Planning a trip to Hawaii with your whole Ohana can be stressful, but if you know the right places to go and things to do it can be a memorable experience for all of you! There are so many kid friendly activities in Oahu. If you are traveling to Oahu Hawaii with kids, the below is a list has all the spots you won’t want to miss.
1. Aulani Disney Resort
The Aulani Disney resort is a magical experience for the whole family. It is the top of my list, just in case you haven’t decided where you are going to stay yet! This resort is packed with amenities. Some of the best kid friendly activities in Oahu can be found right here. It is our favorite place we’ve stayed in Oahu!
Disney Aulani has excursions that are available for all age groups. They have character experiences daily so your kids can meet and interact with their favorite Disney characters. There are 4 pools, including an adult only pool, 4 hot tubs (1 adult only), 2 big kid water slides, a waterpark with 2 little kid water slides, a splash pad, a long lazy river, a man made snorkeling aquarium, and of course, the beach!
There’s also a huge variety of cafes, snack stands, ice cream spots, and restaurants to choose from. You are just a 5 minute walk from a small town center, with restaurants and shopping. The Disney Resort really has everything you need. You could spend your entire vacation right there, and have no lack of entertainment and kid friendly activities!
This link will take you to the Disney Aulani website, where you can see the different rooms, amenities and activities offered.
2. Polynesian Cultural Center
This is a day long experience that is catered towards both kids and parents. Right outside the Polynesian cultural center there is a marketplace with a variety of really cute gift shops, food trucks, restaurants, and food stands. It is full of amazing kid friendly activities in Oahu, but it does require lots of walking. Be prepared to take breaks throughout the day if you have little kids, and bring lots of snacks and water, or plan to enjoy the abundance of food you can purchase there.
Within the center itself you can visit all the different villages, join a tour group, enjoy a luau dinner and show, and see the night show. The night show is incredible! I’ve watched it probably 10 times, and it never gets old.
In addition to the fun, the Polynesian Cultural Center is also an educational experience. You and your entire family can learn about the various Polynesian cultures and their traditions. There are different villages for each of the different Polynesian cultures that you can travel between- you can visit Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, and more. You won’t want to miss the fire show and palm tree climbing with Cap. You can also take an interactive boat tour down a river that goes through the entire center, and passes by every village.
I actually wrote an entire post about the Polynesian Cultural Center when we visited about 5 years ago. It has a lot more details, you can read that here! Click here to see all the different packages available at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
3. Honolulu Zoo
Kids love animals and the Honolulu zoo has a great variety of creatures to see! This is one of my kids top picks for kid friendly activities in Oahu, especially if you are staying in the city. The Honolulu zoo is located right downtown Waikiki.
You could spend anywhere from a few hours, to half of the day, wandering around the zoo with your family. They have stroller rentals available for little ones. A playground in the shade is available, where you can take a break in your journey, and there is also a giant Banyan tree to explore.
One thing the zoo is lacking, is good food! Bring some great snacks, or plan to visit one of the restaurants just outside the zoo before or after your trip. Otherwise you might end up spending $50 on tiny cups of dip-n-dots like we did…
The zoo is right next to other kids friendly activities in Oahu, including the famous Waikiki beach, which is surrounded by shops and restaurants. Here is a link to the Zoo’s website where you can reserve your spot.
4. Beach Day
One of my personal favorite kid friendly activities in Oahu is all the beautiful beaches. The beauty found on the shores of Oahu is the best the island has to offer. Waikiki is a tourist favorite, but don’t overlook the beaches on the North Shore.
The North Shore is made up of a string of stunning beaches, starting right across the street from the Polynesian Cultural Center, where you will find the local secret – Bikini Beach – and extending all the way down to Waimea Beach, across the road from another tourist favorite, Waimea falls.
No matter what time of year you visit, there are spots along the North Shore you can swim. In the winter you should avoid swimming at Waimea. Waimea Bay is the site of the famous Eddie Aikua surf competition, that is only held when waves reach a height of 20 feet consistently. The last time it was held at Waimea was in 2016, but even on years the waves don’t reach 20 feet, Waimea gets crazy waves in the winter. It is still a beautiful spot to visit in the winter, but not safe to swim.
Waimea is an amazing spot to swim in the summer, with beautiful snorkeling, underwater caves (don’t swim inside them), and some really fun, and fairly easy, cliff jumping. You can even spot sea turtles here sometimes!
In the winter, you can head back to the Polynesian Cultural center, and enjoy some of the more protected beaches of Laie. You might have waves, and choppiness, but generally you can swim at these beaches year round!
5. Matsumotos
Further up the North Shore, past the Polynesian Cultural Center, is a famous shave ice place called Matsumotos. Here, people have been coming for decades to enjoy top quality shave ice. It is a big hit for everyone, especially the little ones. This is actually the first place I went on the island when I moved there for college (other than my college). It has completely changed since that day, over a decade ago, they rebuilt the entire thing, but it is still the same delicious shave ice.
Click here to see the menu options before you head there. The menu is really long, and every time I go I get decision anxiety. If you can’t decide, just try a whole bunch of flavors.
I hope my top 5 kid friendly activities in Oahu helps make your vacation a little bit better! If you have more places to add to this list, leave them in the comments below to help out future travelers. Mahalo!!
