One would think Las Vegas isn’t a place to go with Kids and one is probably right. With Jasper being nearly ten though, he is just about old enough to get quite a few fun things out of it.
The Kid’s arcade is one of them; dozens of machines where you can play and win tickets which you later exchange for a prize. But curb your excitement - you’ll need a small suitcase full of tickets to have just enough for something that is probably worth £10 in the shops (and you wouldn’t really buy if you had the choice). But then there is also the fun element of playing and winning tickets, so fair enough.
Most hotels also have great swimming pools, some with water fun elements for the kids. The only thing to bear in mind is that outside the main season some pools will be closed and that all pools in Vegas are only open during daylight hours, which meant that when we stayed in mid September, the pool closed at 5pm (!). In some hotels you’ll even have to pay extra to get an umbrella (a bit harsh considering that we're in the middle of a desert here and it’s nearly 40C). So you don’t get sun protection but there are 4 lifeguards on duty…one cannot help but think the hotel doesn’t give two hoots about your health, as long as you don't drown on their premises :)
The highlight however is The Strip at night. Fantastic illuminations, people in party mood and dozens of novelty acts (Zombies, Elvises, Batmans and girls with just enough fabric on to not be x-rated) give a great upbeat atmosphere. Jasper was fascinated and loved it all (especially the Zombie, see photo). All of that is topped by the public Bellagio Waterfountain-Show which happens every 15min, always with different background music. And if that wasn’t enough - there is the Vegas shows. There are quite a few kid friendly ones (and a lot more not kid friendly ones). At first, we had our minds set on the Knights Tournament Dinner Show with jousting and all the works, but having just lived near Warwick Castle, the mother of all Knights experiences, we opted for the Cirque du Soleil KA show, the only CdS show with a story, we were told. It is worth reading up on the story beforehand but WOW, what a spectacle of all the senses - magical. Jasper is going to post a little review about it himself (as he thought it was the best show he has ever seen in his life) so I don’t want to say too much, but if you are in Vegas, do go see it (because of it’s complicated stage it is not a show that can be moved so you won’t see it anywhere else)!
Jasper’s view is that Vegas is definitely worth a few days but he would say that you have to stay up late like he did or you miss out on all the fun.