Whether on vacation or a resident of Las Vegas, there are lots of fun activities for families and children on and off the Las Vegas Strip. Off-strip activities include museum exhibits, mountain climbing, swimming, and car racing! Las Vegas has a lot to offer just a few miles beyond the glitz and glam of the famous Strip casinos and resorts.
Many people are surprised to learn that Las Vegas is truly a family vacation destination. There are lots of fun kid-friendly activities in Las Vegas. From multiple water parks to kid museums they have a little bit of everything.
With over 600,000 people living in Las Vegas you can wager that half of what the city has to offer is kid-friendly, but the other half is not so much. Be sure to read my 9 tips for taking kids to Las Vegas before you go! Having lived there for a couple of years I learned a few things about where to go and where to avoid!
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20 Kid-Friendly Activities in Las Vegas
Wet n’ Wild Las Vegas
Wet n’ Wild water park covers more than 20 acres and features more than 25 fun attractions. Along with the more thrilling rides for older children, there are also attractions specifically for the younger set. This includes Kiddie Cove and Paradise Falls. If it is crowded I recommend getting the line pass in order to be able to ride every ride. That’s what Jonah and I did when we went. Jonah was so brave and rode every single ride with me. Here’s a coupon for a $24.99 single admission, 38% off.
Hershey’s Chocolate World
Who doesn’t love chocolate? Hershey’s Chocolate World, located inside the New York New York Hotel, is a yummy place to spend the afternoon. Kids can star in their own peanut butter cup ad, create their own chocolate bars and more. They have over 800 different varieties of Hershey’s chocolate and candy to choose from.
Shark Reef Aquarium
The Shark Reef Aquarium is made up of 14 really cool exhibits. It’s home to more than 2000 animals, including crocodiles, sharks, piranha, and Komodo dragons… just to name a few.
Don’t forget to visit the shipwreck experience and the touch pool where your kids can touch a wide variety of sea creatures, including sharks and horseshoe crabs. This educational aquarium is located at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.
If your kids are seriously into Marvel Avengers, this attraction is a definite “must-see.” There’s all sorts of interactive things to participate in including a visit to Bruce Banner’s laboratory. Getting up close and personal with all of the Avengers equipment and uniforms is something that every child won’t soon forget. The attraction is open daily.
Springs Preserve
Springs Preserve is a learning center for kids and adults to learn about the local area, including plant life, how Vegas recycles, and much more. This is not close to the strip, but worth driving to in my opinion. They also have some interesting hiking options on the property.
Vegas Indoor Skydiving
Kids will love experiencing indoor skydiving. You have an instructor with you at all times and they walk you through step by step what to do. The wind tunnel is insanely loud and may scare younger children. (This particular tunnel is much louder than the more common indoor skydiving facilities by iFly.) I suggested this for kids ages 9 and up. And, in case you were wondering, that is me in the blue suit. Book your indoor skydiving session.
Cowabunga Bay
Cowabunga Bay is another great water park to go to because let’s face it. Vegas is hot, you want to be in a pool as much as possible. We liked the lazy river here and the huge water rides. The wave pool is good too. Oh, and you can get a Dole Whip here! It’s one of the only places outside of Disney you can get one. $10 off Cowabunga Bay coupon.
Discovery Kid’s Museum
Discovery Kid’s Museum is an excellent children’s museum. There are loads of hands-on activities and kids will stay busy playing for hours. It was remodeled, so if you remember it not being that great, the good news is it is much better.
Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat
The garden is on the small side, but they have maximized their space with animals. I was surprisedby how many animals we got to see. If you want, you can swim with the dolphins. You do not have to swim with the dolphins in order to see them. You can walk up and visit them.
High Roller Las Vegas
The High Roller is the tallest observation wheel in the world, peaking at 550 feet, the High Roller offers views of the Strip and the surrounding desert valley. My son loved looking around and pointing out all the different things he saw. High Roller Coupon
VooDoo Zipline at The Rio
For families with older children, the Zipline at Rio is the #1 thrilling attraction in Las Vegas! At 500 feet high and 33 miles per hour, you can ride the tallest, fastest zip-line in all the city. Two guests at a time soar in between the Rio Hotel’s Masquerade and IPanema Towers. Kids must be 48 inches tall to ride. For more information and tickets please visit here.
