30 Best Fun Things to do in Kauai With Kids 2025

There is no competition in my mind that Kauai is the most beautiful of the Hawaiian Islands. There’s a TON to do with young kids here. Even if you just spent every day on the beach, it’s a great place for a family vacation.

Who I am: my name is Camille. Though I currently reside in San Diego, I spent every summer growing up on the North Shore of Kauai and now I get to return there with my three kids to vacation. Our most recent trip was in April of 2025. I am of course partial to the North Shore though I will include things to do on both the North and South Shores. For ease, I am going to split the island mentally at Lihue. Anything South/East of Lihue will be the South Shore and anything West/North will be The North Shore.

How to Get To Kauai

The only airport on Kauai is Lihue Airport. You will want to fly in here either by direct flight or via Honolulu and then a quick flight over to Kauai. Make sure to dispose of or eat all agricultural products on the airplane (fruits veggies nuts etc) as you won’t be able to take them onto the island. 

You can’t drive all the way around the entire island of Kauai as you can the other islands. The Napali Coast separates the North Shore from The West Shore. You also can’t drive through the island. So, to drive from one part of the island all the way around to the other will take you about three hours. You will definitely want a rental car as public transportation is spotty and slow. This is an island of small towns. There’s no Honolulu here, no skyscrapers, just beautiful beaches, small businesses, and natural beauty all around.

What to Know Before You Go

Kauai is known as the Garden Isle. One thing that keeps is so green is all the rain! In fact, some spots on the North Shore are known as the rainiest places in the entire world. Make sure to bring some rain clothes and prepare for a few rainy days especially in the winter. Usually it clears up and you can enjoy the beaches for at least part of the day. The North Shore tends to get more rain than the South Shore. 

Kauai is also known for its red dirt. The red dirt does NOT come out of clothes. Bring hiking clothes you don’t care about. Extra mom points if you bring a white shirt and use the red dirt to dye it red for a souvenir. They sell red dirt shirts in all the souvenir shops. 

Another thing we noticed, you don’t have to go far to see farm animals. There are chickens EVERYWHERE even at the airport!

Where To Stay

This depends on what you want to do. I personally think that Hanalei on the North Shore is the most beautiful place in the world. The towering green mountains and lush vegetation combined with less people makes it really feel like Kauai. If you’re going for the North Shore, Hanalei is the best spot to stay with kids. Try Hotel Hanalei Bay! However, the rain and less variety of things to do may pull you to the South Shore where you will get more sunny days. The South Shore is also beautiful but it feels much like any Hawaiian resort town. Poipu would be my choice for the South Shore. 

We have stayed at Poipu Shores Beachfront Condos but really any condo in Poipu would be great with kids. We loved Poipu Shores because of the pool, the big grassy areas, and the spectacular views. Most are walking distance to Brennecke Beach or Poipu Beach. Another option would be to stay inland toward the mountains. You won’t have walkable beach access but it might be a little cheaper. For a central spot, check out Hilton Garden Inn in Wailua Bay. There’s a beach and a huge playground right nearby. The Grand Hyatt Kauai has water slides, though it is a bit steeper in price. For that I would rather have a condo where I can cook some days so we don’t have to go out to eat with our kids for every meal.

If you’re going to be there a while, why not split time and get a place on the North side of Kauai for half the time and a place on the South Shore for the other half?

When To Go

Kauai is nice all times of the year. The best time to go would be summer months as you will have less rainy days. Second would be spring, then fall and then winter. Really anytime of year is a great time for Kauai. You will find temperate weather and things to do but during the winter months you might get more rain. Summer will be more crowded. One of the shoulder months like April or May would be ideal!

What to Bring

If you’re going with kids, bring bright colored swimsuits, snorkel gear, rain gear and lots of sunblock or a long sleeved rash guard. The sun is relentless and you will need to reapply constantly. Some of my family rented beach gear like beach toys, umbrellas, beach chairs and boogie boards from Turo for minimal cost. Sometimes your rental will have some of these items, make sure to ask!

You can buy groceries on the island. I like Foodland or Big Save for a big grocery store. The Walmart in Lihue had barely any groceries. There is also a Target and Safeway on the island. 

