Heading to Maui in November

Maui is a great place to go with kids. Our 5 year old has been 3 times already and our 2 year old twice and there is lots to do on Maui. We usually stay in Kaanapali and love to walk on the little path there along the beach and to the different hotels and shops. Kaanapali Beach is great too for kids. You can rent lounge chairs or umbrellas on the beach too which is nice for shade for the little ones. On our last trip to Maui in March, I took the kids to the Maui Ocean Center which is an aquarium sort of close to the airport (you'll see it on your way to Lahaina from the airport). We've always wanted to go but have never gone so while my husband was golfing one day I took the kids and they loved it. That's a fun activity for the kids. We also went to Makena Beach (Big Beach) near Wailea and it is a gorgeous beach! It wasn't crowded at all and it was very relaxing. It's a bit of a drive from Lahaina - but only about a half hour or so, but it was well worth it. We liked it so much that we went there twice! Just walking around Lahaina is fun for the kids too. There's also a Sugar Cane Train near Lahaina. We've never done it, but always say we should. Have fun!

You can go to Snorkel Bob's and rent a board with a built-in mask so your 2.5 year old can go out in the ocean a little bit and look through the mask to see fish. Napili has a great protected beach for kids. It's not too far north from Lahaina. The beach is just behind Napili Surf and Napili Shores down a little driveway. There is a nice little aquarium on Maui but not sure what town it is in...it's between the airport and Lahaina. But my kids like that. I would go to the ABC store right when you get there and get a shovel and bucket and beach ball...the beach will be lots of fun for the kids. I recommend buying them both sunshirts for the sun protection. That really eliminates having to put and reapply sunscreen all over their chests and backs. Have fun!

We're on Oahu right now and we're having a blast with our kids (6 and 3). Maui also has a plethora of kid-friendly activities. With a 2.5 year old, you'll probably want to spend quite a bit of time at the beach. (I'll throw in a product recommendation for the peapod tent, which is what we bring to the beach for our 3 year old to nap in.) Kaanapali Beach is about 3 miles from Lahaina and usually fairly mellow and good for kids. Black Rock is a good beach (but can get crowded) for snorkeling, so you might be able to get your little ones to look at fish for a few minutes. When ours were around 2.5 we couldn't get them to snorkel for very long before they gave up, although they did enjoy it for a few minutes. The Sugar Cane Train is also right near Lahaina and might be fun for them if they like trains. The Carthaginian is a restored 1920 ship that sits in Lahaina Harbor and houses a whaling museum. Other things further afield you may want to attempt are Haleakala Crater and the Seven Sacred Pools - both not really for kids, but they'll likely enjoy them as you do. We recently started a reviews website specifically for parents who travel with kids (either near or far!). You can find a list of activities (including some of the ones I've mentioned) and hotels in Maui here:

http://www.trekaroo.com/places/maui-hawaii/activities

Happy travels!
-B.

Hi Cathy,
Sorry, I don't have advice....just one word...LUCKY!!!!!
Enjoy your trip....wish we could ALL go!!
Have fun!!! Enjoy the time with your family....
L.

We took our twin boys when they were 10 months. We discovered 'baby beach' at the end of our trip, wish we would have known about it earlier. It is at the north end of Lahaina.

The aquarium is awesome. When my husband and I went there for our honeymoon, I felt like a kid all over again =)

LUCKY!!!
The Maui Ocean Center is a wonderful place to visit. In Nov. the Humpback whales are starting to arrive there to give birth in the bay and teach their babies before moving on .I saw a magic show at one of the hotels in a Lahaina that was family friendly.
Have a wonderful time . Aloha,K.