My husband and I both LOVE Hawaii. We’ve traveled there many times, and I even went to BYU Hawaii for a semester, which is where I fell in love with the island. So when we had the chance to take our kiddos, we jumped at the opportunity. We had such a fun time exploring the island and we found so many fun things to do on Oahu with kids, I’m excited to tell you all about it.

Hawaii With Kids:

As you know traveling with kiddos can get tricky, so planning ahead helps to make vacations roll along a little more smoothly. My advice with any family vacation…don’t over schedule it. Kids get tired and hungry quickly, and when those two things happen the mood can turns south quickly. Keeping those things in mind, plan what you have the time for. We stayed on Oahu for a week, leaving us plenty of time to see all of the things we wanted to. If you have a shorter vacation, just choose what sounds like the most fun to your tribe.

Things to do on North Shore Oahu:

There are so many fun and amazing things happening on the North side of Oahu, known as North Shore. It’s about 30 miles from the Waikiki area, but depending on traffic it will take you an hour or so to get there. It’s a beautiful drive, whether you go through the center of Oahu or stick to the coast, the views are superb.

I would recommend giving a few days to the North Shore…you’ll be glad you did.

Polynesian Cultural Center:

I’m starting with the Polynesian Cultural Center because it is AMAZING! If you choose one thing to do with your kiddos…this is it! You’ll take a trip around the Pacific Ocean, getting a feel for each of the islands.

The cultural center has so many fun things to do, so make sure to get there when the park opens. You will be able to visit the islands of the Pacific and learn all about the cultures and customs. There are so many great activities to keep your family busy, and an amazing luau to top things off.

If you get your tickets ahead of time on the website, they offer them at a discount. So I would recommend thinking ahead on this one. It’s totally worth the price…such a fun way to learn about the islands.

Polynesian Cultural Center

Our kids loved getting “tattoos” at one of the islands. Even the adults got in on the action. All of the activities are included in the price of admission. The only extra charge is the luau.

My youngest spent a lot of time trying his hand at fishing. They were using dough, and many of the people were successful. Sadly, we didn’t catch any fish…but it was fun to try.

All the kids tried spear throwing. It was fun to see them learning a new skill. I would definitely recommend trying all of the activities while you are there.

Next up…

Dole Plantation:

This is a fantastic way to spend a little time on the North Shore. The Dole Plantation gives your family the opportunity to learn about some of the fruits grown on the Hawaiian Islands. The Dole Plantation provides enjoyable activities for the entire family, including the Pineapple Express Train Tour, the Plantation Garden Tour, and the Pineapple Garden Maze. What you do really comes down to the amount of time you have.

We only had a bit of time, so we spent it on the train ride. I would definitely recommend it. The train gives you a chance to sit and enjoy an audio tour of the plantation.

Our family loved listening to all of the information while taking in the sites of the beautiful plantation. It was a perfect way to enjoy all of the scenery.

Of course, one of thee best things about visiting the Dole Plantation is enjoying a delicious Dole Whip. I got mine with fresh pineapple…and it was AMAZING!!

Did anyone mention shave ice? If not, you should. And the best shave ice on the island is found on North Shore. Again, there are so many things to do on Oahu with kids…it’s hard to fit it all in!! But make time for Matsumoto’s because it’s amazing.

Matsumoto’s Shave Ice:

Matsumoto’s is found in the charming surf town of Haleiwa. We love, love, love this town. And we absolutely love Matsumoto’s! If you are heading into Haleiwa I would recommend going up there early. North Shore gets crowded, so aim to be there before 10:30am.

Once you get your shave ice, get started eating. With the humidity in Hawaii, the shave ice starts to melt super fast. But man, what a problem to have!

While you are in Haleiwa, do some shopping at the quaint little shops there. It’s a fun town to explore.

You may be wondering if we hit any beaches on the North Shore? Well, of course we did!! North Shore has some of the best snorkeling..so grab your snorkel gear anytime you head North.

