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Las Vegas With Toddlers: The Best Activities

5/14/2019

18 Comments

 

Our spring kicked off with a trip to Las Vegas just us three, my husband, myself and our two and a half year old. Visiting a city as busy and as adult-centric as Las Vegas, we prepared our itinerary a little more rigid than we normally would. As a couple who had frequented Las Vegas often prior to becoming parents, we knew a couple of things to avoid once we had our little guy in tow. Those things we avoided namely being -

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  1. Being out too late after dark. More of the shadier characters and advertising of unsavory shows and features are more prominent after dark. The nights we did stay out late we made sure we were in one of the higher end hotels shopping or enjoying a dessert after dinner.   
  2. Venturing off the Strip. Las Vegas as a city isn’t the best area. We knew ahead of time where a Whole Foods was located to pick up food for our room, we knew from previous trips with my food intolerances we had plenty of choices for restaurants right on the Strip, and having been to Fremont Street (old Vegas) a few years back I knew it wasn’t an environment I wanted Grey exposed to.
  3. We made it a trip in the spring because summer in Nevada is entirely too hot with how much time you’re spending walking outside. It reaches temps over 100 degrees, so it’s something to keep in mind – aim for spring or fall.
  4. We made the investment to pay to valet at each hotel we visited to minimize walking in the crowds on Las Vegas Blvd.​

Now that we’ve covered a couple of the things NOT to do with a toddler in Las Vegas, let’s talk about all of the things you CAN do. We visited Friday through Monday and we still didn’t do EVERYTHING that was available to us. We had a packed, fun-filled four days. You just have to know what’s available. Below are our favorites and extra suggestions!
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Avengers STATION (so many photo opp stations!)
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Grey loved all the dress up props

Treasure Island 

This was by far our favorite. I know, I know, you should save the best for last but I wanted to start our trip here because I knew it'd be epic to Grey and so I found it fitting to start the post here too. If you have any Marvel fans or pirate fans in your brood, you'll want this at the top of your list.

- Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N
Located inside Treasure Island hotel and casino, this has to be one of the most well done attractions on the Strip. Disney quality, clean, interactive and SO fun. It was worth the higher end ticket price. 

- Pirate Ship
No longer a show, it's still cool to take the kids outside to see the massive pirate ship in the water on the property. 

- Pirate Shop
Grey LOVED perusing this shop and we ended up purchasing pirates gold, a really cool faux leather treasure chest and pirate guns for play battle that he enjoyed doing with daddy throughout our entire trip.

Showcase Mall, NYNY Hotel and Casino (and all the sugar)

- M&M World 
When I asked Grey what he wanted to do when we went to a Las Vegas, he replied with "get a candy treat". We don't do much sugar at home, so he knows when we travel he normally gets to choose something. Boy or boy was it an OVERLOAD of options. The four story, 28,000 square foot M&M World has ENDLESS candy and merchandise options to please any age 1-100. Grey walked away with a small cup of multicolored milk chocolate M&M's and a lollipop. 

- Hershey's Chocolate World
As if that wasn't enough of a toddler sugar high, Hershey's Chocolate towers over the strip directly across the street inside the famous New York New York Hotel and Casino. It boasts a S'Mores bar, milkshake shop, cookie counter and sections devoted to all of their famous candies. Since little man had gotten to choose M&M's, we opted for daddy and Grey to share a chocolate covered strawberry here. For us with dairy intolerance, there was one option by a high end Hershey's partner that was high quality dark chocolate and dairy free! So I was pleased to see that. The NYNY Hotel is also home to a thrilling roller coaster fun for the older age kids.

Caesar's Palace

We headed into Caesar's at the end of day 2 for dinner because there is a Smashburger for us gluten free and dairy free travelers! A tip: Download the Find Me Gluten Free App, it lets you know of safe Gluten Free restaurants in your area and shows you real time reviews. After dinner we strolled through the Forum Shops and found the following attractions to be great for kids.

- Caesar's Palace Fall of Atlantis Animatronic Show 
This was under construction on this trip, but we have seen this before and Grey would have LOVED it. A perk? It's free!

