8 Best Things to Do with Kids in Maui

If you have small kids who don’t know how to swim yet, Baby Beach is a safe choice for some family fun in the sun, sand and sea. On this beach, you’ll see local families with their young children. The exposed stretch of reef on Baby Beach creates a calm shallow area where the kids can run around without fear of getting knocked down by a big wave.

For those with older children who can swim, head to the beaches of Kaanapali, Napili or Kapalua on the North Shore as the waters are a beautiful clear blue – great for snorkeling and bathing. If you’re lucky, you can even catch a glimpse of sea turtles and humpback whales breaching right off the beach.

Lahaina Animal Farm, on the hills of West Maui in Launiupoko, offers kids an educational and personal experience with farm animals like goats, sheep, chicken, pigs and tortoises. On a farm visit, the family will be accompanied by a tour guide who will share the cultural history of farming in Maui and the arrival of the animals to the islands.

Kids will learn the difference between goats and sheep, feed the chickens and learn about their eggs, and bathe the pig with a hose. Other activities to delight the little ones include bunny, guinea pig and goat petting, as well as miniature horse and donkey feeding. Be sure to make a reservation in advance if you want to visit Lahaina Animal Farm.

For a unique and memorable activity in Maui, take your kids to Hawaii Mermaid Adventures where they can pretend to be a little mermaid for a day. During a mermaid bathing lesson with a certified lifeguard and mermaid instructor, kids will be wearing a mermaid tail as they learn how to navigate the ocean, learn about marine life and mermaid mythology, and immerse themselves in the marine habitat.

Adults can also have a mermaid adventure, along with underwater photo taking of the whole family dressed as mermaids. You can even bring home your very own mermaid tail and wear it to the beach or the public bathing pool.

A trip to Maui wouldn’t be complete without surfing – an activity synonymous with Hawaii. Hawaii attracts visitors and surfers from all over the world to its beautiful beaches and undulating waves that are perfect for surfing. There are several surf schools around Maui offering surf lessons for kids.

The surf schools offer lessons for kids and adults so the whole family can enjoy this activity as a bonding activity. Some of the most popular surf schools include Maui Surf School Kaanapali, Maui Surf Lessons, and Maui Surfer Girls which offers lessons tailored around the abilities of each child.

With bi-coastal views of Maui, stroll through shade-grown coffee and cacao orchards in Kupa’a farm, located on the slopes of Haleakala. On this informative tour, you and your kids will learn about the 3 main species of coffee, the different varieties of each species and the picking and processing techniques of coffee.

You’ll also learn about the similarities between the growing of both fruits and the production of chocolate and coffee from beginning to end. The tour also includes a tasting of chocolates from different parts of the world as well as a chocolate concoction which the kids will love, and a sample of the farm’s organic coffee to give you that extra boost for the day.

During whale season from December to May, take your kids (7 years and older) on a whale-watching boat tour where they can see the magnificent humpback whales breaching just meters away.

There are several whale-watching boat tour operators popular with visitors on Maui, like the Pacific Whale Foundation, Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel, and Makai Adventures - Maui Whale Watching. Accompanied by experienced marine biologists who’ll share their knowledge of the whales, this once-in-a-lifetime family bonding activity gives you and the kids a chance to learn more about this marine mammal.

Make your kids’ dreams of flying come true with a ziplining adventure at some of the family-friendly ziplining options in Maui. Offering ziplining tours for children as young as 5, the Waikapu ziplines run by Maui Zipline Company on the Maui Tropical Plantation includes a tour of the plantation before zipping through forests, a lagoon and into a treehouse. There’s also a 900-ft tandem line that allows you to zipper with your kids.

Other family-friendly ziplines include the Ka’anapali zipline in West Maui run by Skyline Hawaii and the Piiholo Ranch zipline for children 8 years and above. Accompanied by experienced guides, you and the family will be soaring above the pacific coastline and lush green canopies.