And speaking of snorkel gear, if you don’t bring your own, plan to stop by Snorkel Bob’s. They have tons of locations on Oahu and you can get your snorkel equipment at any of them, and return it at any of them. You can even take it to another island and return it there. They helped get our kids all squared away and it was really fast.

So where to snorkel? Here’s where we loved.

Shark’s Cove:

Shark’s Cove is awesome for snorkeling because it’s so rocky. The fish love to live and swim around the rocks, so this cove is loaded with sea life. The only problem is the rocks! Seriously, great snorkeling, but if you have little ones they won’t have much area to play. It takes some effort to get out in the water because of the rocks, but once you are there it’s awesome.

If you want a sandy beach that’s great for snorkeling I would recommend you head to Laniakea Beach. This beach is the best beach for spotting sea turtles. They even come up on the beach and enjoy some sunbathing most days. The parking for this beach is super limited, so again I would head early and plan to stay for a bit. The turtles don’t come up on shore until it warms up, so be patient.

The takeaway from your visit to North Shore Oahu…definitely plan a couple days, go early, and plan to have a great time!

Things to do in Oahu with Kids:

Let’s look at all of the other fun things to do in Oahu with kids.

Hanauma Bay State Park:

Hanauma Bay State Park is fabulous for snorkeling. Again, your best bet is to arrive early. This state park fills to capacity and then you will not be allowed into the bay. The tickets and entrance is up above the park and then you will either walk or ride a shuttle down to the bay. If you are all healthy with nothing stopping you from walking, the walk is not bad. Our group walked. If you need the shuttle, it can be reserved ahead of time.

Hanauma Bay has a lot of coral, making it a great place to snorkel. Also, the fact that it’s a bay makes the water very calm and easy to maneuver. It’s great for kids to try their hand at snorkeling.

Pearl Harbor:

Don’t miss the opportunity with your children to take them to the historic Pearl Harbor. This is such a special place to visit. You will have the opportunity to watch a film loaded with information about the attack on Pearl Harbor. After the film, you will load onto a boat where you will be taken out to the monument. It’s such a special and reverent place.

Again, I would recommend you arrive early to get your free timed ticket. The tickets will tell you the time of your tour and the earlier you get there the less time you will have to wait for your tour.

Parasailing:

Have you ever tried parasailing? If not, Hawaii is the place to do it. It’s such fun, and you can go up in pairs which is perfect for your kiddos. We found an awesome deal for parasailing on Groupon before we left for Hawaii. So I would take a look there before you go and see if they have a deal for you.

Parasailing was a huge hit for our kiddos and one of their most favorite activities we did in Hawaii.

Iolani Palace:

We actually stumbled upon this little treasure when we were looking for the Hawaii Five-O building which is featured on most episodes. If your kids watch Hawaii Five-O, they will want to see the King Kamehameha statue and building. But across the street is the Iolani Palace which is so lovely. Only a few from our group wanted to spend the time and money on a tour of this palace so we split up.

There are a couple of tour options, we did the self-led audio tour. It’s a 60 minute tour as you are able to walk around this beautifully restored palace. It’s a great chance to learn about Hawaii’s last reigning monarchs. Such an interesting piece of history, and a great chance to learn about Hawaii’s history. If your kids love this type of thing, I would highly recommend it.

Is it time to chat about the food? Because we had some tasty food that was family friendly!

Places to Eat in Oahu:

Zippy’s Restaurant:

If you want some really yummy Hawaiian food Zippy’s is the place! Their menu is huge, so there’s something for everyone. Their mac salad is seriously so stinking good! We had some locals suggest Zippy’s and once we tried it, we were sold. We ate here several times during our visit. The prices were great, the food was delicious, and the casual dining atmosphere makes dining with children a breeze.

