OT: Hawaii with a 5 year old

[SalandJeff]

Has anyone gone to Hawaii with a young child? We are considering a trip next year and our dd will be between 4 1/2 and 5.

Are there things that would interest them (besides the beach)? What would you recommend for activities?

thanks for any advice

 

[acadia1960]

Which Island? We took our son to Oahu when he had just turned 4. My husband was working at Pearl Harbor for 9 weeks. We were staying at the Ilikai at Waikiki Beach. We walked, took the Trolleys, cabs,& public buses. There is the Honolulu zoo, & a marine park up the coast. We also went to a luau. The beach was an everyday thing, as well as the pools at the hotel. His favorite thing was the beach, lots of kids from different countries, & other states to play with. It didn't matter if they spoke another language. The Japanese flight attendants (stayed at our hotel) took a liking to him. They would play with him in the water (he was such a flirt). I would take another 4 year old in a heartbeat. Hope this helps.

 

[tjmw2727]

We were lucky enough to visit Maui and Lanai when my dd's were 5 and 7 and it was AWESOME

They loved the beach, did a submarine, sunset cruise, waterslide pool and the aquariam. We did a luau and honestly they just loved hanging around the resort beach, pools, fish ponds and very, very friendly people.

They are now 10 and 12 and still talk about the trip often and remember it well.

In fact this is the first time they went to a "kids club" and they really loved it. DH and I wouldn't have considered it esp during the day but they met some friends who were in the club and having such fun they begged to go. It depends on the resort but for a few hours each day they did the kids club depending on when the activities they liked were. They had a schedule much like that on a cruise and dh and I let them go for a few hours a few days during the trip. Like the PP they met kids from everywhere and became "best friends' in an hour LOL.

I would however suggest purchasing a DVD for the airplane ride, depending on where you live - it was a long trip from Logan to Maui.

TJ

 

[amarberry]

We're going to Kauai in May with our DD who will be 2 months shy of 4 and our not yet born second child who will be 7 months old at the time. I've found a lot of helpful and reassuring information from the forums at tripadvisor.com.

Have you thought about which island or islands you are interested in visiting? Have you been to Hawaii before? My DH and I have been a couple of times before kids and decided on Kauai because it is laidback and very relaxing. We are planning to pretty much just explore different beaches and soak up the scenary while we are there this time.

On Kauai, we decided to stay at a privately owned condo at Hanalei Bay Resort for our first week up north. For the rest of the trip, we'll either stay at the Sheraton or the Hyatt in Poipu. The Hyatt is suppose to be quite nice for families. They have acres of pools and a saltwater lagoon that you can kayak in. They also have Camp Hyatt, if that is something that you would be interested in.

 

[Heather1101]

I live on Oahu, so if you are coming here there are lots of things for children. In Waikiki there is the zoo and the aqaurium. Not too far from Waikiki is Sea Life Park (mini Sea World type park). There is Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park on the West side of the island if you are into water slides. Our kids LOVE the Blow Hole (on the way to Sea Life Park) and the Nuuanu Pali Lookout (also known as the "windy" place by my kids)..it has a great view, some hiking trails and the wind get channeled between the mountains and comes whipping through the lookout area. It is a neat experience.

Also in Waikiki is Atlantis Submarines. The dock and tickets are right at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort. It takes you down about 80 feet and we saw turtles, divers, sunken ships, LOTS of fish, and a couple sharks. My DS was 3 at the time we did that a couple years ago and he LOVED it!

On Kalakaua in the Waikiki Shopping Plaza is Hawaiian 3D Glow Golf. You get 3D glasses and the balls and everything in the course glows and it is really fun. My kids constantly want to go there.

Other than that, jump on a trolley and go somewhere..kids usually think it is neat to ride on the trolley and it is pretty cheap too.

 

[grlpwrd]

I am from Kaimuki which is near Kapahulu (which is near Waikiki) on Oahu ...

My suggestions because I am cheap lol:

* Diamond Head - though the hike to the top might be too challenging for a young child. My kids enjoyed climbing trees and ran around in the fields in the crater.

* The Waikiki-Kapahulu Library is a nice place to visit and check out books. All state libraries offer a $10.00 visitor card which is good for 3 months (but may not be renewed) and also a $25.00 non-resident card good for five years and may be renewed for an additional $25.00.

* Pick shells. There is a beach off of Kalaniana'ole Hwy in Hawaii Kai near where Costco is (lol). My parents always take my kids there. It's the beach where they mostly windsurf, jetski, seadoo, boat, canoe, etc. I am drawing a blank on the name, sorry.

* You know, the beaches are not all the same there. Lanikai is sandy white (but it gets polluted a lot), Ala Moana is just right for kids (but parking can be a bear), Waikiki Beach is convenient yet congested, etc.

* I just saw this advertised in the local paper there ... http://www.fieldtripfriendshawaii.com She offers weekly classes so that might not work out too well, but it sure sounds wonderful.

* The shopping centers and some hotels in Waikiki offer many free classes, entertainment, and exhibits. I know they teach lei making and some have daily hula shows.

* Oh, and just so you know and because I read the newspaper often and keep up with the news... Kama'aina Kids, who often is the company in charge of hotel-based childcare, was found negligent in some (2?) cases where they left children unsupervised at one of their standard daycare centers a few years ago (I think). I can't remember the specifics, but I do recall reading about it. It's just to give you a head's up. You definitely want to check it out before you leave your child in any center there, even at a hotel.

* The Superferry is there now: http://www.hawaiisuperferry.com It's not necessarily cheaper than air travel, but it is an alternative.

Have fun! We are going back for a visit next summer.