- The Lied Discovery Museum - A fun place for the kids to make a few scientific discoveries and do what kids do best. Play.
- Las Vegas Springs Preserve- Stroll through desert trails, indoor interactive exhibits and various gardens. You will be impressed by this place and your children will have plenty of fun.
- Adventuredome Theme Park at Circus Circus - Rollercoaster, water ride and carnival games. Yeah, the kids will hate it. You should consider spending at least 4 hours to play at Adventuredome.
See some pictures of Adventuredome - Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay - The Aquarium is nice but it can be expensive relative to other aquariums across the country. They do continue to improve the aquarium and it is looking very impressive.
Any of these family attractions usually work for kids: Family attractions
Arcades
The kids can also enjoy arcades and games at:
NY/NY- With a roller coaster and plenty of modern arcade games you might have as much fun as the kids. Also, there is an ESPN Zone nearby if you need to check a fews scores and get a quick drink.
Gameworks - Located next to the MGM Grand Hotel this large arcade offers plenty of games and big screens that keep the adults as well as the kids entertained.
Excalibur - My kids tend to leave the midway at Excalibur with far too many stuffed animals. Our last trip netted a guitar, two frogs and an over sized basketball.
At the Forum Shops at Caesars you can visit the FAO Schwarz and see the talking statues as well as the giant fish tank. They have motion machine rides there as well.
Cheap Vacation
Of course if your looking to have a "Cheap Vacation". That is a relative term in Las Vegas because it all depends on if you include your gambling budget in your overall cost. I will assume that your budget for kids activities is different than your gambling budget.
Las Vegas can be very inexpensive. For example on any given night you can go Downtown to Fremont Street, see the free show that runs every half hour and eat at any number of places that have great deals.
Plaza Coffee shop
Uncle Joe’s pizza
There are also $1 hot dogs and 99 cent shrimp cocktails. I’ll admit that I do not usually feed my kids the shrimp cocktail but I will go to buffets and pay a reduced price for a kids meal. (My son loves crab legs, so it works for me)
If your kids are into sandwiches this could be your best bet for cheap meals. Try the Carnegie Deli at the Mirage Order one sandwich and the entire family eats a decent meal. Is that stretching the budget enough?
If you need a restaurant where you can take the kids you might want to try Margaritaville(I know it might not be the best place for kids with alcohol and sailing music, your already in Las Vegas you know) The y have a good kids menu and these giant pirates come around and make balloon animals for the kids. If the adults stay away from the Margarita's you might get away for a decent price.
Check out some more Family Friendly restaurants Looking for a place to stay?
Here is a quick look at cheap hotels in Las Vegas.
Cheap hotels in Las Vegas
The Flamingo is centrally located and a good place to stay. I don’t usually recommend it as a good family hotel because if your children like the arcade games it is a walk to the south strip where the hotels that still cater to families exist. However, good deals can be found at the Flamingo Las Vegas so it should be considered. During the summer the pool is a great way to entertain the kids
I usually like the Monte Carlo for families because it is nice, relatively inexpensive and it has fast food in their food court. McDonalds, Pizza, salads, Starbucks. Market City café has some inexpensive meals as does the hotel coffee shop. The Monte Carlo Pub and Brewery has a decent kids menu.
Across the street are the theaters, Gameworks and more fast food at the MGM Grand. Next door is the NY/NY and their arcades, roller coasters and virtual reality games. They also have a food court that is not so cheap fast food but lower cost good food. You are also steps from the Excalibur and the Luxor and each have places to entertain the kids.
Childcare in Las Vegas
As for childcare, yes some hotels offer childcare and in the summer you can find the higher end resorts will have a kids club or two. I would suggest that you find the hotel you will stay at and then ask them for references. I never feel comfortable recommending a place to leave your children because I just never feel comfortable leaving my children with complete strangers. I’m neurotic!
However, I have friends who swear by it and love the idea of getting a few hours of free time with their children in their own room with hired help from the hotel.
