Are your children fond of playing on playgrounds? If that is the case, Anaina Hou Community Park provides them with plenty of playgrounds, botanical gardens and a heritage center – sure to keep their attention!
1. Visit the Wailua River
One of the top family activities in Kauai with kids is exploring the Wailua River. Running down the east side of the island past lush jungles and cascading waterfalls from Mt. Waialeale, it offers kayakers an idyllic cruising path through lush jungles and cascading waterfalls rushing from Mt. Waialeale and into Kauai Backcountry Adventures’ Polaris UTVs that seat four passengers – you’ll drive through movie filming sites as well as incredible ocean and jungle views along its banks!
At Fern Grotto on Wailua River you will find an idyllic setting reminiscent of fairytales; perfect for taking photos with children! Uluwehi Falls (Secret Falls), also located off-beaten-path within Wailua River State Park are also worth seeing as they contain remnants from ancient temples and royal sites that date back centuries – both features being National Historic Landmarks!
Spouting Horn Park provides an unforgettable family adventure! Visitors of all ages will delight in witnessing its natural blowhole, which shoots water up to 50 feet into the air! Here, visitors can get close enough to touch its spray!
Limahuli Gardens and Preserve offer another delightful activity in Kauai that’s sure to keep your children enthralled: this breathtaking botanical garden highlights Hawaiian plant life. Exploring this cultural hub will offer your entire family an immersive learning experience, making your Kauai trip memorable for everyone involved. Additionally, luaus offer another fun Hawaii event for your whole family to experience: each one features Tahitian drum dances, Samoan fire knife dances, hula performances, delicious food and much more – making Hawaii unforgettable for everyone involved!
Make sure to stop by Salt Pond Beach Park on Kauai for an unforgettable family beach experience, boasting gentle waters, vibrant tide pools and sunlit shores – perfect for swimming, picnicking and playing games!
2. Visit Limahuli Gardens
Limahuli Gardens offer one of the most enjoyable family activities on Kauai, making for an immersive and educational experience for visitors of all ages. Situated in one of Hawaii’s most biodiverse valleys, this botanical garden provides native plants, terraced lo’i kalo fields, Hawaiian culture and is considered a Pu’uhonua (Place of Refuge) for plants and people.
Kids love exploring this lovely garden, which boasts an endangered koa tree grove. Visitors can stroll the trails that allow them to discover all the exotic plants found within this lush jungle; each tour is led by experienced staff or volunteers and therefore completely safe for families.
Make an unforgettable memory with Blue Hawaii by booking a helicopter ride over Kauai and experience its beauty from above. Kids especially will be thrilled by this unforgettable ride, taking in both breathtaking sights and its rich cultural history.
Luaus are one of the premier activities for families on Kauai with kids, celebrating Hawaiian traditions while providing entertainment that will delight both kids and adults. From Tahitian drum dance to Samoan fire knife dance and hula performances – there’s so much for all members of the family to enjoy at these celebrations of culture! And let’s not forget all of that fantastic food!
The Smith Family Garden Luau in Kauai is known for being an accommodating luau experience for families. The venue is large and safe for little ones to explore safely while its buffet provides variety to satisfy different tastes or dietary restrictions.
Experience Hawaiian culture through an unforgettable waterfall hiking adventure along the Wailua River. This family-friendly trek will lead you to breathtaking waterfalls where you can capture photos or swim in their pools below.
Kauai boasts many excellent dining options for kids. Jojo’s Shave Ice Shop in Kekaha offers delicious rainbow flavor shave ice topped with macadamia nut ice cream for an irresistibly delicious treat.
Poipu Beach Park offers another excellent option for enjoying Hawaiian-style cuisine: this picturesque beach park makes the ideal location for picnics, as its stunning beach location makes for spectacular waves to play in or stroll along. Plus, Poipu Beach Park comes fully equipped with restrooms and playground structures – making it an excellent family outing spot.
3. Attend a Luau
A luau is the ultimate Hawaiian experience – an extravagant feast of food, music and culture with traditional hula dancers performing stories to unite all islands together. A luau can make for a very memorable event for families celebrating milestones like birthdays or graduations or to introduce children to Hawaiian traditions and history.
Luaus typically last between two and three hours, so you must plan accordingly. Make sure your children are well fed and rested prior to attending a luau, and try to obtain tickets that allow for optimal viewing from closer to the stage. If any dietary restrictions arise prior to attending, inform the luau so they can accommodate you properly.
The Smith Family Garden Luau is an ideal option for families with young children, offering a range of activities that will be both engaging and enjoyable for everyone in attendance, such as hula lessons, lei-making and coconut husking. They also provide a buffet with something suitable for everyone’s taste; furthermore starting earlier makes this event particularly appealing to families whose young ones require early bedtimes.
If your children enjoy marine animals, a whale and dolphin boat tour could be the perfect activity. These excursions take your group to areas known to host whales and dolphins while providing plenty of opportunities for kids to swim freely in the ocean water with snorkel masks on.
Make your Kauai experience truly remarkable by booking a helicopter tour! Aerial views will offer breathtaking perspectives of Kauai from above; especially impressive are views of Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon that you won’t see any other way!
Kauai maps can help you plan your itinerary by showing all of the attractions as well as providing distance estimates between each one. You may also wish to download a travel guide prior to setting out.
4. Take a Train Ride
Kauai is an amazing destination to bring children. The island provides incredible vistas, exciting outdoor adventures, and plenty of room for them to run free – plus parents love sneaking a bit of education into vacation plans!
One of the best activities to do with kids on Kauai is taking a train ride – either solo or as part of an organized tour. A train journey allows visitors to experience Kauai’s rich railway history while learning more about its development; plus it’s safe and comfortable enough for younger riders!
Kauai offers plenty of things for kids to do with adults, including visiting Spouting Horn Park. This coastal area hosts a geological feature known as Spouting Horn that shoots water out of rocks up to 50 feet high – an attraction sure to pique their interest! Youngsters will love seeing water shoot up into the air!
Kauai is home to some amazing marine creatures, so if your children enjoy animal-related activities, book a whale and dolphin boat tour. This adventure will bring you through areas with known populations of humpback whales and dolphins so you can view these captivating species first-hand.
The Plantation Railway in Kauai offers an unforgettable family-friendly experience! This tour offers special attention to young passengers by stopping at animal pastures where children can feed friendly pigs, horses and donkeys! Additionally, this experience gives visitors an incredible glimpse of Kauai’s lush greenery!
If you’re interested in taking this tour, be sure to book it ahead of time in order to secure a place on the train rides and Luau Kalamaku show (featuring Moana-themed theatrical performance starring Moana herself!) that takes place every night right before bedtime. Your kids may especially appreciate seeing this luau with its combination of drama, music and dancing performances – it makes for a wonderful ending of an already fun-filled night!