Raising Cane’s:

We discovered this yummy chicken joint on our trip to Phoenix, so we were thrilled when we found it on Oahu! My family loves Raising Cane’s, and it’s fast food so it’s easy to take the kiddos.

Leonard’s Bakery:

When my friend went to Hawaii, she was told to give Leonard’s Bakery a try…and she loved it. So of course, I needed to give it a try too. And let me tell ya, it is yummy!! I’m not gonna lie, we went several times. It was within walking distance from our hotel, so we walked over there anytime we had a sweet tooth.

Now remember when I started talking about our vacation I mentioned down time? Well, we had plenty of down time on our vacation. We spent lots of time on Waikiki Beach, which is great for the children. It’s a shallow beach making the waves totally doable for kids.

Our teens brought their spike ball set, and spent a lot of their time playing it on the beach.

Usually our mornings were packed so we could beat the rush, and our afternoons were pretty chill. But with so many fun things to do in Oahu with kids, you’ll have to pick and choose what you love the most!

If you want even more fun things to do in Hawaii check out more awesome ideas…

Fun Things to do in Oahu

Have a FUN Hawaiian Vacation!!

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Ask me the question “if you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?” and it’s always been London. I don’t quite know what it is about that place-maybe it’s the literature that comes from that country (Jane Austen!), maybe it’s that nearly all of my ancestors came from there, maybe it’s that it’s an easy first attempt at international travel for me, I’m not totally sure, but I’ve always wanted to go.

Luckily for me, my husband’s opinion was the same as mine. He dreamed of visiting London too.

A few years ago, our kids started mentioning how much they’d like to go to London (I think it was around when London hosted the Olympics that they got interested), so, with time ticking before our kids start to leave home, we decided it was time to plan a big trip…to London!

We’ve pounded the pavement of London with kids aging 16, 14, 11 and 8, so I’m ready to give you some tips about things to do in London with kids so that if you’re planning a similar trip you can make the most of it!

The thing is, I’ve now been to London and back and I think if I was asked that question again, my answer still may be the same! I feel like I just got a taste of London and the United Kingdom and rather than satiating my appetite for travel in that country, it only made it stronger. I’d like to go back and spend more time in London and then explore the countryside and the rest of UK! I fell in love!

But for now, here’s the lowdown on our trip and fun things to do with kids in London (and beyond) so that you can plan a great trip for yourself.

Things to Do in London with Kids:

I’ll tell you about the things we did in London with our kids and give you a little information about how each of them received it so you can hopefully determine if it would be a fun activity to do with your kids.

Tips for London with Kids: 

A couple of quick tips before we get started-things we learned that might help you out.

• Plan in some downtime if you can! We had our schedule packed pretty full and it got hard! The kids were drained, we were drained, it would have been nice to have a little bit more time and to slow it down a tiny bit.
• Pack melatonin. This worked like a dream to combat jetlag. We also timed our flight to get in later in the day (it was a red-eye) so we took a few hours to do a couple of things, then went to sleep and had the kids take some melatonin gummies and 3/4 slept for over 12 hours. This helped a lot!
• There are no free public bathrooms in London (or anywhere in Europe), so be prepared to pay or go while you are at a restaurant. Same goes for water-it’s hard to find so plan ahead.
• Don’t expect to eat great food-eat what you can get quickly and easily (which for us was a lot of pizza) because the kids just needed to eat when they needed to eat. That being said, there are a lot of shops (ie. Pret a Mange) on corners where you can grab things like sandwiches, chips, and fruit easily. Also, pack snacks.
• The underground was very helpful to get around and not too hard to use.
• This isn’t necessarily a tip, but we couldn’t believe how friendly the people in London were and we LOVED it!

London Trip Highlights: 

Double Decker Bus Tour: The first thing we did in London was a bus tour of the city. We hopped on a big red double-decker bus a few blocks from where we stayed, popped in some free (provided for you) earbuds with an ongoing tour guide giving all kinds of interesting information about the city, and enjoyed the views from the open top of that bus on a 75-degree day. It was wonderful!

