may find that costumed actors like “Elvis” are on hand to pose with you. We found this lady to be total pro, knowing just how to pose people quickly to get the optimal shots. Tips: The only caveat is that you enter by driving southbound on Las Vegas Boulevard. If you are driving from the Strip you will need to make a U-turn to access the parking lot. If you don’t have a vehicle it would be a cinch to take an Uber or Lyft or even walk if you are staying in one of the Southern-most hotels on the Strip, like Mandalay Bay.

Head to the World of Coca-Cola. Located in the Showcase Mall just north of the MGM Grand on the Las Vegas Strip, the Coca-Cola store celebrates the iconic soda, selling a vast array of Coca-Cola brand apparel, accessories, housewares, and other novelty items. We didn’t come just to shop though. The Beverage Bar located on the second floor sells an “Around the World” tray of soda samples that allows you to taste different drinks popular in other countries. We received a 4 oz. portion of 16 different sodas split over two trays. That’s a lot of soda for just one person but perfect for sharing among a family. Along with the soda trays, you get a list of all the drinks and what country they are from. We had a lot of fun, seeing everyone’s reaction to some of the more, shall we say, “unique” flavors.

Located on the strip in the Showcase Mall next to the MGM Grand, M&M’s World features four floors of chocolate-themed displays for kids and an abundant opportunity to buy M&M branded gear and goodies in a rainbow of colors. We let our kids pick some of the M&M’s from the giant tubes that line an entire wall of the store. Enjoy the cute action-adventure short 3-D movie on the fourth floor that stars the M&Ms characters and some live actors. There is also an area where you can personalize your own M&M’s and watch them being made as well as a replica of the M&M NASCAR stock car.

Head to Horseshoe (Formally known as the Bally’s Casino), to take in the “Real Bodies” exhibit. This powerful and moving mini-museum highlights the amazing things the human body is capable of and is an intriguing experience if you have curious kids like we do. The immersive displays showcase over 20 real human bodies that have been meticulously dissected and preserved in ways that demonstrate various aspects of the human anatomy organ by organ, system by system with a focus on how everything is connected. It’s very educational and led to some great discussions with our kids about bodily functions like breathing, hunger, and the rhythm of the heart.

Head to The Bellagio Hotel. The Conservatory and Botanical Garden here is a fantastic free attraction for families in Las Vegas! Located just past the lobby inside a sky-lit atrium a team of master horticulturalists and landscape designers construct stunningly beautiful scenes using trees, flowers, plants, and structural elements. The elaborate displays change seasonally as well as during major holidays. We were blown away by this impressive attraction. It doesn’t take long to visit but should be on your list of things to do in Las Vegas with kids. The Conservatory is open for 24 hours a day, except for the days between seasonal displays but can get quite crowded. In addition to the flower display, the Bellagio has the most amazing display of Chihuly glasswork covering the ceiling of the lobby. Stop and take a minute to take in the 2,000-square foot blown glass installation known as Fiori di Como’. Our kids loved all the colors!

You have to take your kids to view the Bellagio Fountain Show. Millions of gallons of water are sprayed to heights of 240 feet above the hotel’s massive 8.5-acre artificial lake in a computer-controlled fountain show synchronized in time to the music. The choreography of the fountains changes with the music which ranges from classical to contemporary. The FREE show is easy to catch as it runs Monday through Friday every half hour between 3 pm-8 pm then every 15 minutes to midnight. On the weekend it runs from 12 pm-8 pm every half hour and 8 pm-midnight every 15 minutes. The elegant performance looks slightly different from every angle, but we recommend getting there at a few minutes early to nab a spot for an unobstructed view.

You must take your kids to the Roman-themed retail realm that is the Forum Shops to find the “Fall of Atlantis Show”. This FREE 15-minute pyrotechnic packed show features 9-foot-tall animatronic Greek gods fighting for power over the empire. W ithout giving too much away, the story captivates kids with special effects like fireballs and water fountains even if it can be a little hard to hear the dialogue. My advice is to try and snag a spot up close at least ten minutes before the show. The show plays every hour on the hour beginning at 11:00 am daily and running until 10:00 or 11:00 pm depending on the day. The backside of the attraction features a large aquarium the kids will enjoy as well.

Inside the New York-New York The hotel occupies a full block of the strip with scale models of famous Big Apple attractions like the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the Brooklyn Bridge. One notable addition amongst the replicas is the red steel coaster that weaves its way through the faux Manhattan skyline. The taxi-cab themed coaster starts with a slow climb to build-up your anticipation before rapidly dropping 80 feet. You pick up speed fast and make your way through a series of hills, inversions, vertical loops, and a corkscrew spiral all while whizzing by replicas of New York City icons. Tip: The Go Card Las Vegas includes a ticket for one ride on the Big Apple Roller Coaster however it’s important to note that participants must be 54” to ride. There is a large arcade located just outside the ride entrance for those who are too short or just not crazy about coasters.