- Aquarium
This giant 50,000 gallon aquarium is also a free way to relax, take in the shops and let the kids watch the colorful fish swim while you get a breather. 

- Trevi Gelato
This gelato stand, located by the Forum Shops replica of the Trevi Fountain, offers many dairy free flavors! We enjoyed bowls of strawberry gelato after a scrumptious dinner and all of our walking. 
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Someone is excited to be at M&M World
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Dairy-free Strawberry Gelato at Trevi

Mandalay Bay

An oasis in the desert, when I think Mandalay Bay I think of sun, water and great shows. For littles the thing to do here is the aquarium!

Shark Reef Aquarium - 
With over 2,000 species of fish and animals this aquarium is a must see. You can even interact by feeding sting rays, shark or turtles in their Aquarist for a Day program. 

Mirage

Another favorite! We were blessed with a beautiful 75 degree sunny day and it was the PERFECT day to see animals, enjoy some iced drinks and let Grey run out energy in the sunshine. 

Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat - 
Created by Siegfried and Roy (who we got to hang with in the garden on our last trip!) you can come face to face with nature's most beautiful and intelligent animals in this serene habitat. Grey LOVED seeing the lions and got to see a tiger roar, which basically made his day. The multiple gift shops also helped us grow our animal and book collections, haha. A plus: they sell Usborne books IN the park! We LOVE those! 

The Volcano! -
Seriously cool and one of Grey's favorite memories, the Volcano erupts each night at 8, 9 and 10. A little late for little ones, but we caught the earliest show post dinner and headed back to bed after. It only lasts a few minutes, is located in the waters outside the Mirage Hotel and Casino and is seriously worth getting a good spot for. 
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Our cutie posing with a grass tiger
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Checking out the dolphins in the underground tunnel with daddy

Circus Circus

All the fun of a day at the circus. Grey didn't end up wanting to do as much here as we had thought, but we still spent about two hours here after naptime and got to fill part of an afternoon!

Adventuredome - 
With games and rides for all ages, the Adventuredome is a large indoor theme park. You can see a lot of the Adventuredome in our highlight video. The best rides for tots? The plane ride, carousel  and our favorite - the hot air balloons!

The Midway - 
A bit pricey per game, it was fun to choose our favorites and play traditional boardwalk style games!

Circus Acts -
Another free activity, the midway level of Circus Circus presents live acrobats, jugglers and more throughout the day! Grey loved sitting in the stands and taking in a short show tailored for shorter attention spans.

Excalibur

I wanted to book end the post with two great locales, especially you boy mamas. All things castles and knights, this was the first place that made Grey gasp in excitement when we arrived to the Strip. He's in a knight and dragon phase and he couldn't wait to explore the big white, blue and red castle. He's now asking if our next vacation can be visiting a REAL castle. So we're working that out, haha. 

Tournament of Kings - 
One of the coolest dining experiences on the Strip, and one of the most kid-friendly, Tournament of Kings showcases knights on horses, jousting battles and delicious fare you eat with your hands. And a plus? They can make the entire meal gluten AND dairy free if you speak to them about your allergies while making your reservation. 

​The Fun Dungeon
- 
Similar to Circus Circus' Midway, we preferred Excalibur's Fun Dungeon between the two arcades. It felt cleaner. And while the games were just as pricey, Grey was able to play two games on his on where he won stuffed animals, thus making his night!
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The rest of our trip was spent shopping the Grand Canal Shoppes of the Venetian, playing with our new toys at the resort and taking in the lights as we drove back to our resort each night.

Have you visited Las Vegas with little ones? What DO's or DON'T's would you add?
18 Comments
Jennifer | Me and My Traveling Hat link
6/6/2019 08:40:13 pm

We went with our children years ago. We found many things to do with them too. Glad you all had a great time.

Reply
kmf link
6/6/2019 09:04:03 pm

I think most people wouldn’t consider Vegas to be a family-friendly destination, but it can be done. We took my son when he was 13 and 16 and discovered a whole other side of Vegas. Love the tips you shared when traveling with a toddler.

