Three and four day weekends offer the perfect opportunity to take a mini family vacation, a camping trip or a staycation. With the craziness that comes with the first week of school we were unable to plan a camping trip for the long weekend so instead we are having a family staycation. We happen to be stationed in Las Vegas, Nevada at the moment which means there are plenty of fun things for the whole family. Here is a list of some of the things we are planning to do.

Springs Preserve – This is a learning center full of hands on activities and exhibits for kids. They have two playgrounds, a restaurant, multiple gardens, and extensive hiking trails.

Hiking at Mt. Charleston – Located just north of Las Vegas up highway 95 is Mt. Charleston. Depending on the season you can take the family hiking or sledding. When we go it will be hot, but as you hike up it gets cooler. We have done several hikes there and so far the kids have been able to do them all! If there is still snow on the ground when you go I recommend heading towards Kyle Canyon campground. Often there is enough snow at this campground to do some sledding. If not just keep heading down the road until there is enough snow!

Lied Discovery Children's Museum – My kids always enjoy this place, especially the bubble and water areas. The museum has tons of hands on activities, live presentations and a huge area for kids 5 and under.

Ice Skating – Fiesta Rancho casino has an ice skating rink and I always have fun ice skating even though my kids break my back through the entire experience. The nice thing about this rink is they have the children's bars to help them skate on their own. This saves your back a lot of pain!

Bowling – There are many bowling alleys in Las Vegas. I would guess that one out of five casinos has one. One we enjoy is at the Santa Fe Station Casino off of highway 95. It is separate from the casino and not smoky; unlike most of the bowling alleys here we've been too.

Atomic Testing Museum – My older boy, who is 10, thinks this museum is amazing. It is highly educational. He walked away with a deep understanding of the atomic program and WWII. It's not so great for the other two kids especially my four year old. I would recommend it for ages eight and up.

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