The 20 Best Kid-Friendly Resorts in Hawaii

Situated on the Big Island's sunny Kohala Coast, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is the perfect Hawaiian getaway for keiki (children) and their families. The Mauna Kea Keiki Club Adventures program offers children ages 5 to 12 full-day adventures, including shell hunting, hiking, and exploring caves and lava tubes. Over at the resort's newly opened Discovery Center, families can learn about Hawaii's rich history and community through interactive learning stations. Families can also arrange for private ukulele, hula, Hawaiian language, and lei-making lessons at the resort.

At Timbers Kauai, families can play at the 'ohana pool or lounge at the two-tiered infinity pool. There are over 17 miles of hiking and biking trails for active families and an 18-hole golf course to keep busy. Timbers Kauai also has a Timbers Tykes room for children to play at on property, and for couples looking to enjoy a date night or even a full-day excursion without the kids, the concierge can arrange a babysitter for resort guests.

Located at the iconic Pu'u Keka'a (Black Rock), the recently renovated Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa continues to be recognized as one of the top family resorts in Hawaii. Its location offers the perfect spot to enjoy seemingly endless ocean activities, including the resort's renowned 55-year-old nightly sunset cliff diving ceremony, new aqua gliders, snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, and more. The resort offers a variety of complimentary programming for kids, including ancient Hawaiian games, Polynesian (fake) tattoos, fire knife demos, and more. Stay in the 'Ohana Suites, which have two double beds, a deluxe pull-down wall bed, and a spacious bathroom. It's all just steps from several large swimming areas interconnected by lava-rock waterways, a lazy river, and a water slide.

Ka'anapali Ali'i offers private suites and condominiums with plenty of room for families to gather. Every condo features fully equipped kitchens, two full baths, private lanai, and central air-conditioning. Directly in front of these Maui condos is the best stretch of action-packed Ka'anapali Beach, with beach activities, including catamaran and boat excursions with snorkeling, scuba diving, parasailing, and whale watching. The newly renovated and expanded oceanfront pools at Ka'anapali Ali'i include two freshwater swimming pools with a waterfall, two whirlpool spas, and a children's pool.

For families staying at The Lodge at Kukui'ula, supervision is provided while kids participate in island adventures like surfing, ATV trekking through Kipu Ranch, or tubing through the irrigation canals of an old sugar plantation. Furthermore, guests (and children!) have access to an array of luxury amenities, including a private clubhouse, a full-service spa, an 18-hole golf course, and a collection of swimming pools, water slides, and a sand-pit volleyball court.

Four Seasons Resort Lanai offers families an idyllic island escape on their own 90,000-acre secluded Hawaiian island filled with activities for all ages. In addition to enjoying the stunning resort's swimming pools overlooking Hulopoe Bay, guests can venture off-property for hiking, horseback riding, and adrenaline-filled off-roading adventures across red dirt roads. It's a haven for North Pacific humpback whales, so families can also take the Lanai Whale Watch Expedition or enjoy snorkel excursions and find waters teeming with colorful fish. There's also the complimentary Kids For All Seasons program for children ages 5 to 12 that includes fun activities.

From energizing, fun adventures to soothing relaxation, there's something for the entire family at Aulani. Kids will love the KA WA'A Luau, which features an evening full of exhilarating songs, dance, and a lavish Hawaiian feast with suckling pig and prime rib, fresh local seafood, and authentic island fare. There are also preshow activities such as kapa printing, flower arranging, and temporary kaku tattoos. The Pana Hana room also offers multiple family-friendly offerings, including a wide selection of classic and new Disney movies.

The family-friendly Wailea Beach Resort underwent a renovation and unveiled six new dining options, five pools (including one featuring Hawaii's longest water slide), a kids' club, a teen center, a movie house, a full-service spa, and an Escape Room. Families who want an authentic cultural experience can also participate in the hotel's Te Au Moana, a luau experience that transports guests on a journey through the island's history in the form of song and dance. In the Winter months, the resort is also known as one of the prime whale-watching spots on the island of Maui. Families can take an excursion out onto the water or even be so lucky as to spot a whale from their balcony overlooking the ocean.

The Sheraton Waikiki is the second largest hotel in Hawaii, offering plenty of activities and amenities for the whole family to enjoy. Spend the day at the pool complex consisting of two connected pools, fountains, water slide, and jacuzzi, or enjoy the special kids' camp, where children can make leis, go to the aquarium, and more. Parents can take advantage of the Sheraton Fitness and Spa Khakara or dine at one of three unique restaurants on the property while the kids are at camp.

