Living on Oahu with Keiki

by Lexi Brown

Living on island is such a wonderful opportunity and the chance you get to explore with your children as you take on your new duty assignment makes it even better.

There are so many amazing places on Oahu to take enjoy with the kids. Some places do have a fee, some others are completely free…

Let’s start with kid friendly beaches.

Oahu has phenomenal beaches however not all of them are kid friendly and more so during the winter time when the waves get a bit stronger and bigger.

Some of the favorite kid friendly beach spots include: Ko’olina lagoons at the Ko’Olina resort, Pokai Bay, Baby Makapu’u tidepools, JBPHH’s so called “Dog Beach”, Kuhio Beach & Duke’s Lagoon. When we say kid friendly, we describe these beaches as lagoons, tidepools or we know that there is a sea wall stopping major waves. These beaches are calm, little to no waves and parents feel comfortable with their kids splashing in the water on their own if able to swim. Adult supervision is always required but these sure give you peace of mind.

One of our favorite places to visit is Moanalua Gardens. Bring a picnic, some bubbles, a ball and enjoy a day out under the monkey pod trees. The estate is full of trees, has a fish pond, is home to ducks and chickens and has structures such as King Kamehameha V’s Summer Cottage which you can get a private tour of.

Entrance to the gardens has as small fee but it is a great place to just sit and enjoy the day while the kids play, run around and climb trees.

https://www.moanaluagardens.com/about

Another inexpensive place to visit which is loved by all coffee drinkers is Green World Coffee Farm. This family owned coffee farm is visited by many tourists daily however it is a great local place to take the kids to play and run around while you enjoy a cup of coffee. The farm has about 3,000 arabica coffee trees which you can walk through, the have a full menu with drinks and bakery items, a retail shop, indoor and outdoor seating, samples for guests and a friendly staff that is always welcoming.

https://greenworldcoffeefarm.com/

Like any other place Oahu also has a Zoo, an Aquarium and Sea Life Park.

https://www.honoluluzoo.org/

https://www.waikikiaquarium.org/

https://www.sealifeparkhawaii.com/

Sea life park has more of an amusement park feel, their prices are a bit higher and their experiences are different from a regular zoo or aquarium visit. Sea Life park has shows daily, many exhibits and even a luau.

If you are looking to support local, Keiki and Plow is a fun experience for the kids.

This family owned farm is a great place for kids to go to and understand how the farm to table experience works by checking out their U-pick hours. They kids can pick their own flowers, fruits and vegetables then play in their outdoor area where they have a slide, play kitchen, swing, outside chalk art, sand pit…

They also have chickens and goats which you can get close to and pet. Keiki and Plow is loved by so many kids, the experience is great and hands on.

https://www.keikiandplow.com/

Another great place to visit is Oahu’s Urban Garden.

This place is great for all ages, has plenty of different flowers and plants to see and it is made up of different gardens which were built in an educational way.

This is an outside garden, so be prepared with plenty of water, sun hat, bug spray. There is no fee however you must check-in at the front office to get a visitor’s pass.

https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ougc/visit.asp

If you are looking for indoor play the Children’s Discovery Museum is a great place to take the kids. They have different exhibits and everything is hands on. The museum also offers different weekly events.

They offer military discounts with ID.

http://discoverycenterhawaii.org/

There are plenty more places to visit around the island with kids. Some places do have age limits on certain attractions like at Kualoa Ranch or CimbWorks zip line which is 7 years old and older.

Seasonal events are also a must on Oahu. Every year there are many different events to join with the family. Everything from street fairs, farmers markets, carnivals, pumpkin patches, Christmas lights downtown and more.