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Hera link
6/6/2019 09:47:52 pm

They always Vegas is an adult playground but looks like they offer plenty for the kiddos. I love Caesars Palace and the gelato

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Mike Lopez link
6/7/2019 02:02:33 am

OMG, I want to take my kids to the Marvel experience in Vegas! Looks so cool

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Brandi
6/7/2019 05:32:02 am

This is great! I think there are so many family activities to do in Vegas, but a lot of people are scared to take their family!

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Liz
6/7/2019 06:00:28 am

There's so much to do, thank you for all of the info! I've never been to Vegas, but I'd love to visit

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Julie Gazdecki link
6/7/2019 10:57:21 am

By the pictures, you would never think you were in Vegas!! Certainly not just for adults!

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Lisa Manderino
6/7/2019 11:20:16 am

So many fun things to explore!

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Lori Nielsen link
6/7/2019 03:50:59 pm

Who knew there were so many things that kids would enjoy! We used to like the pirate show back in the day. Great ideas!

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Shirley link
6/7/2019 03:52:32 pm

Wow! There's a ton of cool things to do with a toddler when visiting Vegas. Sweet!

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Tricia Snow link
6/9/2019 09:37:55 pm

I always saw kids when I was in Vegas. These are great tips for those who want to make it a family vacation!

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T.M. Brown link
6/10/2019 11:37:04 am

Oh, that smile on his little adorable face says it all ~ he had a GREAT time. I never thought about taking toddlers to Las Vegas, but we did take them to Reno once (hubby had a conference). I can't lie ~ Vegas is definitely on my bucket list.

Reply
Michele
6/10/2019 12:16:57 pm

This is great information as a lot of people don’t think of Vegas being kid friendly!

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Missy link
6/11/2019 12:00:48 pm

We have not visited Las Vegas with little ones. It looks like fun.

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Koby Goldstein link
10/1/2024 07:59:51 pm

This is such a helpful guide for exploring Las Vegas with toddlers! I love how you’ve highlighted family-friendly activities that make the most of the city’s offerings. From engaging attractions to interactive experiences, it’s clear that there’s plenty to keep young ones entertained. Your tips make planning a trip with little ones much easier and show that Vegas can be a fun destination for families, too. Thanks for sharing these fantastic suggestions!

Reply
Video Surveillance Installation in Fremont, CA link
1/16/2025 01:24:16 pm

This is such a helpful guide for parents traveling to Las Vegas with toddlers! It's great to see family-friendly activities highlighted in a city known for its nightlife. I’ll definitely keep these suggestions in mind for our next trip. Thanks for sharing these fun and practical ideas!

Reply
Atomic Golf link
1/17/2025 05:32:02 pm

What a fantastic guide for visiting Las Vegas with toddlers! I love how you’ve highlighted so many family-friendly activities that are both fun and engaging for little ones, like the Shark Reef Aquarium and the Discovery Children’s Museum. It’s great to see how much there is to do beyond the usual Las Vegas attractions.

As a local, I’d also recommend checking out Springs Preserve—it’s a wonderful spot with interactive exhibits, nature trails, and a fantastic butterfly garden, perfect for young kids. Red Rock Canyon is also a great outdoor option for families, with its easy trails and beautiful desert scenery.

Thanks for sharing such a helpful and thoughtful guide! It’s a great resource for parents looking to plan a toddler-friendly trip to Las Vegas.

Reply
Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers link
5/20/2025 07:30:41 pm

This comprehensive guide offers a curated list of toddler-friendly activities in Las Vegas, ensuring families can enjoy the city's attractions together. From interactive play zones to scenic outdoor adventures, it's a valuable resource for parents planning a family trip.

Personal injury law is about finding justice for injury victims by holding the proper party accountable for their negligence or misconduct and the harm they have caused. Our goal at Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers is to achieve great results for our clients by doing everything in our power to see they get the care and compensation they need to recover as fully as possible from their injuries. If you or a loved one has been hurt by someone else’s negligence or misconduct, contact our experienced Las Vegas personal injury lawyers today.

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