The Kaua'i Marriott Resort features top-tier amenities, family-friendly programming, and modern rooms and suites with ocean, pool, and garden views. It's located on the best beach of Kauai, so kids can go surfing, snorkeling, or body surfing. When they're not enjoying the nearby ocean, kids can also play in the biggest single-level pool (26,000 square feet) in Hawaii with five jacuzzis and waterfalls.

In an exclusive partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society, The Ritz-Carlton, Kapualua offers a family-friendly Ambassadors of the Environment program, which introduces guests of all ages to the natural wonders of Hawaii through an array of environmental activities and guided excursions. Through these specially designed excursions, Maui's ecological resources become a natural classroom and living laboratory, in which families and kids learn while having fun at the same time. Further, the resort has a dedicated Ritz Kids program and kids' pool and play structures.

Waikoloa Resort & Spa on the Kohala Coast of the Island of Hawaii is a 15-acre beachfront hotel, steps from the ancient Hawaiian fishponds and the pristine white sands of the Anaeho'omalu Bay. The beautiful water in the front of the hotel is the perfect setting for families to lounge and soak in the sun or take advantage of the water and go kayaking, snorkeling, or boogie boarding or take out a glass-bottom boat. Kids and parents alike will be in awe of the wonders of the ocean around this resort.

Kids staying at the Aston Kaanapali Shores, managed by Aqua-Aston Hospitality, can enroll in Camp Kaanapali, a children's program year-round focusing on fun, educational Hawaiian cultural activities, such as beach exploration, scavenger hunts, ukulele lessons, and games. Kids can also discover the art of lei making, take an introductory class on scuba diving in the hotel's pool, or learn hula, the sacred Hawaiian tradition of honor.

Young adventurers will love Aqua-Aston's Volcano House, the only lodging available in the Volcanoes National Park. It's situated on the rim of Kilauea's Halemaumau crater, so kids can explore a 500-year-old lava cave, hike the largest subaerial volcano in the world, or embark on trails that show off spectacular summit views and glowing craters. With steam no longer rising from the crater, families will enjoy clear skies for the best star-gazing opportunities.

Turtle Bay Resort has a Keiki Adventures program for kids — participants will go on adventures that take place within all 850 acres of Turtle Bay with certified professionally trained North Shore Guides. The resort also offers a dog surfing experience with local surfer Rocky Canon and his adorable surfing pups. Families can enjoy yoga, horseback riding, mountain biking, sunset helicopter tours, and wildlife refuge bird tours featuring all four of Hawaii's endangered native water birds.

The Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa is located in the heart of Waikiki and steps away from the world-famous Waikiki Beach and Duke Kahanamoku statue. The 1,230-room resort includes an outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool, babysitting services, more than 60 shops and boutiques at the Pualeilani Atrium Shops, and free cultural activities and entertainment.

Camp Kohola at the Hideaway at Four Seasons Oahu is a complimentary, supervised program for kids ages 5 to 12, creating memorable and educational experiences in a casual, fun environment. Camp Kohola offers an exclusive kid-centric skateboarding camp in partnership with Proper Rideshop, Hawaii's premiere youth development skateboarding facility. The resort also has kid-friendly glamping for an evening of Hawaiian stargazing and storytelling, games, movies, a Great Outdoors-inspired dinner, and s'mores.

Grand Wailea has one of the most elaborate water parks on Maui with water slides, whitewater rapids, a lazy river, and a "water elevator." The Rock/Camp Grande, a 20,000-square-foot recreation center for kids, is a special haven for children ages 5 to 12. Camp Grande is equipped with a kids' restaurant, craft room, theater, game room, and outside play area. Activities include hikes, nature walks, and special workshops, such as lei making, ukulele lessons, and t-shirt dyeing.

Montage Kapalua Bay, set above the turquoise waters of Kapalua Bay in Maui, is the perfect place for family travel and has a slew of child-friendly amenities. With children's offerings including award-based family programming Montage Merits or kids' activity sessions, the resort offers nonstop entertainment for families and children alike. In addition, family-friendly recreational activities, such as snorkel lessons, luaus, and sailing, are offered as great ways for the whole family to get together and make lasting memories.

On the sunny Kona Coast of the Big Island is the family-friendly Hilton Waikoloa Village. The resort's lagoon is a huge hit with kids, where they can swim with turtles and fish. If your children are animal-lovers, you can bring them to go whale watching or swimming with dolphins.