When I told people that we were bringing our son to Vegas with us for my husband's convention, they thought we were nuts! We've brought him on most of our trips. The only time he has been left behind was for in-state long weekends. I researched kid-friendly activities around the town. Surprisingly, I found quite a bit out there! Here is a run down of what worked and what didn't! Remember, if you click on the photos, you can view them larger and cycle through each set.
Fremont Street Experience
About 20 minutes and $30 cab ride from center strip is Fremont Street. In the future I would recommend getting the 24-hour pass on the Deuce Bus. I will discuss the bus more in another post. Fremont is the iconic "old Vegas." By the 1990s most of the hotels had moved to Las Vegas Blvd, to the area we all now know as the strip. The classics are still here and thriving. This street was packed, all night long, There is fun for the whole family here. We saw lots of strollers, big kids, teens, and adults. Every night there are bands on three stages, street performers, and an overhead light show! The light show features a different band each hour. We saw Heart and Imagine Dragons. My husband and son enjoyed watching some street dancers show off their moves. If you are daring, there is the SlotZilla. It's zip line that spans most of the length of the Fremont Street Experience. I wanted to try it out, but we were tired and ready to head back to our hotel by the time there was availability. We spent an entire evening there from dinner, at Cous Cous Mediterranean Cafe, to wayyyy past our 2.5 year old's bed time!
Bellagio Conservatory & Water Show
Fountains of Bellagio Many people know of the water show in front of the Bellagio hotel. Fountains of Bellagio shows are every 1/2 hour during the day and every 15 minutes from 8pm to midnight. My 2 year old thought this was "wow!" This is completely free as well. Inside the hotel is a Conservatory & Gardens that are changed seasonally.The first four photos are from 2015 and the last ones are from 2011. Our son loved the sea creatures and kept asking for Nemo and his daddy!
M&M Store
The M&M store is fun for all ages as well. Located next to the MGM Grand hotel, this four story fun factory has plenty to entertain. Each level of the store brings more and more excitement for little ones. Even adults were enjoying themselves looking at everything. You can buy nearly anything you can think of with the M&M Logo. The third floor has a free 3-D movie that is about 10 minutes long. It shows every 20 minutes, so there is never a long wait. The fourth floor features race themed apparel, toys, candy, and a Nascar car. My son is fascinated with cars and trucks, so he kept trying to cut the line for a picture.
Circus Circus Hotel
Located a ways down on the north end of the strip is Circus Circus. This hotel is older and not as fancy as some of the more luxurious digs near center strip. Personally I would never stay at Circus Circus for a hotel. Just not my thing! BUT they have great entertainment for families and kids. It is a bit hectic and there aren't many food options in the entertainment area, just McDonalds and a Carnival style food stand on a rotating platform. In the Midway there are typical Carnival games. I was surprised that they were not very expensive. Everything in Vegas tends to be expensive. Games were $1-2. There is a FREE circus act show every 30 minutes in the center of the Midway. We saw Izzy, the American Single Trapeze Artist, Mei Ling Li Chinese Foot Juggler, and Flying Angels from South America.
Las Vegas Town Center
One of the days of our trip we had a rental car (my mom and I had driven out to the Grand Canyon). So we ventured out a bit. We went to the Las Vegas Town Center. Which is basically an outdoor shopping mall with restaurants, stores, and activities. The Deuce bus, which I mentioned above, also stops here. There is a Children's Park at the center of the mall. I was unable to take pictures because it was getting dark by the time we finished dinner. I pulled a photo off of their website to show you what their childrens' area looks like. Some of it's features are:
- A tree house located within a 42-foot tall live Oak tree that features a rock wall, slides and a fort that connects to the tree house by a bridge.
- A princess tower playhouse with a connecting walkway and slides.
- A Pop-Jet Fountain.
- A bakery café playhouse that provides endless entertainment for toddlers.
- A hedge maze.
- Springer toys made of Robinia wood with bear and giraffe rotary toys that twist and turn.
- A children’s stage for storytelling, performances and more.
- Boys and girls restrooms designed for children.
- Shade sails and a drinking fountain to keep cool in the summer.
Over the next few weeks I will be posting more information about Vegas:
- Transportation Options
- Day Trips to the Grand Canyon
- Caesar's Palace Hotel Information
- Eating Your Way Around Town
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