Circus Circus’s gravity-defying activities don’t stop at Circus performances on the Carnival Midway. If you’re looking for an experience that is more interactive, try the indoor theme park! The whole family can enjoy the Sand Pirates giant swing or the Canyon Blaster double-loop indoor coaster. Younger children can enjoy the Frog Hopper or Carousel, among other junior-friendly rides. Attractions include roller skating, arcade games, rock climbing, and others.

Located inside the New York, New York hotel is Hershey’s Chocolate World. The 2-story, 13,000 square-foot flagship store showcases over 800 Hershey’s chocolate and candies and offers store-exclusive gifts, products, and treats. Kids can customize their own candy bars and S’mores or send an e-card to friends and family back home from the social media booth. Be sure to check out the little details, like the store light fixtures and of course, posing with the fun sculptures made of candy is also a must!

Check out the indoor thunderstorm in the Miracle Mile Shops is a multisensory show including fog, lightning, thunder, and a rainstorm in the middle of the desert. Monday - Thursday every hour from 10:00 am - 11:00 pm Friday - Sunday every half hour from 10:00 am - 11:00 pm

The Excalibur Hotel is a place we have stayed with our kids. This cartoonish Arthurian castle is regarded as one of the most “family-friendly” properties on the Strip. The hotel is home to a Fun Dungeon arcade and the Tournament of Kings Dinner Show. The medieval-themed dinner show consists of fighting, dancing, singing, toasting, and jousting. Eating with your hands is mandatory here! What kids wouldn’t get a kick out of doing that while rooting for their favorite valiant knight?

Just off the LINQ Promenade, you will find the entrance to the Flamingo Hotel. This hotel is home to yet another one of Las Vega’s FREE kid-friendly attractions; The Flamingo Wildlife Habitat. Birds of a decidedly pink feather hang out here in the lush outdoor courtyard just steps away from the Casino floor. While the vibrant Chilean flamingos are the main attraction, you can also spot swans, ducks, turtles, koi, a couple pelicans and parrots who do photo ops (for a fee). If you time your visit right, you can also catch one of the daily live feedings. Our kids enjoyed just wandering around the grounds enjoying the wildlife, waterfalls, and lovely shady foliage.

This indoor, manmade lake features a 40-foot-tall waterfall coming off of a tree-covered mountain. The show features music, puppets, and holographic displays from over 4,000 lights. The show happens every half hour from 8:00 pm to 12:30 am

This twenty-million-dollar project features ten parallel zip-lines measuring 1,121-feet-long. The seated position was a perfect option for our family! Once we were all geared up with safety harnesses, weights, and a bag to keep all our belongings safe, we had a blast racing each other across the LINQ promenade at up to 35 mph. Before you leave, be sure to check out the photo taken of you in action and in full flight. You’ll have a chance to purchase a photo of yourself or your group before exiting near the base of the High Roller Observation Wheel.

Freemont Street Experience is otherwise known as Downtown Las Vegas. This area offers a covered pedestrian mall with live entertainment filling the airwaves, a zipline overhead and casinos on every side. It hosts some of Las Vegas’ more historic casinos like the Golden Nugget and definitely has more of a kitschy feel. This was a great area to shop for inexpensive souvenirs. The most notable attraction here is the “Viva Vision” light show. The 1,500-foot long video screen canopy, the largest in the world, is embedded with over 12 million LED bulbs that light up with eye-popping animation synchronized to music every hour on the hour between 6 pm-1 am for six minutes. Note that the Viva Vision show takes place in the evenings only. We stayed for the first show and then scooted out of the area as it had more of an adult-only feel as it gets later. Our kids got a kick out of performers in unusual costumes, similar to what you might see at Times Square in New York City—but I also want to warn you that while some of the costumes will delight your kids—superheroes, Transformers and the like—you may also spot men and women in some pretty risqué get-ups. Consider what your kids can handle before hanging out here after dark.

This unique open-air shopping mall in Downtown Las Vegas is made from shipping containers. The complex features boutique shopping and dining, at the center of which is an interactive playground. Kids love the huge treehouse and a 33-foot-tall slide, bridges, and giant foam Lego-style building blocks. There are several small restaurants to choose from for dinner. We recommend Big Erns Barbeque. The food was as good as it smelled, and the staff is fun to interact with. The portions are also very sharable for a family. At the entrance of Container Park, everyone will get a kick out the giant mechanical praying mantis sculpture that shoots flames from its antennae in rhythm to music. Speaking of music, the area also hosts kid-friendly concerts and movie-nights.

