How to Survive Vegas With Kids: 5 Brilliant High-Energy Adventures They’ll Never Forget

Let’s be honest for a second. When you think of Las Vegas, you think of bright lights, questionable life choices, and the rhythmic clinking of slot machines. You don’t usually think of an eight-year-old and a ten-year-old having the time of their lives.

Recently, my husband Brad and I packed up our daughters, Charlotte (8) and Madeline (10), and headed to the Strip. We are from Los Angeles, which means we are essentially lizards: we require constant sunlight, and if the temperature drops below 50∘F (10∘C), we enter a state of emergency and start looking for the nearest space heater.

Taking kids to Vegas is an exercise in managed chaos. You want them to be entertained, but you also don’t want to spend four hours standing in a line next to a guy wearing a “What Happens in Vegas” t-shirt from 2004. After our recent trek through the desert neon, I’ve rounded up five activities we tried—the good, the cold, and the “oh-my-god-get-me-out-of-here” germs.

1. Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay

The Verdict: A legitimate win for the whole family.

If you are looking for a high-quality, educational break from the sensory overload of the casino floor, the Shark Reef is your spot. Now, full disclosure: the Graham family is not exactly “National Geographic” levels of obsessed with marine life. We like fish well enough—mostly on a plate with some lemon and capers—but this exhibit actually blew us away.

It is incredibly clean, beautifully designed, and surprisingly immersive. You get to see sharks (obviously), jellyfish that look like floating neon lamps, and even a Komodo dragon. There is a touch pool where the girls got to pet some small stingrays, which was the highlight of Charlotte’s morning.

The “Ginger” Vegas Pro-Tips:

• The Ticket Trap: Buy your tickets online ahead of time. I cannot stress this enough. If you buy general admission, be prepared to wait in an extremely long line. If you buy them on-site, you’ll wait in a very long line just to get the privilege of waiting in the other line. Pay the extra few bucks for the “Anytime Pass.” Your sanity is worth more than a $10 upgrade.
• The Marathon Walk: Mandalay Bay is roughly the size of a small European country. When you enter the hotel, you will start walking toward the aquarium. You will walk past restaurants, theaters, and thousands of slot machines. When your legs begin to fail and you think you can no longer go on… you are probably halfway there. Wear comfortable shoes.
• The Gift Shop: Surprisingly, the gift shop was a hit. Madeline and Charlotte found super cute, decently priced souvenirs for their friends. It wasn’t just plastic junk; they had a really great selection.

2. The Gondola Ride at the Vegas Venetian

The Verdict: Worth doing once for the “Gram.”

We’ve been to Venice. We’ve done the real gondola ride under the Bridge of Sighs. Was this the same? Not even close.But did the girls love it? Absolutely.

It’s a quick 12-minute ride through the Grand Canal Shops. It’s undeniably “Vegas”—you’re in a boat, in a mall, under a painted sky. Our gondolier was fantastic; he sang beautifully and then pivoted into doing Donald Duck impressions. It wasn’t exactly authentic Italian culture, but it kept the kids laughing, and honestly, that’s the goal.

The Logistics:

• Cost: It’s about $40 per ticket. Is it a life-changing maritime expedition? No. Is it a cute memory for the kids? Yes.
• Booking: Like the aquarium, buy your tickets online in advance. If you don’t, you’ll be stuck in a one-hour queue in the middle of a crowded mall just to see what times are left.

Traveler’s Note: According to Travel + Leisure, family travel in Las Vegas has surged by over 20% in the last decade, leading to more “wholesome” attractions appearing on the Strip.

3. Minus5 ICEBAR at the Venetian

The Verdict: Cool (literally), unique, and very, very short.

This was probably the most “unique” thing we did. Since we are from LA, the idea of paying to be cold is usually foreign to us, but the girls were fascinated by the idea of going to a “bar.”

The concept is exactly what it sounds like: everything is made of ice. The walls, the seats, the bar top, and even the glasses. You are given a heavy parka and gloves before you enter. They allow children before 9:00 PM, which is a nice touch for families.