My 14-year-old, in particular, loved this, but we all really enjoyed it. It was a great way to see all the major sites in the city without having to walk. It was easy to get on and off (there are stops all over) and we saw everything! I mean everything-St. Paul’s, Hyde Park, Westminster Abbey, Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, and so much more.

I will warn that the traffic is heavy in London so it’s a little bit slow going. It ended up taking us the better part of the day just to do the main route and we’d hoped to do all of the routes they offer but didn’t get a chance! Plan on each route taking you several hours. Because of this, my 8-year-old got a bit restless around lunchtime, but he perked up once he was fed.

There are a number of companies that you can book through. We used The Original Tour in London and loved it but we also saw a lot of buses from the Big Bus Tour and we used this company in France and it was great too, so either should be fine. 5.5/6 of us recommend this!

Thames River Cruise: This is technically part of the bus tour, but it feels like a separate event and it’s one I HIGHLY recommend. Included with our bus tour were tickets to float on the Thames river and see the sites from there. The line was a bit long to get on the boat but it moved fast and we really enjoyed this! It’s neat to see London from that perspective. My kids had a blast on this! The tour guide was fabulous and the ride itself was only about 30 minutes, so no one got bored and with it being on the river, no one got hot. 6/6 of us recommend this.

The London Eye: We hadn’t planned to ride the London Eye (the big Ferris Wheel on the Thames) because we’d heard it was pricey and had long lines and might not be worth it. But as we took the river cruise and saw the Ferris Wheel, each of my kids expressed interest in riding it and we figured, why not?

Except…I am super afraid of heights so I chose not to do this!

The line was long but less than an hour and it was pricey (I think it’s about $30 a person) so only do it if you really think it sounds fun, but my boys loved it! You get great views of London and the ride itself takes about 30 minutes, so you get time to see it all. (I rode another bus tour route while they did this because I didn’t want to do it.) 5/5 who rode this recommend it.

Harry Potter Studios Tour: If you’re Harry Potter lovers (who isn’t?!), you might be considering a visit to the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour to see where the movies were filmed. My family was really excited about this day. We took a bus from, wait for it…King’s Cross Station to the studios. How cool is that?!

The trip involves wandering through the Great Hall, seeing sets like the Gryffindor Common Room, props like clothes and wands that characters wore and even seeing masks and wigs and how they did the makeup and effects. And Hogwarts! It’s tiny but it’s what they used for all the scenes of the outside of the castle. It was all pretty neat to see.

That being said, this wasn’t a major highlight for everyone in our family. My husband loved it and would have spent 8 hours there easily. My 8-year-old, who hasn’t even read any of the books or seen any of the movies yet says it was his favorite part of the trip. The rest of us were a little bit lukewarm about it. The tour bus drops you off about an hour before your tour so you have a lot of time to kill before going in, and then doesn’t pick you up again for like 6-7 hours, so it’s a long day. Which is good if you want to see everything! It was a little bit exhausting for us. The price was as much as a day at Disneyland, so it’s a steep price.

This is a fun day if you are HUGE Harry Potter lovers and think it sounds amazing! 3/6 rating from us.

Day in the Countryside: This was the day that I was most excited about from the beginning…and it did not disappoint! We paid for a tour that would take us to 4 areas outside of London and take the full day. It was pricey and we took a chance hoping the kids would like it and it would be worth it. And it was! Even the kids loved it.

We started out about 7:45 am at a bus station in London and hopped on a double-decker bus that headed out for 4 stops. It was a rainy, drizzly day which sort of added to the magic and felt very appropriate for a day in the English Countryside.

