Kid Friendly Fun in Oahu, Hawaii

Living in Hawaii was one of the best places I’ve ever had the honor of inhibiting. Most people think of Hawaii and think about all of the beautiful things there are to do for adults but what about those of us who have little ones? Here are a couple of awesome places to check out for kid friendly fun while visiting the island of Oahu.

1. Kualoa Ranch

Kualoa Ranch is a beautiful place not only to visit but also explore. The ranch offers movie tours where you can see anything from Godzilla’s tracks to the George of the Jungle kissing gorillas. Your tour guide will stop at several different areas and let you explore and take all of the photos you’d like. If movies aren’t your type then don’t worry! There are also many other tours you can take part of including horseback tours, jungle expedition tours, the ocean voyaging tour as well as many others.

2. Ko Olina Lagoons

There are many beautiful beaches on Oahu but my favorite place to go with my son is the Ko Olina Lagoons. There are 4 man made lagoons at the Aulani Resort that are free and open to the public year round. These lagoons are perfect for little ones! They are relatively shallow for a good ways end before becoming too deep and because they scoop in away from the tide, there are hardly any waves. The lagoons are great for snorkeling with kids as well since the tide isn’t too strong and the water not too deep.  and give you access to the resort if you’d like to order and food or drinks while soaking up the sun.

3. Paradise Cove Luau

After you’re finished with relaxing at the lagoons all day you can head over to Paradise Cove Luau. Though the island is filled with many different luaus, my favorite is the Paradise Cove. When you enter the luau you are welcomed with a lei, mai tai(alcoholic & non-alcoholic), and a photography to remember your night. From there you are free to take part in all of the activities before the luau begins including making your own leis, face painting, headband weaving, etc. Once its time for dinner you line up at an incredibly ono buffet to load your plate with all the amazing local cuisine before the show starts.

4. The Dole Plantation

The Dole Plantation is full of kid friendly activities to partake in. The Dole Plantation held the Guinness World record in 2008 for being the World’s largest maze. The maze is made out of pineapple fields and you are given a little check point list to take along with you. At each check point you get to color in a new hawaii shape until you’ve completed them all and found your way back out of the maze again. The plantation also offers train tours which circle the plantation and go over the history of Dole and how its world famous pineapples came to be. Once you’re finished with the tour be sure to stop inside and enjoy a nice big scoop of pineapple ice cream. Kids just can’t get enough of it!

5. Circling the Island

This is one of my favorite activities that I absolutely do every visit. Circling the island of Oahu is one of the best things you can do to take in a smidgen of all the beauty the island has to offer. You may think, no way, my kids would go nuts being in the car that long but its honestly not bad with all of the stops you can make along the way. There is a wood widdling shop, fresh birds of paradise, Waimea Bay, the shrimp trucks, surfing competitions and fresh fruit stands with all kinds of exotic fruits to try. Though I have circled the island many times, I always find something new to discover.

Oahu has so many attractions and activities for all ages to enjoy. Every side of the island is different and has something unique to offer. Be sure to take advantage of not only the tourist type attractions but also local ones that involve you getting out there and explore all that Oahu has to offer.