Kids favorite activities in Hawaii
 

We are planning a trip to Hawaii in 2006 and are in the very early planning stages

Besides the obvious (beach) what activities, sights, etc did your children like the best? Mine will be 11 and 9 at the time we travel

We travel a lot but just haven't made it to Hawaii with the children. We were there as a couple more then 10 years ago and I am sure a lot has changed

Island that we are planning on going to (subject to change) are Maui, Oahu, and Kauai

Probably spending a total of 14 nights between the three

This is an obvious suggestion, but my kids loved snorkeling. It was hard to get them out of the water. Before we left for the Big Island I enrolled them in a snorkeling class at a local scuba center. Although this probably isn't necessary, they did learn some good tips and they became familar with the equipment.

My three girls (then 6-9) loved the powder room and birds in cages at Mama's Fishhouse, Maui and the Bewitched reruns on tv.
Also enjoyed beachcombing, snorkeling, swimming in the pool, a dolphin watch/snorkel trip to the island of Lana`i, shopping for trinkets in Lahaina and the Old Lahaina Lu`au, Maui.

On Oahu they enjoyed our private dining room (okay, a hut-like section of the restaurant) and live entertainment at Duke's Canoe Club, Waikiki and the launch ride and oil stained waters at Pearl Harbor.

Renting boogie boards is another fun beach activity to do. Your hotel might have rentals or you can buy one at the ABC stores. Most kids just like to relax on the beach and swim.

Thanks for the replies so far

I think they will enjoy a lot of those. I also want them to experience some cultural events so that they come back with some educational information from this wonderful place

Any other suggestions would be most welcomed

You don't mention which island(s) you'll be visiting -- but they all have great historical museums where you can expose your children to the rich history and culture of Hawai`i.

On O`ahu, you can also visit `Iolani Palace -- the only true royal palace in America.

Downtown Honolulu is a great place to expose your kids to history & culture as well as other activities. You can go to Iolani Palace, take a tour of Chinatown, go to Aloha Tower - the Maritime Museum - Falls of Clyde, and the Children's Discovery Center. Depending on the time of year, you can check out the State Capitol and see the lawmakers at work, and check out the Hawaii State Art Museum (if you're into that).

On Oahu also, the Bishop Museum. When my girls were younger they also enjoyed visiting the Byodo-In Temple near Kaneohe.

Because my daughters like the beach so much we try to schedule sightseeing/other activities during the morning and then beach afterwards. Or, schedule one day on, one day off.

The sites which MelissaH has pointed out are great -- and you can use the Waikiki Trolley system to see most of them, without hassling with parking your rental car:
http://www.waikikitrolley.com/

BTW -- both Ala Moana Shopping Center and Hilo Hattie's offer free shuttle service from most Waikiki hotels. Visiting kids seem to be awe-struck by the huge food court at Ala Moana! :-)

My kids loved snorkeling at Honolua Bay in Maui and Hanauma Bay on Oahu. The youngest was 7 and had no trouble.

They loved the Atlantis Submarine ride (thought Maui was better).

Loved the Goofy Foot surf lesson in Lahaina.

Loved "Cheeseburger in Paradise" on Lahaina".

Loved riding in the rented convertible...alot.

Loved walking under the giant Banyan Tree in Lahaina. They were disappointed with the Sugar Cane train.

They really enjoyed the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu.

We saved quite a bit using the Entertainment Book and the Activity Association Gold Card (www.goldcard.hawaiifun.org)

I really found the Maui & Lana'i "Making the Most of Your Family Vacation" guide by Christie Stilson to be very helpful.