13 Best Family Things to Do in Las Vegas

M&M’s World is where you can find hundreds of sweets and souvenirs of the iconic brand. Located in Showcase Mall, the 4-storey sweet shop features a My M&M's station that personalises your sweets with a custom message for a few dollars. Next to it is a 3D cinema, where you get to watch a 10-minute film titled I Left My M in Vegas for free.

The ground floor of M&M’s World displays a variety of memorabilia for sale, from luggage, shirts and keychains to laptop covers, board games and Frisbees.

Cirque du Soleil is a legendary acrobatic troupe that perform numerous shows in Las Vegas, but O is perhaps the most remarkable. The special stage in the Bellagio transforms into a 1.5-million-gallon swimming pool in an instant, changing the performance from one of breathtaking acrobatics to a display of synchronising swimming.

Featuring 85 extremely talented performers, some of whom are former Olympic athletes, it’s a very memorable show. Be prepared to gasp in awe as you witness the incredible stunts and skill of these amazing acrobats in person.

Madame Tussauds Las Vegas features 8 exhibition rooms filled with more than 100 lifelike figures of various icons. Located in front of the Venetian, this renowned wax museum is where you can pose with your favorite Marvel characters, such as Spiderman and The Hulk.

Afterwards, enjoy a thrilling cinematic experience at the Marvel Super Heroes 4D theater. It also has a room dedicated to famous Las Vegas residents, including Elvis, Celine Dion and magician duo Siegfried and Roy.

Ethel M Chocolates Factory, located in Henderson, is a gourmet chocolate brand dating back to 1981. You get to enjoy a free self-guided tour of the premises, which features dozens of tanks filled with 20,000 to 35,000 gallons of pure chocolate.

Ethel M Chocolates Factory offers daily tasting classes, where you get to sample 4 types of premium chocolate. Each session takes about 30 minutes and is available every 2 hours from 10 am onwards. The factory also has a Botanical Cactus Garden, which contains 300 types of cacti and succulents.

Streetmosphere is a selection of theatrical performances that take place every day at the Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes. You get to see stilt walkers, jugglers and dancers in elaborate costumes at St. Mark's Square from noon till evening and enjoy classical opera between 6.30 pm and 8 pm.

Living statues can be found throughout the emporium, ready to surprise unsuspecting people from time to time. The Venetian is also renowned for its miniature canals, so hop on a gondola for a ride after enjoying the Streetmosphere.

SkyJump is bungee-jumping-meets-skydiving, and it’s located atop the Stratosphere Las Vegas Hotel & Casino (also known as the STRAT). After completing a safety briefing, jumpers are strapped into jumpsuits and harnesses with a short elastic line tethered to guide wires.

Next, it’s time to soar from the 108th floor above a view of the neon Strip, traveling 829 feet downward at speeds that can exceed 64 km per hour. The process, from suiting up to the jump itself, should take about 35 to 45 minutes, so there’s plenty of time to enjoy the rest of the STRAT. If you’re a thrill-seeker planning your next itinerary for a trip to Las Vegas, look no further than SkyJump.

The Big Apple Coaster is a thrilling rollercoaster located at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino. A popular attraction among thrill seekers, the ride features a heartline twist and dive maneuver and travels up to 67 miles per hour.

For an added rush of adrenaline, the Virtual Reality Experience incorporates the use of VR headsets, with riders taking on the role of a scientist pursuing an escaped alien. Be aware that you have to be at least 54 inches tall to ride the coaster, so its not the best idea with younger children.

A helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon is a worthwhile expense when you’re in Las Vegas, as you get to soar over the iconic canyon and its epic surroundings. The tour typically takes place in the morning so that you can enjoy the best view of this natural wonder.

Aside from the Grand Canyon, you also get to see other landmarks from a bird’s eye view, including the Hoover Dam, Mojave Desert, Lake Mead and the famous Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas Natural History Museum is where you get to learn about the world, thanks to its extensive collection of fossils, life-sized replicas of mummies and extinct wildlife, as well as family-friendly activities.

A popular exhibit here is the Treasure of Egypt hall, where you can explore a recreation of the entrance to King Tutankhamun’s tomb, view actual pictures taken during the excavation and use provided tools to 'scan' a mummy in real time. The Engelstad Family Prehistoric Life Gallery features a 10.5-m-long replica of a T-Rex that moves and roars at visitors.

Big Shot is a tower ride built on the top of The Strat Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. When it opened in 1996, it was the world’s highest amusement ride measured from ground level. It has since been surpassed by a taller ride in China. Its acceleration is pneumatically powered, enabling it to travel upwards at speeds of around 72 km per hour, which generates up to 4 Gs of force.

Sixteen riders are catapulted upwards from a platform 281 m in the air to a height of 329 m. It descends rapidly and then shoots upwards again accompanied by a cacophony of joyful screams.

X-Scream is a thrilling ride in Las Vegas with a motion that mimics a seesaw, known in the US as a teeter-totter. You’ll find it on the roof of The Strat Hotel and Casino, 264 m above the pavement. Though the track looks similar to that of a rollercoaster, it pivots to create both horizontal and vertical motion.

Each car is propelled forward at high speed off the edge of the building. Riders dangle weightlessly high above the Las Vegas Strip until they travel backwards to do it all over again. It feels like you might fall right over the edge, so expect plenty of screams from fellow riders.

Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix Family Fun Center is a must-visit for families. This isn’t your average go-karting venue. The massive park features 4 Grand Prix tracks, amusements rides, an arcade and a pizzeria. Both kids and adults can take part in all the activities, so parents and the young-at-heart can join in the fun too.

Rent out a party room at the Family Fun Center for a birthday that won’t soon be forgotten. Go-karting also makes a fun date night. Looking for something more affordable than seeing Cirque du Soleil on the strip? The Family Fun Center arcade is free to enter and go-karting tickets are reasonably priced.