First stop, Windsor Castle. First of all, let me say that we had an AMAZING tour guide who talked to us while the bus drove past interesting things, while we waited in line at the places, and just overall gave us so much information and was wonderful. So while we waited to get into Windsor we learned a lot about British royal history. Then we had about 1 hour in Windsor to see a few things. This was VERY fast-paced. You could spend a half-day here easily, so we were moving fast, but honestly, with kids (and my short attention span), that was just fine! The views from Windsor were incredible, the rooms were intricate and amazing to see and we got to end with the changing of the guard which was also fun!

Next, it was on to Bath. First of all, the drive was unbelievable and the highlight of the day for me. It was gorgeous with rolling green hills and breathtaking views. (The rest of my family slept while I was glued to the window and the views.) Again, lots of commentary from the tour guide while we approached Bath which was very interesting. I was unprepared for just how much I would love Bath! It was a beautiful city and as a Jane Austen lover (hello Persuasion), I was enthralled.

We grabbed a quick ice cream cone (yum!), saw Bath Abbey, then high tailed it to the Royal Crescent building because when in Bath, you’ve got to see that don’t you?!

We also had time to grab Brioche buns (something Bath is famous for) and see the river quickly and then it was back on the bus (this was all again in just about an hour).

Next up was the part of the trip I was the very most excited for. I dreamed of visiting the Cotswolds and honestly would have loved to stay overnight there, but I didn’t think my boys would be as interested as I was, so this was a nice compromise. We hit Lacock for a pub lunch and then a wander through this quaint English village. This village is used in movies (Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter for example) because it’s such a traditional English village. I couldn’t wait to see it!

First off, we had the pub lunch (fish and chips, cottage pie) and it was as gross as expected. I knew my kids weren’t likely to love the food…and they didn’t! My husband did and my 8-year-old did, which was expected, but the others didn’t. No worries though because it was a fun chance to try British food at a fun pub that’s been there for hundreds of years!

Then we got to walk around the little village for a few minutes (it was small enough that that’s all it took). It was just what you’d expect from a small English village and I loved it! (Saw some Harry Potter houses too!)

Last we headed to Stonehenge. I wasn’t sure this part would be that exciting, but it was rather fascinating. We were lucky enough to get a headset that told us about Stonehenge while we walked around and it was interesting and neat to see. My boys loved it! My husband, again, would have stayed forever (do you see a theme here-not enough time for him anywhere we went).

Honestly, what a fun day. A long day to be sure (about 13 hours total), but very memorable. 6/6 on this one!

Tower of London: The last thing we did in London was a visit to the Tower of London. Mostly we did this because people had said we should. It was more historical than a lot of the things we did and it was a good experience for us. We were tired that morning and our moods were struggling, but overall, I’m glad we did this. We got to see the crown jewels, we saw how they used to torture people, we got to take part in a reenactment of what it was like to be in the tower as a prisoner, we saw all kinds of armor and weapons, overall a very interesting experience. If we had had more time and better moods I think we would have enjoyed this even more. Overall I’d say it was about a 4/6 for us.

Other tidbits:

• Our flat was about .2 miles from Buckingham Palace and it was really fun to walk around there and see it. We didn’t tour it, just went and saw the outside, but it was neat! You can also see the changing of the guard but be warned-it’s PACKED for that! We tried and couldn’t see much.
• We’d hoped to bike in Hyde park but ran out of time. If you have time for this, you can rent bikes there and go for a ride, which would be really fun!
• The LEGO Store was a major highlight for my 14-year-old. Of course, we could visit plenty of those in America, but he thought it was fun to see a London one, plus it’s in Leicester Square which was fun to see and worth the trip!
• My son and I ran by Crumbs and Doilies, a little bakery near Picadilly Circus because we follow Jemma, the owner, on YouTube and it was yummy!
• The Eurostar train (under the channel to France) is super great if you are wanting to hit Paris too. Very convenient, very cool, very peaceful and a great chance to see both the French and British Countryside.

Hopefully, all of these tips for visiting London with kids are helpful to you!

Have a FUN trip to London!