What To Do South Shore

Brennecke Beach

Also known in my family as Breaky-Necky beach, this is a wonderful beach for boogie boarding some big powerful waves! It’s sandy all the way out so my kids enjoyed playing in the whitewater. Every time we came here, we got to boogie board with turtles! They are not shy, they will swim right up to you whether you want them to or not! One bopped my sister’s leg as she was surfing and another swam between me and my nephew as we chatted not five feet from each other. There’s a cafe nearby called Brennecke Cafe. They have shave ice (amazing) and Puka dogs (only okay for me but there’s always a line so people must like them).

Poipu Beach

Right next to Brennecke is Poipu Beach. This beach is very famous for its sunning turtles. Any day of the year you will find sea turtles sunbathing on this beach. The beach itself is rocky (except where the turtles are, boo) but it has some great snorkeling. There is also a beachside playground here!

Baby Beach

This beautiful beach with shallow water is great for snorkeling or finding a wave-free cove for the littles to swim in calm water. I thought this was some of the best snorkeling on the South Shore. This beach is rocky so you may want to bring water shoes for the kids and for you. There were also a few vacation rentals here that would make a great home base especially if you have little kids. There are great tide pools here for looking at creatures!

Lawai’i Beach

This beach is great for snorkeling and not much else! The actual beach is small so there isn’t a ton of room to play. My husband said the snorkeling was AMAZING. It was too choppy for me, so I didn’t go out. 

See Waimea Canyon

To really see this grand canyon you need to catch it on a non-foggy day. Unfortunately those are few and far between. We got lucky and went up on a super sunny day and got to see the whole canyon! My family did not have such luck and the entire thing was fogged in. They could only see a few feet in front of them. Waimea Canyon is about 45 minutes from Poipu. We did the Iliau & Kukui trail! It was a small loop with great views and perfect for kids. We also stopped at a red river bed and hopped around all the hills! My kids liked that even better than the hike. They said they felt like they were on Mars!

Poipu Shops

These cute little shops are great for finding souvenirs or grabbing medicine from Longs Drugs. Check out the Olu Kai store for comfy flip flops or grab some Locals from Longs Drugs! There’s also a Lapperts and Bubba’s Burgers here. More on them later. 

Experience a mini Hawaiian Luau and Hula performance at The Botanical Gardens

For a mini dose of Hawaiian culture, check out the free hula show at the Botanic gardens in Poipu. The show lasts about 45 minutes, there’s live music, and it’s free. Thursday afternoons only, right now at noon, but may move times, check their website to be certain! 

What To Do North Shore

Tunnels Beach

Starting most north, Tunnels Beach is easily the best snorkeling on the island. It’s hidden and there’s not much parking but if you can get a spot it’s amazing! The best part about Tunnels is the mountain backdrop. If you’ve seen the musical South Pacific it’s the mountain know as Bali Hai! In real life it has a Hawaiian name I can’t remember. This is the beach where I spent my teenage summers, snorkeling and lying on the beach enjoying the views. The reef drops off into underground tunnels (hence the name).

Beyond the reef there is an excellent surf break. In fact it was the exact surf break Bethany Hamilton was surfing when she got her arm bitten off by a shark. Go watch the movie Soul Surfer for the full story. Not with your kids though or they will never swim in the ocean again. No showers or bathrooms here. Beyond Tunnels is The Na Pali Coast. Most of it is a wildlife refuge and some parts you need a reservation to explore. Also it gets so much rain it’s designated as one of the rainiest places on the planet!

Hanalei Beach

When I compare beaches, this is always the gold standard I compare it to. It’s easily one of the best beaches on the island. Hanalei has a gentle boogie boarding break, it’s all sand, and it’s in a protected cove. The scenery is unmatched with the tall green mountains looming in the background. There is a shower, a bathroom, and a parking lot You can walk into the town to grab food without losing your parking spot. I’ve spent many a summer floating in the waters of Hanalei’s protected Bay and I hope to spend many more. 

Hanalei Town / Ching Young Village

Hanalei Town is a great spot to grab lunch after the beach or find a souvenir. We ate at Hanalei Pizza few times and they also have a world famous poke spot. Tahiti Nui is great for a sit down dinner. Jojo’s Shave Ice is always delicious as well! The people here are so friendly. There are cute shops in the old Hanalei School. Make sure to check out all the photos they have of the big storm that flooded the town in 2018. 

