Aloha - My husband and I will be going to Kauai with our 3 children and my mother from Jan.30 th - Feb 6th. Our children are: 5 1/2, 3 and 20 months. We are thrilled about this trip as it is the 1st time any of us have been to Hawaii.

I have been reading and researching and have come up with some ideas but wanted your expert opinions. We want to spend most of the trip together as a family and don't want to leave the kids with my mother except in the late evenings when they're asleep or for maybe one or two things.

The things that are most important to us are taking the kids whale watching / going to a Luau/ seeing as much of the island as possible / snorkeling with our 5 year old and possibly a glass bottomed catamaran so the kids can watch the fish w/o being in the water.

I've noticed that most of the whale watching trips don't allow children under 2 unless you charter the boat. Is this due to safety concerns or other passengers? We could possiblt get a group together to charter a boat, but I don't want to if it's considered unsafe.

Otherwise, we will be buying picnic lunches on the beach and just enjoying a tropical island repreive from NJ in February. Any and all suggestions on doing this trip with young children will be very appreciated.

Thanks so much

The ocean waters around Kauai can be rough and I would not take my six year old on a boat to sightsee or whale watch. The calmest beaches are either in Poipu, south side or Anini Beach, north side. Where are you staying?

We are staying at the Marriott on Kalapaki Beach (sp?). If the weather is good, how rough is the water? As lovely as the beaches look, I can't see spending a week on the beach (or on different beaches). It's just too laid back for us.

Thanks

IF you do a search on "Kauai Playground" there are several posts that discuss the best playgrounds, beaches and entertainment for small children. The Marriott,where you are staying in Lihue, has a nice beach for kids and the pools are great there too! Have fun!

The beach at the Marriott is wonderful for children. We also found a wonderful little cove beach out beyond the Hyatt, that at low tide had a wonderful little tide pool that the children liked to play in. It also a lot of shade.
You take Poipu road out past the Hyatt and head to the Maha'ulepu Beaches. First parking area is Gillin's Beach--take the dirt road off to the left and drive on to Kawailoa Bay. There are also some cliffs on the far side of the beach. We enjoyed walking on these.
There is spectacular scenery on Kauai. I don't know how much driving you want to do, but you are in a good location to explore both ends of the island. Watch the weather and head to the northshore when the sun is shining.

Lydgate Park is a must do but be sure to take snacks with you as you will stay longer than you think, the playground is awesome. My daughter loved the Kilaua (sp?) lighthouse when she was 18 months old, it is on the way up to Princeville and was a fun family stop with incredible views , whales jumping and lots of cool shore bird habitats. Good for all!

Thanks everyone for the great ideas - Lydgate does sound wonderful. I may have to tear the kids away to see anything else . Has anyone visited the Kauai Children's Museum? Is it worth it? Also, wondering what restaurants are family friendly and have great food. We will be picnicing alot, but want to eat dinner in at least a few nice restaurants. My children are used to eating out and behave well but I would prefer to avoid places that are not family friendly.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Gwen - while I appreciate your perspective, if you read my post, I explain that I want to spend my vacation with my children. I enjoy their company and am not simply waiting for them to be adults before I decide they are worth spending time with.

Go to the kiddie pool at Lydgate PArk. There is a lifeguard, bathrooms, showers, picnic tables. Lots of shallow, warm water. Across the parking lot is Kamalani playground, your kids will love the giant wooden fantasy-type play structure. Further down (maybe one-third mile south of the lifeguard stand) is Kamalani Kai play bridge, a fanciful structure that is a hidden gem on Kauai---do not miss it!

vivi,
We could not find the play bridge when we went to Lydgate. My girls played on the play structure (wooden one) but we couldn't find a bridge. Do you have to walk to it or can you drive? How do you get there from the play structure?

Re: Lydgate kids' bridge

As you first drive to Lydgate, watch for signs on right side of road (well before playground). Take that road allllll the way to the end to access the bridge play area.

mom2three:
the surf conditions during your visit may be rather wild. I urge you not to take young children on a boat ride, and by all means do _not_ take them hiking on any rocky shoreline.

Our winter surf conditions, while variable, are most usually quite wild -- with rogue waves which sweep people off rocks without warning, strong rip currents, and life-threatening undertows. Stick to beaches where there are lifeguards, and heed all posted warning signs.

My grandkids (age 1, 3 & 5) love Kilauea Lighthouse (lots of migrating seabirds in the winter!), Lydgate playground (they wish I lived there), and Princeville park (great for kite flying and their own form of gymnastics).

Thanks for all the suggestions - I will have to rethink my plans to bring at least my oldest Whale Watching.

Has anyone done any of the hiking trips suggested in the Ultimate Guide to Kauai with young children (the youngest would be backpacked)? Any child friendly tours? We will have a car and do quite a bit of sightseeing on our own but some of the best parts of Kauai seem off the beaten track- I don't want to do anyhting risky but am considering taking our almost 6 year old with us horseback riding or on some of the slightly adventurous tours.

Thanks