Things to Do for Families Traveling to Las Vegas

While being primarily known as an adult playground, Las Vegas is still a place where families can enjoy many wholesome sights and bonding activities. There are a number of hotel accommodations that are smoke-free and without casinos. There are also special destinations for kids from children's museums to fun rides and arcades.

Check-in at Family-friendly Hotels
Many families consider checking-in at family-friendly hotels to allow the children to enjoy many Las Vegas treats meant for younger guests. Hotels like Circus Circus, Stratosphere, and Excalibur offer family-friendly activities such as circus shows, arcades and children's gaming stations and theme park amenities. Four Seasons Hotel is mainly targeted for family accommodations with options for customizing hotel room according to the children guests' ages. There are more options for hotels offering child care and many children's services such as childcare and babysitting at off-the-Strip hotels like The Sunset Station, Red Rock Resort and Green Valley Ranch.

Go to Museums and Exhibits
Most family-friendly hotels feature museums and exhibits within the hotel vicinity or at nearby areas. Inside hotels, there are many attractions children can explore such as The Mirage Volcano at the Mirage Hotel, the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay and the Lion's Habitat at MGM Grand. A few miles away from the Las Vegas Strip, families can visit the Atomic Testing Museum with its 8,000 square feet of gallery space and exhibit hall featuring many artifacts from the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Smithsonian Institution, along with pieces of the Berlin Wall and the World Trade Center. They can also visit the Las Vegas Natural History Museum that features animated dinosaurs, Southern Nevadan plant and animal life, children's hands-on exploration room and other interactive natural science exhibitions.

Las Vegas Shopping
The family can schedule shopping sprees around the city to buy anything from clothes, toys, souvenirs and unique items. The Las Vegas Strip houses diverse tourist-friendly shops. There are many fashion houses such as Christian Dior, Prada, Armani, Elizabeth Arden and Louis Vuitton. There are also a number of shopping malls and specialty stores like the Fashion Show Mall, The Forum Shops, Miracle Mile Shops and the Crystals Retail District. Children can also have a fun time at M&M's World and Dagerman's Just for Kids.

Dine Out in Family-friendly Restaurants
Las Vegas offers many dining options from affordable treats to al fresco dining. With the tight competition in this tourist-driven city, dining choices are generally topnotch citywide. For restaurants attending to the finicky needs of children while not having the adults left out, families can try the Maggiano's Little Italy at the Fashion Show Mall near Treasure Island and Wynn. The Sherwood Forest Cafe at Excalibur is a 24-hour, full service café restaurant and it features a wide array of family favorites from a pancake breakfast to its popular All-American Burger. Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill at the MGM Grand features celebrity chefs serving many dishes both children and adults can enjoy. From ice cream to burgers to steaks, family members can have a good bonding session while dining out in the restaurant's posh setting. Burger lovers can also check out the Burger Bar, Stripburger, and BLT Burger.

Taking Photos of Las Vegas Attractions
A family traveling to Las Vegas offer many scenic spots for photoshoots. Both children and adults can take shots of beautiful landmarks like the dancing waters of the Bellagio Fountains, the black pyramid of Luxor, the Eiffel Tower replica at Paris Las Vegas and the gondolas at the Venetian. Families can also drive around natural attractions within the Las Vegas area such as the Red Rock Canyon and Springs Preserve.