Nov 1

Nov 1 What to do in Las Vegas with your children! Part 1. Toddlers

For as long as I can remember, my family has been visiting Las Vegas. My mother was born there (obviously I didn’t visit with her then 😉) so it always held a memorable place in her heart. We started going frequently during our family trips to Utah growing up. Every year after Christmas (beginning sometime early high school) we would head from our home in Arizona to Utah to snowboard for a week at Brighton resort, always by-way of a Las Vegas pit stop. Because I was so familiar with it, I often went in college with my roommates and friends, and have been back frequently as an adult both with my parents and by myself.

The interesting part of this is that I have never, not once, had a drink of alcohol or gambled while in Las Vegas. Not even ONCE!

Because of this, I feel like a self-proclaimed master of Las Vegas travel with children both because I went there myself as a child and have taken my child as a parent. I never needed drinking or gambling to entertain me (or any of us who I traveled with) so I can offer some tips on things to do. It truly is such a fun city that has so much to offer a family! I must admit, there used to be pornography running rampant around the city all over the streets… but the last few years they have really cleaned it up and kept people from handing out postcards, etc. I am not going to say you will never see a poster with scantily-clad women on it (or a video board, or a truck driving by, or just people walking around in less than appropriate clothing), BUT if you choose to ignore them you’ll realize how much more there is to do and see.

I’ll start with things to do with your small child. My mom and I recently went to Las Vegas so she could go to a trade show for her business. We saw her in the evenings, but during the day it was just Maddux and I. We typically stay in a centrally located hotel on the strip to have full access of it without walking too far in one direction or another. My personal favorite place to stay is Planet Hollywood. The rooms have recently be re-done so they are pretty nice while not being as expensive as other locations. It also offers a mall on the street level full of restaurants and convenience stores to get whatever last minute things you need (like caffeine and snacks 😏) without having to walk the strip. I have definitely gone to Jamba Juice in the mall in my pajamas at 9 AM with no shame!

Without further adieu, entertainment for toddlers:

💕SWIMMING: starting with the obvious, the weather in Vegas permits swimming almost 100% off the year. What kid doesn’t love a good swim session?

💕M&M World: this place is bright and colorful and full of yummy treats and giant MM characters that are fun and exciting to littles.

💕Volcano Show: the Mirage has a little 5-minute Volcano show outside the front lake area that had Maddux completely mesmerized!

💕Bellagio Water Show: same for this show, Maddux was in a trance watching this. He LOVED it and kept signing (still working on the talking thing) that he wanted more more MORE!

💕Conservatory: Also located in the Bellagio, the Conservatory is always decorated based on the time of year. It changes frequently and always has bright colors and characters to look at

💕Gelato: everywhere. So much gelato. Sorry if you limit your child’s sugar intake, but in Vegas we had our fair share of gelato.

💕Aquarium in Mandalay Bay: there is an area to touch the Manta Rays and plenty of fish/sharks to see here!

💕Outdoor Aquarium/Dolphin Viewing: also at the Mirage, there is a place to take the kiddies to see and pet the dolphins. We didn’t have time to do this so I can’t speak to how neat it is, but we will definitely try it out in the future

💕Sprinkles Cupcakes: Maddux loved the cupcake dispenser and the ability to choose his own cupcake to come out of the ATM

💕Discovery Museum: this is another one I can’t speak to the experience of, but it looks like a last for children of all ages

💕Marvel Avengers STATION: I noticed this this exhibit in Treasure Island. It looks neat if your child is interested in super heroes, and it’s free for children under 3!

❌ Circus Circus: this is more of a what NOT to do, but I would not take my child there even though it seems like a great place for kids. The time we spent in there was so filled with cigarette smoke I couldn’t breathe! Just be warned. We enjoyed what we saw, but it wasn’t worth the smoke.