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Oahu Family Fun Ideas

Life is short and kids grow up so darn fast. Take time and make time for a family vacation filled with memories that will last. Put your hectic schedules aside and get ready for some outdoor adventures under the Hawaiian sun.

OAHU’S CALL OF THE WILD

Swimming with dolphins and sea turtles is a dream come true for kids and kids at heart. Dive into some family fun responsibly with WILD SIDE SPECIALTY TOURS (link to their listing page or new page open).

Prefer something less wet? Visit the WAIKIKI AQUARIUM at the eastern end of Waikiki where huge tanks lets kids get up close and personal with endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals, sharks and jacks, and a few thousand other sea inhabitants. Only five minutes from Waikiki opposite Kapiolani Park, it’s an easy family fun stroll to visit.

Get really wild at the HONOLULU ZOO. On Saturdays, treat your little ones to a night with the animals! When the sun goes down, take an evening tour of the zoo to see the nocturnal activities of the Honolulu Zoo inhabitants. For real animal lovers, the Honolulu Zoo offers the Vacation Adventures program. Tykes can take part in this week long program offered at the zoo during school holidays and vacations. Programs are offered during spring break, 10 weeks during the summer, fall break and winter break. For a night they’ll never forget, when the sun goes down, don’t leave and have a Snooze at the Zoo. Buffet dinner, campfires and s’mores and an unique opportunity to experience a whole new type of nightlife. For future veterinarians, treat them to a day as a junior zookeeper. Visit www.honoluluzoo.org or call (808) 971-7195 for exact dates and availability.

Fulfill your favorite youngster’s wish for dolphin kisses and penguin dreams at SEA LIFE PARK BY DOLPHIN DISCOVERY. Learn about the amazing creatures of the ocean and then meet them up close and make friends. There are stingray encounters, sea lion shows, underwater photo safari and even a luau to look forward to! www.sealifeparkhawaii.com

It’s for the birds... and those that love them. JAMES CAMPBELL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

On Thursdays & Saturdays, October through mid-February your family can venture to the verdant North Shore of Oahu and explore this beautiful, wetlands refuge. Home to four endangered Hawaiian water birds and numerous other waterfowl and shore birds, this is the only public access to the refuge October through mid-February. FREE. Reservations required. Please call (808) 637-6330 or visit http://www.fws.gov/pacificislands/wnwr/ojamesnwr.html