Things To Do With Your Teenagers In Las Vegas

Taking your kids to Las Vegas but you just happen to have two kids that are really no longer kids but are not adults yet and need to be entertained?. What do you do with your teens in Las Vegas?

I have a few ideas on how to entertain your teenagers in Las Vegas without boring the parents in the process. This list of things for your teenagers is diverse and will not fit every family but I’m pretty sure you’ll find a few you like.

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You might also want to check out 30 things your kids will love in Las Vegas as they pertain to teens as well. 

If you just need more cheap travel ideas:

The Hotel By Hotel Guide to What Is Cheap, Free And Affordable In Las Vegas

The obvious things to do such as the arcades at Excalibur, NY/NY and Circus Circus don’t really work as the kids get older so it’s time to get their adrenaline pumping. You can fit in roller coasters at NY/NY and El Loco at Adventuredome inside Circus Circus or try some even more exciting experiences. If your teenagers are learning to drive take them to the Las Vegas speedway and have them sit in the passenger seat of an exotics racing vehicle as it glides through the course. That should teach them a thing or two about driving.

• Red Rock Canyon - Hiking in the park is fun for those kids who want an outdoor experience but rock climbing is better. Check with the American Alpine Institute for guided climbing tours just a few minutes from the Las Vegas strip.
• Sun Buggy Fun Rentals – If your kids are under 15 you’ll have to drive but you’ll get to race over dunes and make them scream as payback for all the grief they’ve been giving you about getting old.
• Indoor Skydiving - Hover over a giant...MORE fan
• Thrill Rides at Stratosphere Tower - Jump off the top or strap yourself to a ride that feels like you are falling off the tower.
• Zip Line down Fremont Street Race over the crowds in Downtown Las Vegas
• Bootleg Canyon - Get the full zip line experience out in the desert.
• VooDoo Zip at Rio Las Vegas

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Here are a few activities for your teenager that may or may not be right. All kids are different but four choices are all very entertaining and I have seen a large number of teenagers at each of these.

• TopGolf Las Vegas works for the teenager that enjoys competition at the golf course. It's a fun way to play golf while not taking up too much time. For parents, the cocktail menu and food options are enough to distract you and the common areas offer live music, games and lounges.
• Bodies The Exhibition - Is your kid taking AP Biology? They’ll learn far more in this exhibit than any tutor that you can pay for. These are real specimens so make sure they take notes.
• Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition - Yes, they can touch a piece of the Titanic
• The Mob Museum - This museum works for some teens yet fails miserably for others. If they are into history and the story that is organized crime this works well. There are plenty of cheap food options nearby so Downtown Las Vegas works as a good...MORE diversion from the ordinary Las Vegas experience.

If your teenager enjoys exploring or sightseeing these choices work. Both my teen and my 9 year old have walked though each of these and found them entertaining.

• Cosmopolitan Garage Art - Walk a parking garage with your teenagers? You might as well and look at the urban art on the walls. It's free!
• City Center Art Project - World Class art for free
• Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art It’s a boutique gallery so they’ll be introduced to some art but not enough for them to ask to leave.
• The Neon Museum - Neon signs tell the history of a different Las Vegas and a history that is ever evolving.
• Taste Of The Arts at Wynn Las Vegas

Entertainment in Las Vegas tends to move to the adult side very quickly but these shows all do a good job of keeping the content clean while not insulting the those teenagers in the crowd. Cirque du Soleil always works for teens (except Zumanity) so you can't go wrong with those shows but be cautious because the cost of each ticket can get ridiculous.

• Mystere - Clean, funny, entertaining. Your teenagers will LOVE it.
• Mac King - This can be considered a good kid show but I have seen plenty of teens having fun. Adults see it without kids.
• Blue Man Group - My boys love this show and it has enough action to keep them very entertained.
• The Beatles “LOVE” - It’s the best show in town for a reason. Don’t worry if they do not know the music. They will love it.
• Jeff Civillico - As my kids get older they have moved from Mac King To Jeff Civillico. Juggling, laughing, performing and dominating the entertainment in the afternoon in Las Vegas.
• Matt Franco is a good magician who can baffle even the...MORE most clever of teenagers. His show at the LINQ is a favorite among families.

As you walk around the Las Vegas strip with your teen you might want to check out some of the free attractions.

