Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/66705
Guide play In the briny deep at the Shark Reef Aquarium's 360-degree shark tank playtime THE BEST CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES IN AND AROUND THE STRIP by kaitlin clark Childs' Play T he spacious indoor play area features backyard-style jungle gyms, slides, forts, and climbing walls, all atop a soft padded floor. The facility offers play spaces for age groups from 10 months to eight years, including a mini basketball court for older children and a foam animal center for tiny tots. Grown-up perks: free coffee and WiFi. "We constructed the space with adults in mind, too," says owner Jeremy Childs. 7260 S. Cimarron Road, 702- 722-6041; 7060 N. Durango Dr., 702-834-5500; childsplaylv.com Kids' Club T his brand-new children's playhouse, opened by a group of local moms, offers creative classes and open play spaces designed for children from 18 months to eight years old. Summer Camp dates are June 4 to August 24 and incorporate activities that are both fun and educational in an active environment. To keep children safe, Kids' Club uses advanced security technology, including child-parent ID cards and passcodes necessary for entry. 5831 W. Craig Road, 702- 332-3228; kidsclublv.com Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix Y Cars, and Kiddie Karts—the center ensures kids of all ages are able to buckle up and enjoy the racing adventure. Less adventur- ous tots can stick to the indoor arcade's games like Skee-Ball and ice hockey. 1401 N. Rainbow Blvd., 702-259-7000; lvmgp.com Lied Discovery Children's Museum T horseshoe crabs and stingrays. Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, 702-632-4555; sharkreef.com Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat T his sprawling wildlife space features large-scale tropical exhibits and is home to a fantasy world of rare and majestic he only children's museum in Southern Nevada, Lied Discovery emphasizes the importance of fun while learning, offering more than 100 interactive exhibits spanning subjects such as science, arts, and culture. "Two of our most popular exhibits are The Green Village, an exciting mini city with lessons about sustain- ability and conservation, and It's Your Choice, which teaches all about making healthy choices with what we eat and the science behind our food," says museum deputy director Tifferney White. 833 N. Las Vegas Blvd., 702-382-5437; ldcm.org Shark Reef Aquarium M ore than 2,000 extraordinary and menacing aquatic animals entice at the Shark Reef's 14 ou'd be hard-pressed to find a kid in Las Vegas who has never hit up the Mini Gran Prix for a birthday party. Featuring four racing tracks—Go Karts, Sprint Kart Speedway, Adult Gran Prix 150 vegasmagazine.com exhibits. The lush amphibian zoo boasts rare Komodo dragons, piranhas, endangered sea turtles, and golden crocodiles, and more than 15 shark species swim the 360-degree shark tank. The hands-on Touch Pool encourages budding aquatic enthusiasts to pet more tame creatures such as animals, including white lions, leopards, and panthers. Don't blame us if your pint-size compan- ions leave vowing to become animal trainers—the small zoo's professionals work inside the cages, exercising and feeding the baby white tigers that break hearts with their piercing blue eyes. An Atlantic bottlenose dolphin family dives and plays in the 2.5-million- gallon Dolphin Habitat. The Mirage Hotel & Casino, 702-791-7188; miragehabitat.com Springs Preserve S ign your kids up for summer adventure camps or attend classes and events at this desert canyon themed-playground. Replete with massive models of both animals and skeleton structures, including a sidewinder snake, a peregrine falcon and its baby, and a woolly mammoth, Springs Preserve is most famous for its bird shows that send rare birds soaring over the audience. The small zoo includes an all-too-cuddly- seeming little gray fox, as well as lizards and snakes. 333 S. Valley View Blvd., 702- 822-7700; springspreserve.org V Kid Rule kidville's "mayor" presents its winning platform. the talk of the town among summerlin moms, kidville offers enrichment programs for kids from newborn to six. its hassle-free birthday soirées ("we do everything from the invitations and cake to goodie bags," says mayor melissa weiner), and support of charitable causes have won fans citywide. kids enjoy small student-to-teacher ratios and activities like the rockin' railroad. "it's a journey through tempo, rhythm, and word and sound identification," weiner says, "with new instruments each week." 420 S. Rampart Blvd., 702-233-9253; kidville.com Tivoli's Kidville offers popular music classes— and a fashionable retail store. photography courtesy of mgm resorts (aquarium); al powers (weiner); jonathan latiff (kidville)