Las Vegas is for Kids: How to Have Fun with the Fam in Sin City (no sinning required)

When it comes to quick, warm-weather getaways, Las Vegas isn’t top of mind for most families–but it should be.

Plentiful cheap flights, hotels with giant pools, and literally endless options for fun make Vegas the ideal kid-friendly destination. Want to “surf” in a wave pool? Watch robots battle it out, UFC-style? Eat endless plates of sushi? YOU CAN DO THAT HERE.

I recently brought my two boys to Vegas… and while there was no gambling involved I DID manage to have a few margaritas poolside, and it was everything we (all) needed to unwind, get some sun, and have fun as a family.

Where to Sleep in Las Vegas with Kids

My personal goal for Vegas was to soak up as much Vitamin D as possible; ideally poolside. There is no shortage of hotels with pools to choose from in Vegas, whether you want something over-the-top like the 100-acre aquatic playground at Mandalay Bay, with a wave pool for surfing, and cabanas to relax in, or the Tahiti Village Resort and Spa, with its sandy beaches, lazy river, and daily activities. If you want something more low-key there’s the Desert Rose Resort–which has a small and invitingly calm pool–plus a ping pong table and cornhole nearby, which is more than enough excitement for my crew.

Of course there are literally hundreds of other hotels to choose from, with pools and without, as well as AirBnBs, which is part of why they all stay so affordable. Just watch out for the resort fee and note that many pools are seasonal–even at major resorts.

What to Do in Las Vegas with Kids

I mean… what is there NOT to do?

Want an arcade? They have so many here–all over the city. Like Velocity Esports Lounge, with everything from cabinet games to PC and console games, plus foosball, bowling, a sports bar, and restaurant. There’s also Game Nest, which has a “unique mix of Japanese games” plus a lounge area with comfy couches where you can play console games on XBox, PS4, and Nintendo.

Kid heaven, right???

Next up: Art Hopping. believe it or not, Las Vegas is a hotbed of artistic expression–from big-name masters housed in some of the fancier hotels, to incredible outdoor art downtown thanks to the Life is Beautiful festival which, aside from musical acts, hosts street artists from all over the world (we’re talking Shepard Fairey, Amanda Parer, Banksy, and more).

Perhaps the most fabulous art experience in Vegas is the absurdist experience Meowwolf. If you’ve yet to visit a Meowwolf installation (now in six cities across the west), it’s hard to describe. Imagine The Upside Down meets Alice-in-Wonderland meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind… with a good dose of humor thrown in. People travel between spaces through “portals” such as a refrigerator door that leads to an underground alien garden. My kids LOVED it and the oldest literally never wanted to leave.

Oh, and then there’s the shopping. From the gift shop at Meowwolf (an experience itself) to the four-story M&M store to the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian… there are literally thousands of specialty shops in Vegas and you will not want for chances to blow some cash.

By nightfall, you might well be ready to collapse into bed, but if not, then catch a show! It’s hard to go wrong with one of the Cirque du Soleil shows–there are five altogether but Mad Apple is 18+. There’s also the Jabbawockeez, Blue Man Group, and–my family’s personal favorite–Battlebots Destructathon. Inspired by the old Nickelodeon show, Battlebots is a quirky/fun mix of real robots and the engineers who build them and Las Vegas showmanship. You’ll watch robots battle it out on stage, sparks (and parts) flying and–if you’re lucky–maybe even see an explosion or two. 

What to Eat in Las Vegas with Kids

Okay, this is where it’s going to get more expensive. If your kids eat like mine do, then you may want a room with a kitchen so you can eat some of your meals on the cheap. We did splurge a few times and there is no shortage of options–some of them pretty great.

First–the buffets. These are not the inexpensive free-for-alls of years past, BUT they can be a lot of fun if you feel like splurging and making an activity out of it and with hungry teens in tow, you MAY even get your money’s worth. Maybe. Standouts include Bacchanal at Caesars Palace, Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan, and the Buffet at Excalibur. 

Next up, sushi. Do your kids inhale raw fish like mine do? Take them to one of the MANY sushi spots around the city, like Sapporo Revolving Sushi where you can hit $2 happy hour and choose plates from their conveyor belt and Sushi Neko in Chinatown. 

Of course there are thousands of other very good restaurants around the city, including what has been called the best Thai food in the USA at Lotus of Siam, plus excellent soul food at Gritz Cafe, and so much more. In general, I prefer getting off the strip for food that’s both good AND reasonably priced, but if your kids are foodies and you feel like a splurge I had a pretty great experience at Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House. Make sure to get an espresso manhattan, so you can try to keep up with your kids’ energy level.

Last but not certainly not least… the desserts. You can’t turn around in Las Vegas without being tempted by some sugar-laden concoction, but here are two deliciously ridiculous options:

The Sugar Factory, featuring over-the-top milkshakes and sundaes filled with bruléed marshmallows, candy necklaces, sparklers, and more. Complete with pop music pumping over the speakers, this place was designed more for Instagram than your palate, but there’s no denying the teen appeal.

Then there’s the relatively subdued showmanship over at CHICA, where you can enjoy chocolate lava cake with horchata ice cream, served inside a flaming golden skull. 

There’s some fodder to get you going, but honestly once you start researching you’ll see that no matter what you’re into–they have it in Vegas. Happy traveling!

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