Las Vegas Kid Friendly Travel

Where to Stay

Rooms in Las Vegas average around $130 a night. The rates are lower Sunday through Thursday. In summer the temperatures can climb to 110 degrees, but the room rates drop under $70 a night. Circus Circus is on the north end of the strip and tends to be one of the most popular hotels for families. The rates are reasonable for a good-sized room and trapeze acts, dancers and clowns perform continuously under the hotel's big top. There is also a Midway with video games that always attracts the kids.

You might find it more relaxing to stay at a hotel that is not on the strip. These more remote hotels frequently have their own entertainment venues such as large pool and water areas, movie theaters and bowling alleys.

Fun Activities

Regardless of where you stay, there is a wide variety of fun activities for Las Vegas kid-friendly travel for kids of all ages:

For Kids

• Watch a magician – Lance Burton's show at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino is kid friendly as is Dirk Arthur's Xtreme Magic show at the Tropicana.
• See the animals up close – Enjoy bottlenose dolphins, white lions and other exotic creatures at Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden at The Mirage. Other great animals are at The Lion Habitat at the MGM Grand and their are lots of deep water animals at the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay.
• Shop for M&M merchandise – M&Ms and merchandise in a dizzying array of colors are available for fun and shopping at M&M's World on Las Vegas Boulevard.
• Play at a museum – Enjoy the learning exhibits and the interactive fun at the Discovery Museum on Las Vegas Boulevard.
• See a show – Kids love the bright colors and actions of the Cirque de Soleil shows at Treasure Island and the pirate ship take-over out on the strip in front of Treasure Island. Star Trek fans like the show at the Las Vegas Hilton
• Ride the roller coaster – The roller coaster at New York New York is always a hit with kids.
• Tour Hoover Dam – The dam is a relatively quick car or tour bus ride from the strip.
• See a baseball game – Go see a game played by the Area 51s, Las Vegas' minor league team that is affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers. They play near to downtown.

For Teens

You and your teens can enjoy these fun activities together:

• Ride the thrill rides – The Stratosphere Hotel & Casino has a ride that lifts you up and then drops you and your teenagers 100 stories. Not a good way to spend the afternoon after a buffet lunch!
• Enjoy a light show – Teens will enjoy the Fremont Street Experience downtown where 12 million lights and giant LED screens light up for a free show about every hour each night. Check the Fremont Street schedule for exact times and show details.
• See the rock 'n' roll memorabilia – Teens and adults like the food and music displays at the Hard Rock Hotel.
• Enjoy the water – MGM Grand's Wet Republic ultra pool opened in 2008 and is a 53,000-square-foot water attraction.

Family Friendly Restaurants

The hotel buffets often offer cheap meals with lots of kid-loved food including everything from mac and cheese to make-your-own ice cream sundae machines. But if you want to get out of the buffet world, consider these fun places to grab a meal:

• Cypress Street Marketplace – This food court in Caesars Palace has everything from hot dogs to healthy alternatives, all at reasonable prices.
• Rainforest Café – This coffee shop has an extensive kids menu and tells an environmental story to kids with fun animals and sounds.
• Monte Carlo Pub & Brewery – Kids seem to love the noise, barrage of television screens and the pizza, barbecue and chicken finger menu items.
• Pink Pony – This pink, circus-themed coffee shop provides a full floor of carnival games upstairs.

Childcare or Babysitting

Hotels can arrange for supervised day care for your children. For example, there is commercial child-care facility at The Orleans. You can also leave your kids at New Horizon Kids Quest, an hourly child care and entertainment service which has locations in several of the Las Vegas hotels including:

• Boulder Station Hotel & Casino
• Palms Casino Resort
• Red Rock Casino Resort Spa
• Santa Fe Station Hotel-Casino

Resources for Las Vegas Kid Friendly Travel

• Kidding Around Las Vegas by Kathy Espin
• Las Vegas with Kids a Frommers guide
• Fun with the Family Las Vegas by Lynn Goya
• The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas by Bob Sehlinger