Fun Things To Do With Your Kids In Kauai

Surfing at Hanalei Beach

Hanalei is one of my favorite places in the world. It’s so picturesque with the lush, green mountains to the left of the beach and the adorable Hanalei Pier and stunning St. Regis Hotel to the right. I loved taking my kids surfing at the beach break in front of Hanalei Pavilion.

One of my favorite places in the world… Hanalei Pier.

You can rent surfboards and get surf lessons next to Hanalei Pier. There are a ton of surf shops in Hanalei that rent boards. But here’s an even better deal… We bought a foam longboard from Costco for just $120 and used it for nearly 4 weeks. I ended up selling it for $60 on Craigslist the day before we left. This turned out to be much cheaper than renting a board – which would have cost $100 a week. I basically paid $60 for 4 weeks.

Snorkeling and Tree Climbing at Anini Beach
Anini Beach is just 10 minutes from Princeville (and 15-2o minutes from Hanalei). We loved this beach because it was pristine and calm. It was perfect for snorkeling. Both my 4- and 7-year-old sons learned how to snorkel here and became so comfortable they were on their own within a day. I’ve seen a lot of families camp out on the beaches or have family gatherings around the many picnic tables in this area.

Surf practice at Annini beach.
They learned how to stand up on a longboard, paddle for a wave (though there wasn’t any), and how to jump off the board safely. Once they were comfortable, we then took them to surf real waves at Hanalei.

10 Fun Things to Do in Kauai with Kids – DontMesswithMama.com
My oldest son loves climbing trees.
Another great perk of this beach is many of the trees are perfect for climbing. These trees beat monkey bars and playground structures any day. I even joined in the climbing fun and jumped into the ocean from the sprawling tree branches that hovered over the water.

Lydgate Park & Kamalani Playground
On the east side of Kauai in the city of Kapaa, there’s an amazing beach called Lydgate Park. It features two enclosed beach swimming areas protected by boulders, so it’s really safe for kids to swim and snorkel. There are quite a few trees to offer shade, public restrooms, and a lifeguard on duty.

Across the street from the beach is Kamalani Playground. This is not your every day, run of the mill playground. It’s really intricate. It’s a massive wooden structure that looks a bit gothic with it’s faded brown-gray exterior and roofs. But it’s loads of fun for the kids. It features swings, balance beams, slides, musical bells (with instructions on how to play songs like Mary had a little lamb), lots of stairs, and even a tot area for younger kids. The playground weaves in Hawaiian culture and landscape (like volcanoes, Hawaiian songs, and animal life with sculptures). My kids pretended they were pirates, then went down the volcano slide. They could have easily stayed all day.

10 Fun Things to Do in Kauai with Kids – DontMesswithMama.com

10 Fun Things to Do in Kauai with Kids – DontMesswithMama.com10 Fun Things to Do in Kauai with Kids – DontMesswithMama.com

Other Kauai Beaches
Before you go to any Kauai beach, make sure you check out Kauai Explorer. This website has fantastic information on beach conditions, appropriate activities (e.g. surfing, snorkeling, swimming), and whether there’s a lifeguard on duty. Also, make sure you know when the surf will be up in your area. For instance, usually the surf is big on the north side of the island in the winter, which makes it harder to find suitable swimming spots for kids.