In the heat of summer, when Las Vegas is like a hair dryer blowing inside an air fryer on Venus, the last thing anyone wants to do is go outside.
The blistering Nevada heat is especially burdensome for parents when the kids are climbing the walls. Fortunately, there’s a lot to do indoors in Las Vegas and Henderson, including climbing walls.
Most of these indoor activities aren’t free, but adults and kids alike will find them priceless.
Go wild at an indoor playground, trampoline park, or climbing gym.
Indoor playgrounds and trampoline parks, basic to extreme, dot legions of strip malls in Las Vegas. At times, they are crowded and loud, but they are generally airy, air-conditioned, self-contained, and have concessions. Kids can climb, jump, slide, zip, joust, and do other age-appropriate activities on massive jungle gyms while the grownups enjoy perks like free massage chairs and Wi-fi. Here’s Yelp’s Top 10 best kids’ indoor play areas near Las Vegas.
Active families may also want to check out a Las Vegas rock climbing gym. Some have a dedicated kids’ climbing room.
Seek thrills at an indoor theme park
Las Vegas has its own year-round amusement park, The Adventuredome at Circus Circus. It’s a popular destination for tourists and locals, housed beneath a giant pink dome on the Las Vegas Strip.
Like any other theme park worth its salt, The Adventuredome has roller coasters and other rides (ranging from kid-friendly to terrifying), carnival games, concessions, and live entertainment, while also incorporating other family-friendly activities like laser tag, indoor rock climbing, a VR room, an arcade, mini-golf, and a 4D theater. Ticketed admission covers the cost of most of these attractions.
In nearby Chinatown, Las Vegas, Area15 has all the hallmarks of a theme park. However, it’s a bit more offbeat and surreal, with futuristic rides, interactive attractions—including the world’s largest ice cream museum—globally inspired dining, immersive entertainment, and Burning Man-style art spread across two zones on an expansive campus.
While Area15 is open to all ages, some experiences are only suitable for those ages 13 and up. Attractions are individually priced.
Win big at an arcade on steroids
Gamers and video game enthusiasts can stay cool playing everything from vintage pinball machines at the Pinball Hall of Fame on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip to Japanese video games at Game Nest in Chinatown.
Velocity E-Sports at Town Square has a large arcade, bowling alley, and restaurant. Dave & Buster’s in Henderson and Summerlin have food and video games, and both are plentiful.
Many hotel-casinos in Las Vegas have dedicated arcades, but some are better than others. Located below the casino floor at the Excalibur Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, the Fun Dungeon is a longstanding arcade with more than 200 of the latest games, including crane machines, a midway, prizes, and a kiddie land.
Get a hole-in-one
From a rousing round on an indoor miniature golf course to making balls soar from a temperature-controlled hitting bay at Top Golf or Atomic Golf, Las Vegas has an enigmatic array of family-friendly indoor golfing activities.
Kids can play putt-putt with their parents on a nine-hole mini-golf course, play carnival games, and dine at Swingers Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort. The 18-hole KISS by Monster Mini Golf course is a rock-and-roll-themed adventure with audio and visual effects, KISS props, and live music. Or check out the custom-designed and glow-in-the-dark, 18-hole Twilight Zone Mini Golf at the Horseshoe Las Vegas Casino.
Break stuff (without punishment or clean-up)
In a wreck room, also known as a rage or smash room, everyone destroys inanimate objects with weapons like crowbars and bats, and no one gets in trouble or has to clean up. Wreck rooms are an entertaining, empowering, and therapeutic activity for all ages. You don’t have to be an expert to break stuff; kids are especially good at it.
Families can break bottles, ceramics, old TVs, computer printers, and VCR tapes (parents may have to explain these to kids) at Wreck Room in Chinatown, but you have to be age 12 or up. Sin City Smash Room at Town Square has wreck rooms too, but also offers other activities for those who don’t want to channel their inner Hulk, including axe throwing and splatter painting.
Sign up for summer classes or camp
If you need to keep the kids busy while you’re at work or otherwise occupied, consider summer camp. The cities of Henderson and Las Vegas, Clark County, and the Las Vegas YMCA all offer summer day camps (though not all activities take place inside). Many kid-friendly businesses also offer summer camps.
If camp is too much of a commitment, check out the youth classes in Las Vegas and Henderson, including arts and crafts, cooking, computers, martial arts, and music. Whatever your kid is into, there’s probably a class for that.
More indoor activities for Las Vegas kids
Spend a day at the museum
Play and learn at the Discovery Children’s Museum in Symphony Park or the nearby Las Vegas Natural History Museum. Kids and adults can’t believe their eyes at the Museum of Illusions on the Las Vegas Strip.
Explore an underwater world
Admire sharks and other sea creatures with a locals’ discount at Shark Reef or spot a mythical mermaid for free at the Silverton Aquarium.
Knock down some pins
Several casinos in Las Vegas and Henderson have family-friendly bowling alleys, including Sunset Station, Red Rock, Sam’s Town, South Point, and others. Some also offer a kids’ favorite, cosmic bowling.
Go skating
Learn to ice skate or show off your skills at City National Arena in Summerlin or Las Vegas Ice Center in Spring Valley. Or trade blades for wheels and roll into the Crystal Palace Rancho, a retro roller-skating rink.
Escape a room
Work together as a family to escape the rooms at the Official SAW Escape Room in Chinatown, Escapology at Town Square, or The Escape Game at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace and Area15.
Explore a wonderful world of candy
Even adults feel like kids in a candy store at Hershey’s Chocolate World and M&Ms World, both on the Las Vegas Strip. See how the chocolate is made and get a free piece of candy on a free tour of the Ethel M Chocolates factory in Henderson.
Take a free craft class
Free craft classes for kids are offered at stores throughout the valley, including Michaels, Home Depot, and Lowe’s.
See a show
Las Vegas is a mecca for live entertainment, including family-friendly stage shows, from Broadway productions at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts to the Wizard of Oz at the Sphere. Enjoy dinner and a show at the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur; or, if you’re worried about your kids staying up past their bedtimes, check out an afternoon show like Popovich Comedy Pet Theater and Nathan Burton Magic Show; all on the Las Vegas Strip.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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