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It’s the middle of February and if you live anywhere like where I do, you’re right in the middle of winter and you’re probably sick of snow and winter and slush and cold like I am. Are you dreaming of getting away on a tropical vacation? Wishing you were somewhere warm?

My family and I just got home from an amazing beach vacation about a month ago and all we want is to go back!! It was seriously so fun. But packing the family for a beach vacation can get overwhelming so I’m here to help. I’ve got everything you need on a cute printable. Making your next vacation even easier.

Are you planning a beach vacation? Where are you headed? Where’s your favorite place to visit and what is it about that place that you love best?

For me it’s the waves. I can play in them all day and listen to them all night. I just love, love, love the ocean.

Beach Vacation Packing List:

Obviously, this is going to vary a little depending on where you are going, for how long and who is going with you. And of course, personal preferences. But here’s something to get you started on your packing.

Let’s start with some ideas for your beach vacation packing list and then down below is a printable version if you’d like it.

Things to Pack for Your Beach Vacation: 

Things to think about packing to keep you happy while sitting on the beach that might be different from your average vacation packing list.

• Swimming Suits: This is probably a given to bring the swimming suits, but think about packing more than one if you’re going for very long so that you can trade them out, wash them, allow them to dry and have a little variety.
• Coverup: You don’t want your skin in the sun all day, so make sure you pack some coverups for yourself and your family, whether that’s a rash-guard for the kids or a cute dress for you, just make sure you’ve got something to cover up.
• Sunscreen: Bring lots! If you are flying and don’t want to check luggage just get a travel size so you have some to get started and plan to hit a store when you get to your destination.
• Clothes: It’s tempting to want to pack enough outfits for every day, but if you’re like us, you will spend most of your time in your swimming suit and won’t get dressed very often, so think about just packing a few outfits for when you really need them.
• Beach Bag: You’re going to have things you want to carry back and forth to the beach, so be sure to bring some sort of bag to transport it all.
• Beach Towels: This one is a maybe. Find out before you go if the place that you are staying has beach towels for you. It can be really handy to not have to pack these if you don’t have to.
• Beach Toys: I prefer to pack pretty light for a beach trip, but depending on the ages of your kids it can be nice to throw in a few toys like buckets and shovels or a football for the kids. (This might be something that the place you are staying already has too.) This could also include things like snorkeling gear, goggles, boogie boards, or other games for the beach.
• Flip Flops or Sandals: Nobody wants shoes on the beach, so make sure you have some great beach footwear.
• Beach Umbrella: It can get hot in the sun, so if the place you are going doesn’t have built-in shade, you might want to bring something to create shade for you.
• Dry Bag: If you’re taking your phone or camera down to the beach, it’s nice to have something to keep it dry. This can be a dry bag or even just a Ziploc that you use to keep things dry.
• Sunglasses: Don’t forget these! That sun gets bright.
• Chairs: If you’re driving and can bring beach chairs, you’ll be glad you did! If you’re flying you can’t obviously, but maybe you can find somewhere you are staying.
• Aloe Vera/Lip Balm/Baby Powder: These can be handy to have. The aloe for if you burn yourself, lip balm for sunburned lips, the baby powder will help brush the sand off from your body after the beach.
• Cooler: If you plan to eat on the beach, this can be handy to have with you!
• Water Bottles: I love the insulated water bottles for the beach so you can still enjoy a cold drink even when it’s blazing hot. It’s also so important to stay hydrated and having reusable water bottles can help.

These are our main staples for a beach vacation. Are there other things that are essential for you?

Here’s a printable version of the packing list that includes all of this plus the basics to help you figure out what you need as you load those suitcases.

Printable Beach Vacation Packing List:

Hopefully, this printable list will be helpful for you. You will obviously need to tweak it for your own family and your own vacation, but this should give you a good start!

Printable List: Printable Beach Vacation Packing List

Wherever you are going, I hope your vacation is a blast!

Have FUN using this beach vacation packing list to get ready to your trip!

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