Jurassic Park Waterfall Hike or Ho’opi’i Falls Trail Hike

This fun hike is 2ish miles out and back to a beautiful waterfall that’s featured in Jurassic Park’s opening scene. It is usually muddy and there are a lot of roots and rocks to hop over. Your shoes will likely get muddy with the red dirt which stains. I saw people doing the hike in flip flops, barefoot, hiking boots, water shoes, and all other myriad of footwear. Toward the end you get a choice if you want to view the waterfall from above OR you can climb down what is basically a ladder to see it from the bottom. You can guess which my kids chose.

Street parking in a neighborhood, no bathrooms. Address is 5936 Kapahi Rd, Kapaʻa, HI 96746. This is a popular spot so if you get confused just ask the other hikers where to go. Bonus: Ono Char Burger is just a 13 minute drive away and it’s one of my favorite spots to eat in Kauai. Trust me the short drive it worth if for their Local Boy teriyaki burger.

Lydgate Beach Park

This epic wooden playground is great for a day you just can’t beach anymore. It’s HUGE and there are tons of spots for the kids to climb around and explore. I have many memories of enjoying this playground as a kid and I love how they’ve kept Lydgate Park up over the years!

What To Eat

Ono Char Burger

We annoyed my husband all week talking about Ono Char Burger, located in Anahola. We had fond memories of its deliciousness and were so thrilled when it was still open 15 years later. When my husband finally took his first bite of a Local Boy (charbroiled cheddar cheese burger with pineapple and teriyaki sauce) he said it did in fact live up to the hype. You can call in your order though I haven’t seen it make much of a difference in timing. It usually takes forever. My favorite is the Local Boy and the chocolate milkshake. Be warned though, do not go to the beach in Anahola. They may look beautiful but there are Portuguese Manawar jellyfish in the water. 

JoJo’s Shave Ice

I have yet to find a shave ice place in Hawaii I don’t like. I prefer my shave ice order as thus: POG, pineapple, and mango shave ice with a snowcap and ice cream on the bottom. Best Hawaiian treat ever. There’s a Jojo’s in Poipu and Hanalei. 

Bubba’s Burgers

Though these burgers do not hold a candle to Ono Char, they are still great after a beach day. They are fast and not too expensive. Their ketchup relish is also delicious as are their milkshakes. Warning: the photo below is Ono Char, not Bubba. I didn’t have a photo of Bubba’s Burgers sorry.

Hanalei Poke

This place was featured on TV! I don’t think I ordered the right thing because I preferred the poke from the Big Save grocery store. However if you are a poke fan don’t leave Hawaii without trying some. 

Lappert’s Ice Cream

I live and die by Lappert’s Passion Fruit Sorbet. They have a few Lappert’s on the mainland, but they NEVER have my Passion Fruit Sorbet. They always have it in Hawaii! Lappert’s has the best Hawaiian ice cream flavors so be sure to stop in here between shave ice stops.

This ice cream shop was founded by Walter Lappert after he retired to Kauai at the age of 61. He had just retired from his restaurant business when he and his wife had some very sub-par ice cream. So they started their own ice cream shop. It has since expanded to the mainland, though the mainland flavors aren’t as good as the Hawaii flavors (WHERE is my Passion Fruit sorbet?).

Fun story, we ran into the actual Lappert (his silhouette is part of the logo) at Princeville Lapperts near Foodland back in the early ’00s. He died in 2003 so it was just a few years before his death. He was wearing board shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and a cap just like the logo! And as I remember he did order and eat some ice cream.

Nourish Hanalei

This spot is known for their smoothie bowls. It’s a brunch place with limited hours so check before going. 

Savage Shrimp Tacos

Delicious shrimp tacos in Poipu. Fun to browse the shops around here as well. 

Hawaiian Inspired Home Dinner Menu

We spent a lot of our meals dining at home as we did beach all day and then early bedtime. Though dining out is fun sometimes, I hate taking my kids to restaurants for every meal.

Here was my weekly dinner menu in case it’s helpful for anyone: Banana macadamia nut pancakes, poke bowls (they sell bowls of pure poke at Big Save), Hawaiian Teriyaki Burgers (like Ono Char), Hawaiian chicken skewers (teriyaki chicken, pineapple, peppers, onions), and homemade Hawaiian pizza. 

Other things that we had saved to do but I have not personally vetted with kids: Kilauea Lighthouse, Anini Beach, Kilohana Plantation Train Ride, Ke’e Beach, Kalalau Trail, Wailua Shave Ice, and Kilauea Fish Market.

Aloha and until next time! I will hopefully visit again and have a chance to update this regularly.