The Experience: The kids ordered “mocktails” (essentially fancy Shirley Temples) served in glasses made of solid ice. We opted for a package for the girls that included the drink plus a souvenir hat or earmuffs. Brad and I got the basic “no drink” package because we knew we wouldn’t last.

The Reality Check: We lasted exactly 15 minutes. Remember the “lizard” thing I mentioned earlier? Even with the parkas, we were shivering. If you go with kids, do not buy the big drink packages. You will not be in there long enough to finish three cocktails unless you want your toes to fall off.

Tips:

• Upgrade the kids’ gear: I’m so glad we got them the earmuffs. They actually needed them, and it was a cute souvenir from their first “bar” experience.
• The Penguin: There is a mascot penguin that wanders around for photos, and they have ice-wall games like Tic-Tac-Toe.
• No Crowds: We walked right in without a reservation. It was a nice, quiet break from the strip.

4. The Vegas Excalibur Arcade & The M&M Store (The Good and The Ugly)

The Excalibur Arcade: If your children are reaching a breaking point and need to run around without you worrying about them bumping into a high-roller, head to the Excalibur. Is the arcade “high-tech”? Absolutely not. It’s super old and a bit dated. However, it was empty.

The girls were a little disappointed that the “Castle Hotel” didn’t look very royal inside, but they loved having an entire arcade to themselves. It’s the perfect place for a kid to have a meltdown in peace. No frills, but it serves its purpose as a “crowd break.”

The M&M Store: I’m going to be brutally honest here: I hated it. Why do people flock to this place? It felt like being an ant in an overcrowded, noisy box. It is a “cesspool of germs.” I’m convinced you catch a cold just by looking at the front door. There are kids coughing, people touching everything, and the “exclusive” merchandise can mostly be found online.

The girls wanted personalized M&Ms, but the line for the kiosk was an eternity, and then there was a two-hour wait for pick-up. Pro-Tip: Save your health and your time. Go to the official M&M’s website and order the custom ones to your house. You’ll get them for the same price, and you won’t have to deal with the Vegas “flu” or the screaming crowds.

5. Ice Skating at the Oasis Ice Rink (Fontainebleau)

The Verdict: A magical, high-end Vegas evening.

We ended one of our nights at the Fontainebleau, and it was stunning. The hotel itself is gorgeous—definitely a step up in luxury. The Oasis Ice Rink is a great evening activity. Even though we had pre-paid tickets, we still had to wait in a bit of a line, but it was nothing compared to the M&M store nightmare.

The atmosphere is festive and high-energy. I highly recommend eating at one of the Fontainebleau’s incredible restaurants first (check out my other post on their culinary scene!) and then taking the kids skating. It felt like a “real” vacation moment.

Why Active Play Matters in Vegas

While it’s easy to just let kids sit in front of an iPad while you grab a quick bite, engaging them in high-energy activities helps mitigate the “Vegas Overstimulation.” According to research published in the Journal of Pediatrics, physical activity and “novel environments” can help children process high-stress or high-sensory surroundings more effectively.

Basically, if you let them burn off energy at the aquarium or the ice rink, they are much less likely to lose their minds when you’re walking through the smoky casino to get back to your room.

For more information on planning your trip, the Official Las Vegas Tourism Site offers great maps of which hotels are currently the most kid-friendly.

Read More from Culinary Passages

If you enjoyed reading about our family adventures, check out these other posts to help plan your next trip:

• Is Canyon Ranch the Most Luxurious Spa in Vegas? An Honest Mom’s Survival Guide
• The Best New Winter Activity in Vegas? Our Surprising Experience at Fontainebleau Ice Rink
• The Golden Donuts: Why the World is Falling in Love with this Luxury
• A Vegas Battle of the Shows: Magic, Acrobatics, and Animals
• Is Bouchon Actually Better? The Definitive Guide to Dining at The Venetian

About the Author

By Ginger Graham Ginger is a Los Angeles-based travel writer, food enthusiast, and mother of two. Along with her husband Brad, she spends her time hunting for the perfect croissant and trying to convince her daughters, Charlotte and Madeline, that walking “just one more block” is a fun family activity. She believes that every vacation deserves a little bit of luxury and a lot of laughs.