Playgrounds in the Las Vegas Area

Hi, K.! I just got back from a long weekend there. You didn't say when you were going, but it can be hard to do outdoor things there with the heat.

One off-the-beaten path thing we did was go to the Lied Children's Discovery Museum. It's located in a library on the very north end of Las Vegas Blvd. It's a really great, interactive museum.

We also went to the Mirage to see the Dolphin habitat and the white lions and tigers. This was very interesting, but was mostly outdoors and was very hot. Nevertheless, we got to see a newborn dolphin (only 3 hours old) swimming with his family, which was way cool.

We also caught a circus show at Circus Circus, which was hokey, but my 4 year old loved it!

Most of the high-end hotels do have kid-friendly activities, but I just listed the things we did!

Hello K.-
Welcome to LA! It must be an adventure for you coming from Australia. I've been there once, and loved it. We went to Sydney and Palm Cove, up on the reef.

Anyway, one thing to do in Las Vegas that would entertain your 3 year old is going to Circus Circus. They have a wonderful gaming area for the kids...even you and your husband will have fun there. Another place I highly recommend is the aquarium at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Just about any of the major hotels you stay at will have a nice pool area, and swimming is always a hit with the little ones. My sister told me that there is a neat pool downtown at the Golden Nugget. Somehow, there is a wall of the pool that is glass, so you are swimming next to the sharks in the shark tank. It sounds very cool. You may also want to go to the M&M World and Coca Cola Store. At the Belagio, there is a water show to lights. At the Mirage, there is the volcano that goes off every so often at night. Finally, at the Venetian, you can take a gondola ride.

Anyway, whatever you do, have fun in Las Vegas, otherwise known as Lost Wages!

H.

Being close to Los Angeles and San Diego really spoils us for zoos! The Las Vegas zoo is frankly, depressing. When we went for a conference, I took my then 3 year old girl and 1 year old son to the Las Vegas Children's Museum (Lied Children's Museum?). We had a great time! It is adjacent to the library, which has story times. It is on Las Vegas Blvd at the far end. Good luck!

Hi K.,

My parents live in Las Vegas so we have been regular visitors for the last 10 years - since my daughter was born. Lied Children's Museum is WONDERFUL - they even have a good size area just for the little ones. If you are the outdoorsy types, Red Rock Canyon is beautiful and offers some easy walking/hiking trails; we have also enjoyed a paddle boat ride on Lake Mead. Mt. Charleston isn't far outside of town and, depending on the time of year, you might even get to play in the snow!
Have fun, many blessings on your travels!
S.

Hi, K.,

My family lives in Las Vegas part of the year. Sunset Park is a very nice park. It contains a lake, baseball diamonds, playground, etc. I take my kids there and the library on Flamingo Road (about a mile from the strip). My husband and I also took our kids, then approx. 22 months old and 7 months old, to Zion National Park, a two-hour drive from Las Vegas, last spring. We all enjoyed it.

Lynne E