• Bellagio Gardens - Walk through and be impressed and then check out the chocolate fountain around the corner.
• Bellagio Fountains - They are best watched at night but the view of the people on the strip gets dicey as the sun goes down as well.
• Volcano - Fire and loud explosions. Who does not like that?
• Fremont Street Experience is really just an overhead light show but the activity on Fremont Street as well as the fried twinkies and zip line make for a fun spot for teenagers. Walk to Fremont East and the container Park and you might even catch a glimpse of the child in your teen when they spot the giant tree house.
• Have the kids stroll through the LINQ and I bet they will find something they enjoy. The Polaroid store is always a sure bet as they love to print a few pictures from their phone.
• Don't forget the art that I already listed above.

Maybe you need some living things in your Las Vegas adventure.

• Siegfried and Roy Secret Garden - White tigers and some dolphins.
• Dolphin Trainer for a Day at Mirage - Learn a lot about dolphins and the need to educate others about these magnificent creatures.
• Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay - Your teenager will want to SCUBA dive and soon you’ll be booking a trip to the Cayman Islands
• Flamingo Wildlife Habitat is free and interesting. I will say that it tends to cater to the young kids who want to feed the animals and the adults who like the fun facts about the habitat.

Yes, the family has to eat so these are some suggestions but the truth is most restaurants in Las Vegas can work as long as your teenagers are not lunatics. In that case only half of the restaurants work. Casual is always better so these restaurants will make everyone happy.

• Grimaldi’s at Palazzo
• Gordon Ramsay BurGR at Planet Hollywood
• Public House at Luxor
• Bucca di Beppo at Excalibur
• Tom's Urban at New York-New York
• California Pizza Kitchen at The Park Las Vegas

Dinner/Nicer

• Spago at Caesars Palace
• Citizens at Mandalay Bay
• Public House Venetian
• Yardbird Southern Table and Bar
• Javier's at Aria Las Vegas

Does your teenagers think they can drive? Las Vegas Rock Crawlers works as a family attraction because the entire crew can ride along as passengers. Has your teen been wanting to learn how to drive? After they sit in the passenger seat of a jeep and watch how scary driving at 1 mph can be they might be using public transportation forever.

More Ways To Have Fun In Las Vegas

Your teenager will get all that angst out of their system with a fast flying zipline ride down Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Slotzilla operates daily over the lights of Las Vegas and they can even choose to soar like a superhero, although we know they are probably too cool for that.

The American Alpine Institute has rock climbing courses in Red Rock Canyon that will make it seem so easy to scale a sheer wall. You will actually learn how to hold your child's life by the end of a rope and then be forced to trust them with your own life. The great outdoors and some quality family time never felt so risky.

If your kids are on Instagram they will really enjoy the Photo & Go because it is all about the pictures that are taken on handheld devices. Well, I should point out that the history of those Polaroid cameras you may have grown up on are celebrated but the rise of the phone camera is illustrated through displays of modern day urban photographers who are using their phones to create art. Downstairs your teenagers can develop their favorite photos in Polaroid format images on a sturdy cardboard that is perfect for displaying around the house. Don't worry, your kid will show you how to use all the technology in the store.

The funniest thing happens when you take a teenager to a bowling alley. They begin to laugh, then they get competitive, then they almost beat you. Then they get back in the car and bury their face in their phones as they share a picture of their bowling adventure with their friends on social media. You should try bowling in Las Vegas with your teenager and experience this series of events.

If your teenager is having some fun with science or if they enjoy some simple crime solving you might find they will enjoy CSI: The Experience at MGM Grand Las Vegas. The forensic science attraction is very interactive and good for the entire family. Don't worry, there are no gory images or actual bodies in the exhibit. At least none that I found.

Take an afternoon to walk around CityCenter with your teenager and introduce them to some art. Go into a garage and see some urban graffiti and then head into Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art and see some priceless pieces.  There are enough places for Art In Las Vegas to fill an entire day.

Walk through the exhibits at the National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement with your teen and you might see the light go off. That light I am referring to is the appreciation of history and how it relates to what happens in our everyday life. The museum is open daily and is  good location for teenagers to learn a little about the history of behind all of those movies that get made about mobsters. It also serves as a guide to modern day organized crime and how it plays a role in society today.

The time is coming soon when you will be forced to make the decision about a car for your teenager so take them to the LINQ and show them the huge collection of cars they have and send them into sticker shock. 'Sure you can have a car, as long as you pay for it!"

There is nothing quite as rewarding as a long day on a trail with nothing but the sound of your footsteps and great conversations with your kids. The phones are put away and the ability to connect like you once did when they were younger comes back in a flash. Spend sometime in Zion National Park with your teenager and you might find that inquisitive kid that once followed you around.