fbpx
Connect with us
Las Vegas for kids - a road trip idea - livingmividaloca.com

Beyond Orange County

Las Vegas with kids while on a budget

Las Vegas with kids while on a budget

Usually when one hears about Las Vegas, it’s not to associate it as a kid-friendly destination. However, we have been visiting Las Vegas with kids every summer for the past ten years. There are some things that we avoid, but for the most part, you can definitely have a great time in fabulous Las Vegas. Use these Las Vegas for kids tips to get the most out of your visit.

Las Vegas for kids - visiting Las Vegas with kids - livingmividaloca.com

Kid friendly hotels in Las Vegas

The reason we keep coming back to Vegas are the awesome hotel pools. Our kids love pools and Las Vegas has tons of them.

Mandalay Bay

I will start with our Top Choice!! Mandala Bay Hotel, in our experience, has the best pool complex on the strip. It is known as The Beach because of the sand and wave pool.

Their pool complex includes a wave pool, lazy river, kids shallow area and lap pool.

The kids love the lazy river since it has a waterfall. They have been known to just float endlessly on it. This is also where you will find me trying to relax. You can purchase the inner tube at pool store for $20 or bring your own.

Las Vegas for kids - visiting Las Vegas with kids - livingmividaloca.com

You will find many families around the kids shallow area. Take sand toys for the non-swimmers. Arrive early to get a chair or rent one for the day.

Las Vegas for kids - visiting Las Vegas with kids - livingmividaloca.com

Plus Mandalay Bay is a four star hotel with beautiful rooms. We also recommend staying at DeLano which has suites with a kitchen, making it perfect for families. Guest of Delano are able to use Mandalay Bay’s pools.

The only setback of Mandalay Bay is that it is far from the main Las Vegas Strip. You will need to take your car or taxi to visit the main attractions of the strip.

MGM Grand

MGM Grand boost one of the largest pool complexes on the strip encompassing 6.5 acres. There is definitely something for everyone here.

Las Vegas for kids - visiting Las Vegas with kids - livingmividaloca.com

They have four pools, three hot tubs, a waterfall with a shallow area and the longest lazy river.

Our favorite spot is the waterfall area. There is a shallow entrance which is perfect for little ones to splash around safely. The waterfall offers shade for the 100 plus heat during the summer.

The lazy river is the longest and is soo much fun. We like to enter through the waterfall area and just float our way around. It has water sprayers and small waterfalls along the way.

Great thing about the MGM Grand is it’s sister hotel The Signature. It has suites with kitchens which we love. They are perfect for families on a budget who would rather make food than purchase at hotel restaurants.

Flamingo Hotel

Their Beach Club Pool is a small haven in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip. It has a large lap pool perfect for swimming and splashing around.

There’s also a smaller pool with a water slide that ends with a waterfall. This pool is more shallow and great for kids.

The best part of Flamingo’s pool complex is that this pool area is very family oriented. They have the Go Pool Dayclub which is an adult only pool area where most party-goers will be at.

We like Flamingo since it is right in middle of the strip and near many tourist sites. We can walk to grab an ice cream or to see the Fountains at Bellagio.

Golden Nugget

The Golden Nugget is not on the strip but in the downtown area which is ten minutes away. It is still worth a mention since it’s pool is sooo unique.

Las Vegas for kids - visiting Las Vegas with kids - livingmividaloca.com

The Shark Tank!!! Yes, you will be literally swimming next to sharks at this pool complex. The pool is centered around a large shark tank that you can swim right up to. The kids love to stare and follow all the fishes swimming around.

Las Vegas for kids - visiting Las Vegas with kids - livingmividaloca.com

Plus if you dare you can ride the slide that goes thru the middle of the tank. Our kids love to go on it over and over. The pro and con is that you’re going so fast it’s hard to catch a glimpse of sharks, as u pass them by.

Golden Nugget is the best hotel in the downtown area and with this pool really popular. We don’t recommend the Downtown Las Vegas area for kids, so we drive to the strip at night.

Kids Activities in Las Vegas

M&M World Store

This four story candy store is a kids paradise. The first level has M&M themed souvenirs and clothing. Head to the second level for a colorful wall of M&Ms.

Las Vegas for kids - visiting the M&M store in Las Vegas - livingmividaloca.com

The third floor has a Free 3-D M&M themed movie. The kids really liked it, besides if your tired from walking it makes for a great rest spot. The fourth floor has a replica of a NASCAR race car, great for photo-ops.

Las Vegas for kids - visiting the M&M store in Las Vegas - livingmividaloca.com

Fountains of Bellagio

This iconic choreographed water show is a must see on anyone’s Las Vegas visit. The waters dance to popular songs. Stay for awhile and enjoy a great medley.

  • Mon-Fri. 3pm-8pm, every 30 min. / 8pm-Midnight, every 15min.
  • Weekends/Holidays Noon-8pm, every 30min. / 8pm-midnight, every 15min.
Las Vegas for kids - visiting Las Vegas with kids - livingmividaloca.com

Conservatory and Botanical Gardens at Bellagio

Bellagio Conservatory team transform this 14,000-square-foot floral playground into a showcase of the distinctive sights and colors of spring, summer, fall and winter—along with a special display for Chinese New Year.

The Conservatory and Botanical Gardens at Bellagio is a garden that is constantly changing and we like to go every time we visit. It’s inside the lobby area and is perfect place to beat the dessert heat.

Grand Canal Shoppes

This indoor shopping mall is beautiful and reminiscent of Venice. You will feel like your outdoors because of the blue sky ceiling. There are street performers called Streetmosphere® created by an international roster of classically trained singers, actors and musicians. If it’s in your budget take a family ride on a gondola or get some yummy gelato.

The Park Vegas

The Park Vegas is one of the newest outdoor dining and entertainment sections on the strip. It is in between T-Mobile Arena and Park MGM. There are great family friendly dining options like Shake Shack, Bruxies, Hello Kitty Cafe and more. The kids will like playing in the water features or walking underneath the 40 foot Bliss Dance sculpture.

Downtown Container Park

Downtown Container Park is an outdoor shopping center located in Downtown Las Vegas. It has something for everyone in the family. The kids will love the playground, specially the Treehouse. This space was designed for parents and kids to play together. After the kids are tired out from playing grab an ice cream at Waffelato.

Tips for a kid friendly Las Vegas

We stay in our hotel all day enjoying the pool and venture out usually by dinner time. Once out, we head to tourist areas of strip like Fountains of Bellagio, M&M World Store or The Park Vegas.

These are more family friendly spots at night so we don’t see the crazy party-goers. We are back to our hotel by 10pm which is before the craziness happens.

If you stick to highly tourist spots it tends to be a more family friendly experience.

We truly love visiting Las Vegas with our kids and have made great memories there. We can’t wait to go back this summer!!!

Originally published on August 1, 2020. Last Updated on March 15, 2021 by Pattie Cordova

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in Beyond Orange County

An OC guide sharing fun things to see, eat and do in Orange County, CA and beyond.

[email protected]

To Top