Today's post is from Stephanie Mulac of Mulac Family Marketers. In a few weeks, we will feature an article about Stephanie's favorite Las Vegas RV Park as a follow-up to this article. For those of you looking for places to stay in Vegas, however, there are reviews of Las Vegas RV Parks from other RVParking.com members at the end of this post. Coming up are posts from Wendy of Vintage Aluminum about trailering for women and Cherie Ve Ard of Technomadia about useful iPhone apps for RVers.
A lot of people are under the assumption that Las Vegas is no place for kids, so when we told our family and friends recently that we were going to Vegas to celebrate our daughter’s 10th birthday, that got more than a few chuckles and curious looks.
But to the contrary, our many trips to Las Vegas have allowed us to amass quite a few favorite spots that are not only kid friendly, but in fact were conceived just for kids (or the big kid in all of us!).
SKYZONE: Because this particular trip was to celebrate a birthday, we booked a party for 10 at Skyzone Indoor Trampoline Park. Noted as the creators of the world’s first all trampoline, walled playing field, this was the perfect spot for young and old alike – so whether the party is primarily kids or a mixture of adults and children, this is a venue that can be enjoyed by all who are willing to let their hair down and be a kid for a day from tots, to teens and beyond.
Skyzone has both open jump sessions as well as organized, scheduled activities such as 3-D Dodgeball, crosstraining, SkyRobics and SkyRobics4Kids. We had previously visited Skyzone for an open jump, so when thinking about a great birthday spot, I headed to their website to check out what they had to offer. Having booked many a birthday party, I think at $10/guest, Skyzone’s party package may well be one of the best values in Vegas! The package includes an hour of jump time, a private room with festive decorations and lots of balloons, 2 giant pizzas, unlimited soda, color coordinated napkins, plates, cups and plasticware, and an attendant that setups up, cleans up and takes care of everyone in the party from beginning to end. And even though our group on this particular occasion consisted of many teens and adults who were self sufficient, I’ve been on the receiving end of 20 kids at a party and the value of having a cheerful party hostess tending to everyone’s whim is priceless – not to mention the cleanup afterward being handled while mom & dad simply carry gifts to the car!
As a final bonus, the birthday child gets a free t-shirt and 2 free passes to return again, with no expiration. (An important consideration to those of us traveling full-time, of course.) Our day was amazing, and even those of us who discovered new muscles we hadn’t known about in years concluded it was well worth it for this unique birthday celebration.
OLIVIA’S DOLLHOUSE TEAROOM: For a prior birthday we spent in Las Vegas for our youngest daughter, we discovered what I think is the most charming, memorable locale for a little girl to celebrate a birthday that I’ve ever seen. It’s aptly named, Olivia’s Dollhouse after the founder’s daughter who is now grown up and working with them. It all began back in 1994 when Tom and Jeanie Trikilis were searching for party places for their own daughter and finding the options slim. They saw a need in the market, filled it and 17 years later they’ve grown to 9 locations throughoutCalifornia and Las Vegas. The festivities include the opportunity to pick from a room full of 100 gowns to wear as well as from an eclectic array of hats, shoes, tiaras, purses, jewelry and make up. After making their selections, the girls receive updos, makeup, and nail treatments before proceeding onto the next room to present their fashion show for the adults in attendance.
Then, the princess treatment culminates with a catered “tea” party including sweets, finger sandwiches, a heart shaped cake and party
favors--all in a Victorian dollhouse atmosphere. The birthday child gets to sit at the head of a heart shaped table and is instructed to ring a special bell when party treats run low or her honored guests are in need of more pampering.
The birthday girl table at Olivia's Dollhouse Tearoom
Even the adults at our party were captivated by the décor as we strolled from room to room marveling over collectibles and one-of-
a-kind items. "They're all full of animation and interactive features," Tom Trikilis explains. These include moving doll houses, animatronic dolls and interactive art that moves and plays an audio track when a child pushes its button.
In addition to princess parties, (and boys are always welcome and catered to equally) Olivia’s Dollhouse also hosts top model/glam parties, baby/bridal showers, or adult teas. No matter what the occasion, a party at this award winning locale will provide memories to last a lifetime.
Free “Family Friendly” Vegas Tourist Attractions:
In addition to celebration spots, we’ve also discovered other excellent options to pass the time while in Las Vegas with the under 21 crowd, such as:
MGM Grand Lion Habitat – Nestled amongst the bells and whistles of the slot machines, the renowned Lion Habitat provides an up close and personal view of these majestic animals as well as educational events throughout the day.
Silverton Casino & Hotel Aquarium - Named the "Best Free Attraction" in Las Vegas, Silverton Casino's saltwater aquarium is large and impressive. The signature 117,000-gallon reef aquarium will transport you to a tropical oasis where you can admire more than 4,000 tropical fish, and three species each of stingrays and sharks. Interactive feeding shows are scheduled daily at 1:30pm, 4:30pm and 7:30pm.
Rio Casino - Masquerade Show in the Sky - This is one of our all time favorite free shows that immediately transports you to Mardi Gras, complete with beads being thrown by the dancers from gondolas that hang from the ceiling and wind their way around a huge circle above the casino floor. In addition, there is a balcony for viewing with pint sized guests, so no worries about getting grief for standing still on the casino floor with the under 21 family members while watching the show. I also highly recommend the $15/person opportunity to be a part of the show and ride in one of the gondolas and get a backstage view of the performers getting ready to wow the crowds. We did this and it was an amazing opportunity, well worth spending a little extra!
And rounding out any trip to Las Vegas, you’ll usually find us stopping by Dancing Waters - Bellagio Casino; The Fremont Street Experience Light Show - Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas; Sirens of TI Pirate Ship Show - Treasure Island Casino; The Volcano outside the Mirage Casino; Ethel M Chocolates Free Chocolate Factory Tour in Henderson, and last but not least, under the “Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas” sign which now has a convenient pull in location right in front of Mandalay Bay, for photo ops to commemorate your family’s stay.
Stephanie Mulac along with husband Greg and daughters Marina & Morgan are known as the Mulac Family Marketers. They hit the road full-time in April of 2008 along 2 cats and a contagious zest for life. With an established online Internet-based business model that allows them to work from anywhere & set their own schedule, they currently divide their days between roadschooling their daughters, coaching, speaking at events & workshops and enjoying abundant quality time as a family to explore and absorb all that the Universe brings their way. Stephanie thrives on the gratification she gets from teaching others to "monetize their passions" - learn more about their journey at http://www.mulacfamilymarketers.com.
RVParking.com Picks for Las Vegas
Oasis Las Vegas RV Resort - "Great park located close to freeways and the south end of the strip. We have found the east side of the park to be very quiet, family friendly, and plenty of room between RVs."
"Very nice park with many amenities and casino shuttle service." Read more.
Sam's Town RV Park - "Sam’s Town is convenient in that it has a great shuttle with 2 drop off points... The park itself is basically a parking lot, but nice, stays full. We had a somewhat secluded spot off to the back, this was nice just because we had fewer campers around us, a little more room to spread out." Read more.
