Playful Rooted

When I was doing research for our trip to Kauai with a one-year-old and a four-year-old, I read a lot of posts describing things to do on Kauai with kids. But I quickly came to realize that those things didn’t necessarily apply to toddlers.

(And by the way, my four-year-old would lose his absolute mind if he knew I were referring to him as a toddler. He’s a preschooler, friends. Don’t forget it.)

But kids can do a lot of activities that toddlers really can’t yet. Hiking and surfing and ziplining and so many fun things (that we will go back and do someday when our toddlers are kids!) Luckily, there are a TON of great spots on Kauai that are not just kid-friendly, but toddler-friendly too!

We had an absolute BLAST on Kauai with our little toddlers, so even though you might not be able to do as much as you would with older kids, it’s still so worth visiting when they’re small. 🙂 I wouldn’t change a minute of our trip!

Lydgate Beach

My favorite Kauai beach for toddlers was Lydgate Beach, which totally surprised me. It was actually barely on my radar as I was planning our trip; I thought we might hit it one day if we got bored. But it’s honestly GREAT. The guy we rented our snorkeling and boogie boarding equipment from recommended it as a good place to take the kids — and he said that if we got lucky, we might see some eels while snorkeling there! — so we decided to check it out.

See how there’s this manmade cove on the left that’s totally sheltered by rocks from the waves just outside? It’s PERFECT for toddlers, especially ones who have never been to a beach before!

And then the next cove over is still relatively protected from large waves, but there are some small ones you can ride on a paddle board. I finally got Luca out on the board with me, and he loved it!

So much so that he then took the board back over to the fully sheltered cove and popped his baby brother on the front. 😉 (I wasn’t worried about this. The water was very shallow and peaceful, and Dad was right there.)

I’ve shared this picture before, but here it is again. One, because it still cracks me up (I’ll never forget the expression on Sawyer’s face), and two, because there is surprisingly great snorkeling at Lydgate Park! So many different kinds of beautiful tropical fish! And just like the guy from Snorkel Bob’s said we might, Luca and I both saw an eel! So cool.

Even though Luca did not like snorkeling, it was a great spot to try it out for the first time. Super calm, not at all crowded, and full of beautiful fish!

Salt Pond Beach

Probably my second favorite, Salt Pond Beach was absolutely great. It was a little busier than Lydgate, but still not at all crowded while we were there. There’s plenty of parking and places to change clothes and shower off the sand that inevitably invades all your crevices.

There’s also this cool rocky area between the two main coves. When the waves crash over this spot, they create about a thousand mini-waterfalls. The kids were both fascinated by this (as was I)! So pretty and serene.

We never made it here during the morning hours, but I read that there are also tons of tide pools at this beach that are great for little ones to explore before the tide comes in. You can apparently see all kinds of tiny, bright sea creatures. Next time!!

Poipu Beach

A few years ago, Poipu Beach was named America’s Best Beach. I have to say…..I don’t really get it. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a fine beach. I mean, it’s beautiful. But it’s REALLY rocky (I tore up both my hands while coming back in from snorkeling; that sure hurt every time I touched salt water for the next week!) and it’s hard to navigate in the water over all the slippery rocks, especially for the kids. And even though there were far fewer visitors there than normal, Poipu Beach was still very, very busy.

One of the good things about this beach — I imagine why it earned the honor of America’s Best — is that there are three separate coves. The first is quite rough with waves that are good for experienced surfers; the middle is a decent spot for kids with much milder waves; and the last cove has sort of in-between waves that are good for snorkeling or paddle boarding. So there’s something for everyone there.

Poipu Beach is also undeniably gorgeous! Look at that sunlight glinting off the water. That’s what it actually looks like. Stunning.

It also has plenty of amenities like bathrooms, sand showers, and even lifeguards. It’s also a popular spot for sea turtles! We went twice and saw a sea turtle here each time.

And although it was my least favorite of the beaches we visited, I mean. It’s still a gorgeous beach with beautiful soft sand and crashing waves and sunshine. On Kauai. You can’t really get much better than that.

Kalapaki Beach

Kalapaki Beach was also quite decent! It was right across the road from our AirBnB, so we visited this one several times. It’s outside a big resort, so I assumed it would be full of just tourists, but there were also locals gathered there each time we went (and trust me, you can tell the difference!). It’s basically one big strip of sand, meaning that it’s not protected by rocks or coves. So you can get some bigger waves here than at the other beaches we visited, but if you keep an eye on the ocean, it’s pretty safe for young kids. There were always people here learning to surf or going out on kayaks or paddle boards to the more open ocean.

Snorkel Bob’s for Looky Boards

I can’t believe I didn’t get a photo of this, but we rented a looky board from Snorkel Bob’s, and it was the best thing ever for both kids! It’s essentially a boogie board that has a circular window in the middle. Kids can lie on their stomachs on the board and look right through the window to see the fish below. It’s a great alternative to snorkeling for kids (ahem, mine) who freak out when their faces touch the water.

We rented all our other snorkeling equipment (snorkels, fins, no-fog treatment) from Snorkel Bob’s, too. They had excellent weekly rental rates and were so kind and helpful. Highly recommended!!

Kamalani Playground

One morning when we needed a small break from the beach, we decided to check out this playground on the south shore. It’s HUGE and mainly constructed from wood with tons of intricate decoration. So different from the playgrounds in Kansas City!

It reminded both Ben and me so much of Park Güell in Barcelona. Definitely a similar feeling to Gaudí’s designs!

We didn’t spend too much time at the playground because of naptime schedules, but it was a good place for the kiddos to burn some energy without dragging sand all over the place. 😉

Kauai Farmer’s Market

There are farmer’s markets on Kauai almost every single day of the week, which is so delightful! We went to the one at the Kauai Community College on Saturday morning. I’m not sure whether it used to be inside or if it’s always been outside, but it was a nice little walk in the sunshine with the kids, checking out all the vendors and their goods. We had THE MOST delicious pineapple I’ve ever had, and Luca especially loved trying fresh coconut water. They let you pick a coconut, then the guy machetes it open in front of you and hands you a straw. 🙂 The one Luca picked turned out to be fizzy inside, which is apparently super rare but a real thing! Naturally carbonated coconut water.

The farmer’s market was VERY busy and parking was tricky, so my advice is to get there early!

Limahuli Gardens

We actually had a few hikes around the island bookmarked, but somehow our plans always prevented those from happening. But Limahuli Gardens was a gorgeous place for our little buddies to run around. I think it was around 1.25 miles walking (with a pretty decent incline). Definitely doable for even little kids, and always cool to see their favorite fruit growing in nature!

(Bananas. They’re bananas.)

Apart from all the fun activities, our toddlers also L O V E D all the food and drinks on Kauai! Juices, smoothies, shave ice, doughnuts. What more could little kids ask for? Post on that coming up next!

xo!