Whether you’re visiting Las Vegas for the first time or a Southern Nevada native, there are so many family friendly FREE things for kids to do in Las Vegas! You’ll love this list of free activities, educational experiences, free crafts, story time, and classes.
ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIENCES
FREE ACTIVITIES ON THE STRIP
Bellagio Botanical Gardens and Fountains are a beautiful and unique experience the whole family will love! The Botanical Gardens are located inside the Bellagio Hotel and Casino and change seasonally with upcoming themes including the Lunar New Year, Spring, and Summer. I highly recommend trying to go when it first opens to avoid crowds, but even if you go later it’s absolutely worth a visit and is one of our favorite free things to do in Las Vegas with kids. The Bellagio Fountains are located just outside the Bellagio and feature a world famous water show choreographed to music. Be sure to check the Bellagio’s website for an updated schedule! BONUS tip, locals get 3 free hours of parking at the Bellagio! All you need is your Nevada ID.
Children’s Park at Town Square is right off Las Vegas Boulevard and just a 5 minute drive from the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign (which is also free to visit)! This park and splash pad is a great place to let your kids play and get their wiggles out, especially if you’ve spent a day seeing the sights in Las Vegas. Also located in Town Square are many dining, shopping, and entertainment options as well, including a movie theater, arcade, slime craft studio, and pottery shop. Not to mention a dinosaur experience coming soon. If you’re looking for some family friendly fun located close to the strip, this is a great option!
FREE ACTIVITIES OFF THE STRIP
Silverton Mermaid Experience and Aquarium is one of our favorite free things to do in Las Vegas! Located right next to Bass Pro Shops, you can see thousands of tropical fish in a 117,000 gallon aquarium! Then throughout the day you can see mermaids and stingray feedings. This has been voted “Best Free Attraction in Las Vegas” and it’s a must see Las Vegas attraction that the whole family will love! Check their website for updated hours.
Ethel M Cactus Garden is a beautiful experience for the whole family! The garden is free to visit year round. During the holidays, there are over a million lights on display in the evening. But, one of our favorite times to visit is the weeks leading up to Valentine’s day. During this time you can visit the garden in the evening and view millions of Valentine’s lights and decorations while songs about love are played throughout the garden! It is such a unique experience and one of our family’s favorite Valentine’s traditions. When you visit the garden, be sure to check out the chocolate factory located inside Ethel M! Something to note is during the holidays, there may be a small donation required to visit the gardens (donations are then given to local nonprofits).
Mystic Falls at Sam’s Town is an indoor nature walk and laser light show featuring animatronic animals, mist, and fun music all projected over a giant indoor waterfall! We especially love coming during the holidays when Christmas decorations are everywhere and Santa comes to visit. But, this is a fun attraction to experience year round. Kids will love seeing the animals and waterfall and it is a great place to visit to escape the heat in the summer!
EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES
The Mine Experience is an educational program that teaches children about gold mining Southern Nevada! They are open to the public the 1st Saturday of every month from 9am to 2pm. Children 5 and under are free! You can also pay $5 to pan for gold!
The Dinosaur House is located in Henderson (right next to Las Vegas) and is an interactive dinosaur exhibit where kids have the chance to play games to learn about dinosaurs and sea creatures! Everyone who comes to the Dinosaur House leaves with a prize, even grown ups (plus you get double prizes if you wear dinosaur clothes)! Decor changes for the season, so it’s fun to go year round and see the changes. This is a great and educational experience for all ages! Be sure to check their website before visiting because the hours change seasonally.
Wetlands Nature Center is a museum, indoor play area, and activity center. Come learn about wildlife and nature in Southern Nevada in a beautiful modern building. There are large desert animal statues toddlers and kids will love to climb on. While you’re there you can also visit beautiful Wetlands Park. Don’t miss out on this incredible free thing to do in Las Vegas with kids!
FREE CRAFTS
IKEA Kids Craft Night occurs every Wednesday evening! Kids can come and make a craft for free in the Swedish restaurant located in IKEA. Be sure to register in advance on IKEA’s website! BONUS On Wednesdays you can get 2 free kids meals with the purchase of an adult entrée!
Lowe’s Kids’ Workshop is a free DIY project for kids to do at Lowe’s! It is offered usually once a month on a Saturday. Some of the upcoming projects include a table basketball game, chalkboard message center, and garden cart planter. Be sure to register in advance on their website!
Home Depot Kids Workshop is an excellent free thing for kids to do in Las Vegas! It is a craft for kids to create at Home Depot! This occurs the first Saturday of each month between 9am and 12pm. Some of the upcoming crafts include a Valentine’s basket, butterfly house, and lattice planter. Don’t forget to register in advance on their website!
Lakeshore Learning If you’ve been around for awhile you know we LOVE Lakeshore Learning. Once a month they have free craft Saturdays that are fun for the entire family. We have ben attending for 5 years now and it’s always one of our favorite free activities.
STORYTIME
Barnes and Noble Storytime is offered every Saturday and sometimes includes an activity and snack! Come listen to beloved children’s classic in the adorable children’s section of Barnes and Nobles. Plus you’ll love their adorable children’s section complete with a stage and puppets. Check Barnes and Noble’s website to see when story time is happening and what books will be read.
Library Events occur almost every day! The Las Vegas valley has 3 library districts: Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Henderson Libraries, and Boulder City Library. They each have differing free events almost every day including story time, activities for teens, and seasonal events like Halloween parties or Christmas story time. We especially loved baby story time when our girls were younger! Check out your local library’s website for a listing of events!
BONUS through the Las Vegas-Clark County Library you can also check out free passes to the Discovery Children’s Museum, Nevada State Parks, Springs Preserve, and the Neon Museum. Please note there is a little bit of a wait to access these passes, so be sure to put your pass on hold quickly even if you’re not sure you’ll use it! We also love their Summer reading program with fun prize incentives for the kids that often include a free coupon treat to a local bakery.
Wetlands Nature Center offers themed story time and activities on Wednesdays once a month! This is a great opportunity to learn about nature here in Southern Nevada. Upcoming themes include owls, flowers, and the sun! We love visiting this beautiful building and nature preserve!
CLASSES
Baby Gymnastics is offered at Gymcats and is a great activity for babies to practice fine motor skills and socializing with other babies. Our girls loved going to this class and it was a great place for them to play in a different environment and practice learning how to walk. Be sure to register online before you attend class! This has been one of our absolute favorite free things for kids to do in Las Vegas.
Baby Steps: Learn and Play is a free class offered through Dignity Health to help babies explore and learn more about the world around them! The class includes singing, dancing, and circle time. Visit Dignity Health’s website for more information.
Sing and Sign: Food Time is another free class offered at Dignity Health. This educational class is offered at multiple locations throughout the Las Vegas valley and is geared toward newborns to age 2. Visit Dignity Health’s website for more details!
Yoga for Youngsters is offered through Henderson Libraries! This class features a story and teaches children yoga poses and is geared towards kids ages 3 to 5. Check your local library for classes closest to you!
BONUS
Recreation Center Classes are offered almost every day through Las Vegas, Henderson, and Clark County. Financial aid is available and you can apply online. If you receive financial aid, classes could be totally free or deeply discounted. Some of our favorite classes in Henderson include cooking classes, art classes, dance classes, and swim classes. There are also many classes for babies 18 months and older! Check out your local recreation center’s website to apply.
- The City of Henderson Financial Assistance Program
- Clark County Scholarship Program
- Las Vegas Scholarships
For even more activities for kids to do in Southern Nevada, check out Things To Do In Las Vegas with Kids!
