My family with two teenagers has two weeks in Hawaii this summer. We think that the islands we'd like to see the most are Maui, BI, and Kauai, but we're not sure how to split up our time. Any suggestions?

Commit to two islands only. You lose 1/2 day when packing up and hopping over.

Jenny,
I agree that you'd be better off narrowing down to two islands. I, personally, would do a week in Maui and a week on the BI.

I love the Big Island but for a two week trip with my kids to two islands in the summer, I would do Maui and the northshore of Kauai- specifically Hanalei Bay area. Maui provides all of the fun stuff- lots of tourist activities, Lahaina, the mountain top at Haleakula. Kauai is just so darned pretty- especially the Northshore which is gorgeous in the summer and has wonderful beach and hikes, also great kayaking. Big Island means a lot of car time which my kids personally hate. Also access to beaches is a little tougher and landscapes can be pretty barren. With just a week to explore each island, I'd go for Maui and Kauai.
Good luck.

strong believer in taking that time frame on one island, for me that island is Kauai. Split up two weeks last year we still had fun but felt the break in mood won't make that mistake again this year. I suggest either one week south side of Kauai and one week North Shore Kauai if you have to break up time at all.

I think the only way to do the Big Island justice is by a two week stay. A shorter time period and you will have fun filled DRIVING MEMORIES.

Maui is the only island I would give a week to. Although when I have gone there for a week (done this on 2-3 different occasions) I always stay in kihei or Lahaina area, a longer stay would provide some time in Hana. Wailea (sp) looks good but going for one week stays I have always chosen more central locations.

I guess it all depends what you want to do also. I love to hike, snorkle, hike so I like to look at different locations. A lot of people go to Kauai and enjoy hanging at the pool and seeing something close by. They are happy viewing sights from roadside park service lookouts. If this is you and you won't be in a minority you could easily split up you days 4,4,4. To know some of the variety of hiking available on all islands go to www.hawaiitrails.com. Don’t be put off if you are not a regular hiker there are plenty of options from easy walking to strenuous/experienced.

Not the same Mary you can identify me as MARY MARY MARY in post about doing one island in two weeks.

My wife and I spent 15 days in Hawaii last October... 4 days on the Big Island, 7 days on Kauai and the final 4 days on Maui. I think this worked out pretty well for a first trip to Hawaii. I mean, we don't know if we will ever get a chance to go back so we wanted to see as much as we could while we had the chance. If we do go back, we would probably spend one week per whatever island we choose... the better to get a real feel for them. But again, for a first (and maybe only) trip, three islands in two weeks was the best compromise.
Specific island comments:
Big Island - We loved it and wish we had had more time to explore. South Point and the green sand beach (Puu Mahana) were rugged and wonderful, Mauna Kea's summit was awesome and Volcano National Park was incredible. We could have easily spent another week here and been happy. The driving was no big deal, come on folks, you're driving in Hawaii with great views all around and no traffic jams... I found it pretty enjoyable.
Kauai - Beautiful place, great snorkeling and hiking. A week was about right here as we hiked where we wanted (Na Pali coast, Waimea Canyon) relaxed on Anini Beach and visited the scenic spots on the south shore. Beautiful, beautiful place.
Maui - A nice island but we were slightly disappointed. I think it was because we decided to do the "touristy" things here: a luau, souvenir shopping, etc. While I'm glad we did that, in retrospect I would rather have stayed in a quieter part of the island, perhaps Hana and spent more time exploring the natural Maui. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed our time here a great deal (the highlight was the snorkel trip to Molokini) but it just didn't stack up to the other two.
In summary, two weeks is enough to visit three islands, and three islands is a good itinerary for a first trip. If you cut one of the islands out that you are thinking of you will always be wondering what you missed. If and when you make it back, concentrate on just one or two islands. Whatever you decide you will certainly enjoy yourselves. Have fun!

Also agree one island two weeks. Get a
convertible on Maui for the road to Hana and definately a night in Hana instead of trecking all the way back to Wailua, Kihei or Lahaina area.

See how John R talks about how "Maui did not stack up". Think this is a result of not really knowing what is on Maui. What you come away with when you spend a bit more time is an understanding of how each island offers something special and different.

Maui probably offers the best entertainment of the outer islands. Old Lahaina Luau, Ocean Center, Lahaina town on a Saturday night just to name a few. I also like hiking in along the road to Hana. The drive back over the unpaved road extending from Hana down the back side of Haleakela is wonderful, dry instead of wet and very rugged. Top of Haleakela is also incredible. A bike ride down in the early morning is fun.

Just think you do absorb more of the peace and tranquility of an island when your are there longer than a blink.

Remember that since 911 security check points are adding on to travel time. Inter island carriers are asking for 90 minutes gate time before you fly to a neighbor island. Add on to your time a stop over on Honolulu and you have an easy 3.5 hours travel time to the next island. Will you want to drive up to Haleakela after this or will you spend it recovering or getting your bearings all over again. It is very difficult unless you are leaving from Honolulu to plant yourself on an neighbor island before 11am. See interisland schedules at Hawaiian Air and Aloha Air websites, remember to factor in travel time to airport.

Maui also provides significant more swimmable/assesible beach space than BI something to think about

I agree Karen... 4 days was not enough time on Maui to get a real feel for it and I'm sure we missed things we should have seen and done. Next time back (if there is one) we'll spend at least a week there.
However, if we had spent two weeks on Maui we would have missed all the wonderful experiences we had on the Big Island and Kauai. That would have been a tragedy. I think our chances of getting back to Hawaii at all are pretty slim and I would be terribly disappointed not to have had the range of experiences that we had.
My opinion is if Hawaii is going to be a place you return to with any frequency then feel free to take your time and do one island at a time. If you think this might be a one time only visit then see what you can when you can, without making the trip too hectic. It is a fine and difficult line to draw... just don't limit yourselves too much so that you regret what you didn't do later.