Hawaii For Kids By A Kid

Aloha and welcome to Hawaii for kids by a kid. In 2001, my family was privileged to go to Hawaii for a week. When we returned home, my son prepared a speech on his tropical vacation for his class at school. This page will provide both his and my slant on our visit to Oahu, Hawaii. It is not meant to be a complete guide to Hawaii but rather a simple discussion of a few of the things that a boy in Grade 4 might enjoy doing on his vacation in and around Waikiki, Oahu. However, toward the end of this page, you will find a list of links that will take you to more information about each of the places that we visited. I've also created a page with our top 10 recommendations for souvenirs from Hawaii. You might enjoy reading that, too.

"If you have gone to Hawaii, I hope you did not go to Sandy Beach. If you did, did you go to the monster waves? Did the undertow pull you out to the ocean? My talk is about Hawaii."

Douglas did not mean to scare you off of Sandy Beach because it was a highlight of his trip. However, it is a beach that you should consider taking your children to only if you go to see the waves and not to swim. Remember there is "...beauty and danger in the Hawaiian surf." When we arrived, the lifeguard climbed down from his chair and cautioned us about the conditions and the safety of our boys. Even when wading in the water, the surf was dangerous. My husband hung onto the boys with a strong grip when they dipped their toes into the water.

Be aware that Frommer's.com travel site says, "Sandy Beach is one of the best bodysurfing beaches on Oahu; it's also one of the most dangerous. It's better to just stand and watch."

"There is a really neat hotel. It is called the Hilton Hawaiian Village. It has 24 acres of land, 6 towers and lots of ponds with koi, flamingos and swans. There is one pond with African penguins and turtles. Wow! It had five pools. I told you it was neat."

Yes, we had the good fortune to stay in the amazingly beautiful Hilton Hawaiian Village. My husband was on a conference so most of the room was paid for, we just paid the upgrade to a slightly larger room. I don't remember a lot about the room other than it was fine.

I, too, was amazed by the grounds of the hotel 'village.' They really were beautiful and lush and there really was wildlife like penguins and flamingos. This picture shows Douglas and Ian at night feeding the koi. (Koi is a large fish that flourished in the ponds all around the hotel.)

"We had pictures taken with seven parrots. Can you imagine it? We took four pictures with seven parrots. One parrot played with my hair and played with my brother's ear."

The boys posed for pictures with parrots not once but twice. The boys wanted to have their pictures taken with the birds but I would not be telling a total truth if I did not tell you they were a bit apprehensive (and so was I.) Looking back, I cannot believe I let them do it! (I was a pretty protective parent, despite what you might be thinking at the moment.)

The first time was on the street. A young person with a couple of parrots stopped us and offered to let us use his parrots for a picture with the boys. We said yes and the photos were taken. It is a family joke, however, that the Parrot ate the grommets out of Douglas' hat.

The second time the pictures were taken by a professional in a professional market set up. This, of course, resulted in the better pictures and probably is the safer way to have pictures taken with a parrot. (The picture at the beginning of this page is one of the pictures that were taken that day.)

"We also went to the Kodak Hula Show. People learned to do the hula. Not me. The conch shell was really neat. I liked to be in the shade."

We watched the Kodak Hula Show at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki. It was a fabulous, free outdoor show, a Hawaiian tradition that started in 1937 and ran for 65 years. I believe that more than 17 million visitors saw this show during the course of its run...and to think we were four of them!No one in our family chose to join the hula dancers and learn to hula dance ...and, unfortunately, your family will not be able to as this show has been cancelled due to a lack of funding and the uncertain times we live in. The current sponsors have stepped back, let's hope that there will be another sponsor in the future to allow this wonderful part of Hawaiiana to resume.

"The Paradise Cove Luau was really neat. There was lots of dancing and a fire dancer. There was lots of food and some neat games and activities."

"Sea Life Park was one of my favorites. It has lots of shows. We fed some green sea turtles lettuce. The ray tank was the best."

"Hanauma Bay was another favorite. We went snorkeling. We saw some beautiful fish."

We did. We gathered up some fun gear and headed to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve to go snorkeling very early in the morning as it can get very crowded and the crowds scare the fish away. The sun was honestly so bright for this picture that Ian could not look at his father while the picture was taken!Make sure you check out the information before you head off to Hanauma Bay. They are currently closed on Tuesdays. Also be aware that the parking lot fills up very early and you will be refused admission if it is full.

"Diamond Head is an extinct volcano. It had exactly 271 stairs, two tunnels and a military base. It was really hot. I wish I brought a paper fan."

The beach at our hotel was amazing. Nice sand and a reef with sharp rocks and you can rent stuff like sunglasses, blankets, chairs, umbrellas, floaties and buckets and shovels. I liked to go floating and to build sand castles.I hope you remember about Sandy Beach - do not go to the monster waves and the undertow that will pull you out to the ocean.

Of course, you go to Hawaii for the beaches and if you have young children, you could spend your entire vacation at the beach. The picture here is on the beach right at our hotel. Naturally, it is therefore a busy beach but I don't think the boys noticed!Whatever you choose to do with your family when you visit Hawaii, I hope you return home with as many wonderful memories as we did!

If you are spending your money on an exciting Hawaiian vacation buy a good travel book! They are not very expensive and they will put much of the information that you need at your fingertips. If you buy a family guide, it will make good recommendations for traveling with children. Do make sure that you buy the current issue, using a two-year old edition just doesn't make sense when you need the most up-to-date information. I always buy Frommer's travel guides when we are travellingAmazon Customer Review of Frommer's Hawaii with Kids:"I think that of all the Hawaii-related travel books out there, this one is the best because it is full of pertinent information without getting too involved. It is perfect if you are planning your vacation to include children. It gives you everything from choosing family-friendly accommodations and dining to planning events everyone in the entire family with love. I am very happy that I chose this book." ~~ M. Mueller, Wisconsin

A great travel guide will give you information that helps you decide what are the must-do items for your family. "Bound to lead you and your kids to fun-filled days . . . that help compose the memories of childhood." -- Family Travel Times