Things to Do in Las Vegas with Children

Our first stop when we arrived in Las Vegas to check out some Real Estate was Sam's Town. It is a hotel and casino located about seven miles from the Strip on the corner of Boulder Hwy and Flamingo. Once inside the hotel, which features a movie theater, bowling alley and arcade, you come upon the reservation desk, which is located in Mystic Falls. Mystic Falls is an indoor park which offers a water and laser show four times daily, free of charge. Our kids absolutely loved it; that night we attended two showings. Now, we go back every so often with the kids, just to see the show. Since we arrived at the end of summer, we were on the look-out for activities that would keep us cool. We found the Whitney Ranch Recreation Center which features an outdoor aquatics center. We were charged a nominal fee to get in and it featured a play area for smaller children with water spurting out of different valves and tunnels and a small slide. There were also two water slides and a swimming area for the older children. The kids had a fantastic time. After doing further research, we found similar recreation centers throughout the city.

On the Las Vegas Strip there are plenty of things to do with the kids as well. The M & M Factory was another place the kids enjoyed. At first we just thought it was a gift shop, but there are four floors, which feature different themes and there is even a short film that the kids can watch free of charge. In the casinos there are different exhibits geared towards children. The MGM has a Lion Habitat; The Mirage has Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, the White Tiger Habitat, a Tropical Rainforest, and the outdoor Volcano, which erupts nightly. The Mandalay Bay has The Shark Reef, an aquarium featuring sharks, rays and fish. There are also the free outdoor shows: the water show at the Bellagio and The Sirens of TI at the Treasure Island, which features a pirate's battle.

Just outside of Vegas the kids really enjoyed hiking at Red Rock Canyon and at Mt Charleston. So, as you can see, although Las Vegas is best known for the casinos on The Strip, the city has much more to offer.