Visting Las Vegas with Kids

You may think that "Sin City" is not the most child-friendly place on the planet. With all the gambling, the adult shows, the alcohol, and partying it really seems like a place that is not at all appropriate for kids.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

While, yes Las Vegas is very much an adult playground there is so much for kids to see and do in Las Vegas, it would take me a series of posts just to encapsulate how much there is for families.

For starters I highly recommend you stay at the Four Seasons, it's a non-gaming oasis on the iconic Las Vegas Strip adjacent to the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. Perfect for families looking to get away from the gaming atmosphere and enjoy some relaxation and fun. Four Seasons guests gain access to two unique pool experiences – the Resort’s private pool, complete with signature, passed amenities, and the expansive Mandalay Bay Pools complex at the adjacent Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, which houses a Lazy River, three swimming pools and a real sand beach, as well as Mandalay Bay Beach. Additionally, Four Seasons guests can expect top-notch hospitality and amenities from spacious family suites that can accommodate babysitting or pet sitting services. Guests are treated to exclusive access to Las Vegas shows and so much more. I highly recommend this hotel when staying in Las Vegas with kids.

When looking at attractions in Vegas it is a good idea to purchase the three attraction pass. It will allow you to use the pass for any three attractions and saves you some money in the long run. Since it is a set price it doesn't matter the price of admission for the attractions because you purchased this pass. So feel free to use it at certain attractions, when booking your Las Vegas vacation I'll be happy to share with you which attractions this pass is applicable to.

Speaking of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, it is home to that amazing sand beach pool and also Shark Reef Aquarium. For kids, this is a fun aquarium to explore some of the larger ocean predators. It is full of education and fun.

Enjoy some chocolate, personally we visited both Hersey's Chocolate World and the M&M store. We looked at both of them I enjoyed the M&M store more, it was four wonderful floors of M&M merchandise and an entire wall of M&Ms to fill up a bag and take home. Hersey's Chocolate World is located at the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip in the New York-New York Hotel & Casino Resort, this new retail experience offers guests a chance to create their own Hershey's bar wrapper and creating an amazing Reese combination. For the chocolate lovers in your family, this is the perfect place! My son, in particular, loves the wall of flavors and the Statue of Liberty made out of chocolate. The smell alone will draw you into the store! The M&M Store is located right across the street from Hersey's Chocolate World and stands right next door to the MGM Grand. You'll be entertained with four floors of different ways to make your M&Ms special. We really enjoyed the wall of M&Ms and I was very close to buying a coffee mug to remind me of this epic store!

The free shows on the strip are not to be missed, take some time to walk with your kids during the day on the strip. You'll find ample time to see some of my favorite shows such as the Bellagio Fountains, my youngest son could sit there all day and watch in awe for the spectacular show. There is also the Volcano at the Mirage, you'll have to arrive at nightfall to get the full effect of the show. The Fall of Atlantis in Cesar's Palace is also an amazing family friendly show you don't want to miss.

If you are into animals check out one free attraction and one paid attraction. The Flamingo really impressed us, it is still a casino full of adult fun but it is home to a 15 ache lush rainforest that houses flamingos, penguins, cranes, turtles and so much more. It is a quick gorgeous setting that can keep any little one's attention for a nominal amount of time. Both of my boys had so much fun spying all the birds in the rainforest. Secret Garden of Siegfried and Roy and The Dolphin Habitat is in the Mirage Hotel and Casino. It is a sanctuary for endangered animals and supports education and research for preventing extinction in these animals. In addition to the Royal White Tigers, there are leopards, white lions, black panthers, and an Asian elephant, and Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins live in a 2.5 million gallon water habitat including an artificial coral reef nearby. My boys found it so neat to see Dolphins up close.

The Lake of Dreams, with its 40-foot waterfall, pine-topped mountain and nightly shows is a sight to behold. Take the circular escalator from Parasol Up at the Wynn and experience the dazzling shows, out on the show terrace for a water's edge view. When the sun sets, the Lake of Dreams comes alive in a spectacle of music and imagery created by over four thousand lights, stunning, and puppetry. Your kids will be amazed at this show and it's free so why not stop at the Wynn and check it out?

Off the strip but still worth it, the mermaids at the Silverton are sure to entertain. They swim in the huge 117,000-gallon tank, don’t miss live Mermaids swimming and interacting with guests. My youngest son who is still a toddler was shocked to see the mermaids in the water and would wave and clap for them once he accepted the fact that a half person was looking at him and not a fish. On certain nights you can even dine with the mermaids as an added perk! The aquarium is perfect for all ages and is free to visit in the Silverton, this is also one of a couple of Casinos I feel is very family-friendly if you are looking for accommodation off the strip.

Spend a Day at Adventure Dome you could easily spend all day at Circus Circus Adventure Dome! It is free to enter but much like any carnival you'll have to pay per ride or you can pay for a day pass and have unlimited access to the rides. Much like any theme park, all the rides do have height requirements.

Looking for more fun off the strip, an amazing playground and park called Container Park recently opened. The builders repurposed shipping containers and made them into a tree house and container playground. Kids will enjoy the amazing 33-foot slide, the huge preying mantis statue, large foam building blocks, and an interactive play area that children and adults can enjoy.

Finally, no visit to Las Vegas would be complete without making a stop at the Hoover Dam. It is easy to drive over the Hoover Dam and take a quick look but I really encourage you to make a stop there if you can. Guests can see the Hoover Dam on the Powerplant tour which visits the Nevada side of the Dam. If you have a pacemaker it is not recommended that you go on this tour due to the electromagnetic field that may interfere with the device. Additionally, if you have claustrophobia I discourage you from going on this tour as you'll have to take an elevator down and walk through a tunnel. If these are not great options for you and sometimes the tour is not available that day, a perfect alternative would be to check out the Visitor Center. Guests can see the original exhibit building and the observation decks. It is an amazing man-made marvel that is not to be missed and something I count as an educational field trip when taking my kids!

This was really a long list and I'm thrilled that you made it this far. There is so much more to do and see in Las Vegas with kids and this is just the tip of the iceberg.