Just forty-five minutes outside of the strip between the border of Nevada and Arizona is the Hoover Dam. This marvel of modern engineering is well worth the short day trip from Las Vegas to see. Originally called the Boulder Dam it was constructed in 1935 to prevent flooding in the area, to help with irrigation in the desert and to generate hydroelectricity. These days, in addition to providing power the Dam also welcomes more than a million visitors each year as one of America’s most recognized landmarks. There are three tour options; a self-guided tour of the Visitor’s Center ($10), the half-hour Power Plant tour ($15) and the one-hour Guided Dam Tour ($30). The Power Plant tour takes you through the Dam’s original construction tunnels to a viewing platform overlooking a 30-foot diameter penstock. Here you can feel the vibration created by water rushing through the pipe. You also get the chance to see 8 of the commercial generators in the Nevada Powerhouse. We opted to do the one hour Guided Dam Tour because it included everything in the Power Plant tour as well as a visit to the historic tunnels and a ride in the original elevator to the top of Hoover Dam. Being inside the inspection tunnels at the center of Hoover Dam and being able to view the Colorado River from the inspection ventilation shaft was the coolest part of the experience. We’d highly recommend doing the full tour if your kids can hang for an hour. We also had access to the visitor center and took some time to explore the interactive exhibits and galleries that educate you on how everything works. There are also some incredible vista points you won’t want to miss like the top-floor observation area and along the walkway at the top of the dam.

This area is a beautiful desert park with hiking trails, rock climbing, and scenic drives. Don't forget to take water.

Journey into the wild side of Vegas at Lion Habitat Ranch. Witness the majesty of lions up close. There are also giraffe located at this sanctuary, so it's almost like visiting a zoo! While this can be a fun family activity, we must note that this animal sanctuary is on the outskirts of the city, so you'll need to drive at least 15-20 minutes south of the strip to get here.

Experiencea trip across the refreshing waters of Lake Mead, providing a tranquil break from the bustling Las Vegas streets. In the midst of the desert's warmth, this scenic cruise offers cool relief and breathtaking views. In addition to cruises, there are also kayak tours on Lake Mead which are a perfect family activity for anyone looking to escape the busy atmosphere of the Vegas Strip for a day.

For families seeking a Las Vegas escape brimming with kid-friendly fun and splashtastic adventures, Mandalay Bay shines like a desert oasis. Imagine sun-drenched days spent conquering the 11-acre Mandalay Bay Beach, a water park paradise boasting a wave pool, lazy river, and sandy shores for building epic sandcastles. Little ones will squeal with glee at the Shark Reef Aquarium, where over 100,000 underwater wonders, from playful dolphins to sleek sharks, beckon through mesmerizing glass tunnels. And while the adults unwind by the pool or indulge in a spa treatment, kids can unleash their inner explorers at the interactive Discovery Children's Museum, a wonderland of playful exhibits and boundless learning. So ditch the stereotypes and let Mandalay Bay weave a magical Vegas memory for your whole crew – where laughter echoes as loud as the cascading waterfalls and every day feels like a jackpot of family fun!

For families seeking a vibrant, central hub for their Las Vegas adventure, look no further than The LINQ Hotel & Experience. Tucked away within the hotel, families can discover a hidden oasis at the Pool at The LINQ. Imagine splashing under the desert sun, soaking in the whirlpool Jacuzzi, or relaxing under colorful cabanas while the kids frolic in the splash pad. The LINQ provides the perfect balance of excitement and downtime, ensuring everyone gets their fill of Las Vegas magic. So, why choose anywhere else? At The LINQ, your family's Vegas adventure unfolds right outside your door, ready to create memories that sparkle brighter than the neon lights.

Tahiti Village Resort, nestled away from the Strip's glitz, offers a unique island-themed escape for families seeking a different kind of Las Vegas experience. Ditch the casino chaos! Tahiti Village is a gaming-free resort, offering a peaceful refuge for families. Kid-friendly activities like ukulele lessons, movie nights, and poolside games, ensure everyone's entertained. Plus, spacious all-suite accommodations provide ample room for spreading out and relaxing after a day of adventures. Compared to many Strip resorts, Tahiti Village offers exceptional value for your money. Spacious suites, kid-friendly activities, and even free breakfasts at specific times of year, make it a budget-conscious choice for families.