Kauai offers sights and sounds for the whole family. The island is home to countless family-friendly activities that everyone can enjoy, while most of these activities are catered towards people of all ages, there are a few particular spots that children will especially enjoy.
It’s important to keep your children active all throughout the trip, so make sure not to overcrowd your itinerary and distribute these fun spots accordingly.
Visit Kilauea Lighthouse
Perched at the northernmost tip of Kauai, the Kilauea Lighthouse, known today as the Daniel K. Inouye Kilauea Point Lighthouse, stands at a towering 52 feet. It can surely captivate travelers who get to gaze upon its majesty. Children under 16 years old can enter the lighthouse free of charge, and we all know that children are often fascinated by the sight of towering structures.
The more than a century-old lighthouse was erected in 1913 as a beacon for traveling ships. In 1970, its light was replaced by an automatic beacon, but it still serves as one of the island’s most visited attractions. Children will surely enjoy the immaculate views off the northern coastline as well as the sightly waters of the deep-blue Pacific.
There is also a wildlife refuge nearby for nature-loving travelers to immerse themselves in a teeming environment filled with various plantlife and wildlife. Kids will love running around the lighthouse, spotting birds and enjoying the flora and fauna of the vicinity. Photo opportunities abound this magnificent spot, and for aviary enthusiasts, the Kilauea Lighthouse is the perfect spot to see the red and blue-footed boobies.
Take a Bite at Kauai Kookie Factory
Make sure to drop by the Kauai Kookie Factory while you’re bringing your children along for the trip. Grab a tasty treat and enjoy each other’s company as you partake in the delectable free samples that Kauai Kookie often gives out. Located in Hanapepe, Kauai Kookies are known to be the premiere cookies from the island of Kauai.
Kauai Kookie’s bakers are hard at work in creating a variety of their signature island-style cookies and other baked goodies that uphold the reputation of its brand. Your kids will really appreciate freshly baked goodies straight from their oven. Using some of Hawaii’s finest ingredients such as macadamia nuts, Kona coffee, and Kauai’s very own Makaweli poi, Kauai Kookie ensures travelers that they are purchasing a superior product.
Bring your children to Kauai Kookie for a deliciously good time, their palate will surely appreciate an authentic taste of Kauai.
Explore Kauai’s Hindu Monastery
Make your trip as educational as it is enjoyable, by visiting Kauai’s Hindu Monastery located in Wailua Homesteads. If you have never personally been to a temple in Kauai yourself, then it will become the perfect learning experience for you and your children. Learn all about the long-standing history of the monastery as you journey through its walls.
Children will find a sense of fulfillment and wonder as they walk down the aisles of the monastery and are greeted by the monk. Known as Kauai Aadheenam, the Hindu monastery is a traditional South-Indian style monastery-temple complex on the tropical Garden Island of Kauai.
The head of the monastery is called the Guru Mahasannidhanam is Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami. The powerful spiritual sanctuary was founded in 1970 and is home to Bodhinatha and his order of swamis, yogis and sadhakas from different nations. The monastery is the headquarters and theological seminary of Saiva Siddhanta Church.
There is so much knowledge and culture to grasp within a single visit of Kauai’s Hindu Monastery. Unlock your children’s inner curiosity by encouraging them to explore the inner walls of the monastery and learn a thing or two about the culture and beliefs of Hinduism.
Attend Free Hula Shows
It wouldn’t be a proper trip to Hawaii with your kids if you don’t get to experience the hula shows which are essential to the Hawaiian experience. Thankfully, travelers don’t need to break the bank to experience a hula show with their children. There are four free venues on the island of Kauai where travelers can experience the famous dance that permeates Hawaiian culture.
The shows are for people of all ages, as the endlessly entertaining hula shows can captivate a wide array of audiences. There are free hula shows at Poipu Shopping Village every Monday and Thursday at 5:00 pm. While the Coconut Marketplace has free hula shows on Wednesdays at 5:00 pm and Saturdays. The National Botanical Garden South Sides Visitors Center holds its free hula shows every Thursday from 12:30 pm. And finally, the Hyatt Regency has hula shows during Saturdays at 6:00 pm.
These free Hula shows offer visitors with an opportunity to have a glimpse at the different cultural dances from the Polynesian islands. Hula dancers are able to showcase their skills by dancing different types of dances from the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Islands. These varying dance styles include Hawaiian dances such as kahiko and auana, as well as Maori dances, Tahitian dances, Samoan dances and Tongan Dances.
The shows provide a quality representation of its cultural presence on Kauai for visitors of all ages to enjoy. It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, you may actively participate in the dances when the hula dancers ask for volunteers to come and join them.
Visitors should be prepared to learn how to dance hula and learn some of the basic movements required to dance one of the many popular songs of Hawaii. It will be a great opportunity to immerse yourself in Hawaiian culture first-hand. Learning to dance Hula along with your children will become a great bonding experience that you can share for an entire lifetime.
Discover Kauai with Adventurous Kids
There are so many great things to do in Kauai, and what better way to enjoy the beautiful island than being surrounded by the people you love the most. Oftentimes, travelers would advise not to travel with children, but the island of Kauai is a potential home for a lifetime of memories with your kids. Make sure to grab the opportunity to travel with your children and celebrate your familial bond through the child-friendly experiences that only Kauai can ever offer.
Your children are only young once, and pretty soon they’ll be all grown up and out of the house before you know it. So, make sure to indulge in unique travel moments and make a lifetime of memories together. The island of Kauai will open you and your family with open arms.
