Las Vegas is no longer only for adults. It is a great and very affordable destination for a family getaway. There are lots of things for kids to do on and off the Strip for both very young children and even more for older children and teenagers.
Rides
The Adventuredome at Circus Circus is an indoor theme park housed within the Circus Circus Casino. Rides for the younger children include the Frog Hopper, Miner Mike, 4-D Spongebob and Dora rides, and Thunderbirds. For older kids, there is a full roller coaster, bumper cars and more.
The Roller Coaster at New York-New York takes you on thrill ride with the Las Vegas Strip as your view. You must be 54 inches tall to ride.
X Scream at the Stratosphere is 866 feet from the ground at the top of the Stratosphere Tower. The X Scream is a big version of a teeter totter at an extreme height with the Las Vegas Strip as your view. You must be 54 inches tall to ride.
Arcades
Most Casinos on the Las Vegas Strip have arcades. Gameworks and Excalibur's Fun Dungeon are two of the biggest and more family friendly.
Gameworks is a two story arcade. The first story is for all ages and houses lots of different video games from vintage to state of the art and even some that are part ride and part game. The second story is for ages 21 and older, with a bar and pool tables. There is a restaurant available on the first floor. You can pay game by game or buy passes that allow a certain time limit or game limit. These passes are usually less expensive than paying per game.
Excalibur's Fun Dungeon is ideal for younger children, as there are carnival-type games with fun prizes that include dragons and wizard hats. These prizes, unlike many other carnivals, are very easy to win. It is not uncommon to see children walking around this arcade with four or five stuffed animals in their arms.
Shows
The Fremont Street Experience takes the original part of the Strip of Las Vegas and creates a show with it's Viva Vision light show. Six minutes of 12.5 million synchronized LED lamps. These also include 180 strobe lights. It is one of the largest projection surface screens in the world, approximately the size of five football fields.
The Fountains at Bellagio are a free water show synchronizing beautiful music and powerful fountains on top of the lake in front of the Bellagio, which is a quarter mile long. This attraction takes place every night.
The Circus Circus Hotel, Casino and Theme Park in Las Vegas offers a variety of circus acts under the Big Top. International performers can be seen at the Midway Stage. This is the world's largest permanent circus.
Tournament of Kings at Excalibur is a dinner and a medieval show complete with knights and horses.
Unique Attractions
M&M factory, located 7 miles from the Strip, is a great tour including a look at how the candy making process is done. Admission is free but all floors of the factory have large store sections, one of which is a section with unusually colored M&M's for sale.
The Conservatory at Bellagio is in the atrium of the Bellagio. This is a great place to stop in and take a breather from the fast pace of the Strip. Here you can see beautiful flowers and plants arranged in a whimsical and romantic fashion.
Gondola rides at the Venitian are complete with your own gondolier throughout the canals of the Casino, which are painted to create an atmosphere of Venice with its shops and lights. The cieilings and walls are even painted and lit to look like the outdoors.
MGM Grand's lion habitat at the MGM Casino is beautifully glass encased. The lions inside are magnificent, whether they are sleeping or walking around looking at the surrounding visitors, which are many, at any time.
Stratosphere Tower offers free admission for children 3 years and younger. It is the highest observation point in Las Vegas for an amazing view for all ages.
Swimming
Las Vegas has some of the most extravagant pools in the world. Kids and adults can escape the Las Vegas heat by retreating to a pool. The Mandalay Bay pool has an extravagant pool. If you are staying here, make sure to take advantage of it. There is a huge feux beach for little ones to dig adn make sand castles as well as a wave pool for older children. There is also a lazy river to float and relax. The Flamingo has many water slides and an exotic grotto during most of the year. The MGM Grand has a great lazy river that is very large. There is a shallow pool for younger children. The Golden Nugget is a unique pool that has a giant tank filled with sharks and large fish. There is a water slide that goes right through the tank, which makes the water slider feel like they are in the shark tank.
Take a walk!
The Strip is an amazing place to take the kids for a walk. You will not run out of places to see. It is a sight during the day, but kids are especially impressed at night when all the Vegas lights are shining bright. Many of the attractions mentioned previously can be seen by walking on the Strip, such as the Bellagio fountains. There is always something to see on the Vegas Strip. As always, be careful when walking on any street with children, particularly the Strip, as it is very busy with lots of people walking and lots of cars. Make sure the children are hydrated, so bring or buy water along the way. If it gets too hot, you can always walk into the hotels or casinos for air conditioned breaks.
Miniature golf
Miniature golf is always a great activity for kids. It is similar to golf, except the holes are much closer together and the course is usually themed, which makes it a lot of fun for kids. Las Vegas has a number of miniature golf courses close to the Strip. The Adventuredome has an 18-hole miniature golf course, located inside the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, right on the Las Vegas Strip. This is an activity meant for all skill levels and all ages.
Member Comments