Piff the Magic Dragon at Flamingo Hotel
For the past five years, Piff has headlined in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. As first seen on “America’s Got Talent” Piff keeps people of all ages laughing. Piff the Magic Dragon performs nightly with Mr. Piffles, the world’s only magic chihuahua. Tickets to the show can be found here.
KISS by Monster Mini Golf at The Rio
KISS by Monster Mini Golf is a unique “KISS-themed” attraction. This mini-golf course boasts 13,000 square feet of indoor glow-in-the-dark fun with an 18-hole miniature golf course. The space is filled with state-of-the-art video, design, and never-seen-before KISS props
Recycled Percussion
Recycled Percussion is a super loud drumming show, but totally kid friendly. It’s high energy and easily keeps the kid’s attention, even little kids. My kids loved the show.
Parks and Recreation, Mountain’s Edge, and Red Rock
Mountain’s Edge is a great place to take the family all year round. Located about 15 minutes from the Strip, Mountain’s Edge features bike and walking trails, picnic area, playground, and an interactive fountain water park for the kids to cool down on a hot day. Perhaps the most creative attribute of this park is that it is western themed, with the majority of the playground shaded by kid-sized storefronts. The park lays at the base of a 2,846 feet mountain named Exploration Peek, where families can hike to the top and peer down on the entire of Las Vegas. Entrance is free of charge.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Park is truly one of Nevada’s hidden jewels! Located a few miles NW of Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon is an expansive, beautiful display of red, orange, and white mountains, the products of thousands of years of erosion and climate change. There is a featured 13-mile car tour, and for more adventurous visitors, there are numerous hiking trails, horseback riding, mountain climbing, and picnicking. Red rock is well worth the $5 per car entrance fee. There’s a free area called Calico Basin right before the entrance of the Red Rocks that is nice as well.
Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix
Not in the mood for exhibits and hiking? That’s just fine with the folks at the Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix. Located about 15 minutes from the Strip, with rides, slides, food, and games, the family will be in for a day of non-stop excitement at the Mini Grand Prix Speedway. There are 4 riding tracks- 1 just for the kids, 1 just for adults, and two for the entire family to play speed racer. Tickets are very reasonable around $7, and the more people in a group, the cheaper the ticket. Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix coupon.
Adventure Canyon
Enjoy the fun log ride and participate in the interactive games of shooting the bad guys before your journey is complete.
CSI: The Experience
Be a CSI and investigate a mock-crime scene to solve the mystery. CSI: The Experience coupon.
Floyd Lamb State Park
Enjoy a picnic and a hike through this park. Stocked ponds, volleyball courts and horseshoe facilities are available on this 2,040-acre park.
Arcade City Food & Fun
Arcade City provides nearly 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor entertainment, featuring state-of-the-art arcade games and a full-service bar and restaurant. Coupon: $15 off.
Honestly, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Las Vegas activities for families with kids. I could easily keep going and share more family-friendly Las Vegas shows and attractions, because more and more kid friendly options present themselves, all the time. So, why not start planning your trip to Las Vegas today? Your kids will love you for it!
With summer travel and hotel package rates lower than ever, there is no excuse not to make this year’s family vacation in Las Vegas. There is loads of fun on the Strip and endless adventures just a few miles off the Strip- far too many Vegas attractions to fit into 1 article! Las Vegas is no longer a city just for high rollers. It is a city for families and children just as much as its an adult playground. Visit Las Vegas!
Have you taken your kids to Las Vegas? Did your family have a favorite activity or favorite restaurant? We would love to hear about it. Just leave a comment below!
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Hiking in Red Rock Canyon is really fun with kids, there are tons of rocks big and small for kids to scramble up or you can stay on the trail. I’d highly recommend going anytime but summer
It is awesome out there. We usually just go to Calico Basin and hike since you do not have to pay to go into the park that way.