Honolulu, HI

I’ve decided that I’m going to do everything I can to make this summer great for me and my kids. Since they are going to be home with me, I wanted to do something different and make it interesting and fun – a summer they’ll never forget. Since it’s been one of my personal goals as a parent to expose my children to the various cultures that exist in Hawaii, I came up with a list of things I’d like to do with my children. A few years ago, when one of my children was studying Hawaiian culture, I wanted to take him to the Big Island. Well, maybe this is the summer that we’ll finally get to go there.

But even if we never take the trip, I know there are quite a few things to do on Oahu that I know my kids would enjoy. Anyway, here’s my list about different activities that my kids and I could do to explore Hawaii.

(1) Research a few native Hawaiian plants on the internet and then check out a couple of hiking trails to go find those same plants. What would make this really cool would be to find a waterfall on the trail.

(2) Check out the tidal pools around Oahu and also check out the Waikiki Aquarium. I also wanted to go walk out to Chinaman’s Hat and possibly even the sandbar. Being that I don’t swim very well, this will be a challenge for me, but I’m sure I’ll get over myself when the time comes.

(3) Stay at the Hilton and rent the small kayak and boat bikes they have near the lagoon. Going out on a boat or the submarine would be cool too. Even an overnighter would be really fun!

(4) Visit historical landmarks like the Mission Homes Museum, Iolani Palace and the Arizona Memorial. I also was thinking about doing a few historical walking tours in places like Wahiawa and Chinatown.

(5) Taking trips to the library would be a must. Reading is definitely a plus for them and hopefully they’ll be doing a summer reading program again this year. By the way, if you have younger children, a few libraries around Oahu have a free story time. Barnes and Noble offer a free story and arts and crafts time as well. Check out the Midweek or TGIF for more info.

Hawaii is a great place to explore! And besides, I want my children to know about their culture and about their home state firsthand rather than from a text book.

Hawaii culture, Big Island, Hawaii activities, exploring Hawaii