Las Vegas, Nevada, best known for its casinos and business conventions, has a surprising number of family friendly attractions. For families on a budget, heavily discounted hotel rooms and inexpensive buffets beckon. If you have money to spare, extravagant hotels with great recreational facilities and theme restaurants that cater to children are happy to accommodate you. Magic shows and Cirque du Soleil offer kid-friendly nighttime entertainment.
Interactive Learning
The interactive Lied Discovery Children's Museum has "It's Your Choice," an exhibit emphasizing the importance of developing healthy eating habits. The hands-on exhibit is designed to help families learn how to choose healthier food. The Green Village exhibit focuses on environmental concerns. The Children's Museum is ideal for toddlers through elementary school age kids, and a discovery area for children under 5 years old encourages physical activity in younger kids.
Outdoor Fun
Children might not be able to hike all day through Red Rock Canyon, but they can walk along the miles of trails, sometimes with more energy than their parents. If you are bringing your kids here, remember to have enough water for everyone, hats and sunscreen. Family friendly hikes include a 1-mile trail to Pine Creek Canyon, along a shaded path, and 1 1/2 miles to La Madre Springs. If your kids are sure-footed, take them rock scrambling at Calico Hills.
Animal Lovers
If you have a teen animal lover, ages 13 and up, he can be a "trainer for a day" at The Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage. This full-day strenuous activity lets you spend most of the day in the water, helping with the dolphins. You swim and play with the dolphins and help feed them. Teens ages 13 to 16 need a parent present. The price in June, 2010, is $550, which includes breakfast, lunch, wetsuit use and photographs.
Desert Study
Learn about the desert environment at Las Vegas Springs Preserve. The museum has a Sustainable Pantry program, where families use seasonal ingredients to learn how to cook healthy food. The 8-acre botanical gardens includes healthy cooking demonstrations using herbs grown on site, 1.8 miles of trails through native habitats where you can see wildlife and learn about the history of the American West, and the LEED-certified Desert Living Center, where interactive exhibits include a Compost Crawl and Garbage Truck Theater.
Hit the Beach
If you are traveling to Las Vegas with kids, you definitely want to choose a hotel with a pool. Many kids are happy to frolic all day in a pool, not realizing how much exercise they are getting. But if your kids spend too much time lounging on a chaise and not being active, try the Mandalay Bay Beach, at the Mandalay Resort & Casino. You don't have to stay at the hotel to use the pool facilities; you can rent a cabana for a day, and then you have access to the wave pool, three more pools, a huge sandy beach and a lazy river ride.
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