Traveled in: May 2024

Heading to the Big Island of Hawaii with a toddler and want the best toddler-friendly beaches and activities that will keep you and your little one happy?

I’ll be sharing our favorite things to do on the Big Island with a toddler, including all the details you need to find them!

If you are ready for a relaxing vacation to the Big Island with a toddler, then this itinerary is for you. This itinerary includes a fair amount of relaxing on the beach, but also includes some forays into the natural wonders of the Big Island that are manageable with a toddler. There are many exciting and unique experiences on the Big Island, but they’re not always doable with a toddler that runs on his/her own schedule. Luckily, there are several gorgeous keiki (baby) beaches on the island with calm waters that are perfect for a toddler to play in, and ways to appreciate the Volcanoes National Park without doing long hikes. Read on for more toddler-friendly activities in the Big Island to explore!

We definitely only scratched the surface of what the Big Island has to offer and cannot wait to return when our kiddo is a bit older to continue exploring!

How to Get There

Flights from the mainland to the Big Island fly into the Kona International Airport (KOA). The Hilo International Airport (ITO) serves mostly inter-island flights from Oahu or Maui. Compare prices for flights here.

Booking tip: certain flight searches like Kayak, Skyscanner, or Google flights allow you to set price trackers that will alert you when the price of your flight changes. I never book a flight without tracking prices first because there is no better feeling than snagging a good deal! And if you book your flights with a travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire card (use my referral for bonus points!), the card usually includes some travel insurance protections (like lost luggage reimbursements, trip delay reimbursements, or trip cancellation insurance) to save you the cost of buying extra travel insurance.

Bonus Booking tip: sign your kiddo up for frequent flyer accounts with airlines to start earning airline miles for them! Most airline miles do not expire for minors so your kiddo will thank you later.

How to Get Around

The Big Island is big (no surprise), so it will be necessary to rent a car to get around. All of the car rental agencies are located a short shuttle ride from the airport, so since all the car rental agencies are equally convenient, take your pick!

Booking tip: if the car rental agency has a free membership program, sign up for it! Members usually get extra perks like a free additional driver, discounts, or faster reservation check ins (all very desirable things when you have an overtired toddler in tow).

Where to Stay in Big Island with a Toddler

Find the best resorts and home rentals to make as your home base on the Big Island in our guide on where to stay on the Big Island with kids!

6 Day Sample Itinerary on the Big Island with a Toddler

Relaxing in Hawaii with a toddler means slowing down and enjoying just one activity a day to prevent overtired toddler tantrums. We enjoyed the beaches rather than booking activities because the time difference made our toddler’s sleep (and hence mood) unpredictable and we did not want the stress of making it to an activity at a specific time. Rather than having each day strictly planned, we would pick and choose from the list of activities. Check out our itinerary below to see how we enjoyed our 6 days on the Big Island.

Nap situation: our toddler was 2.5 years old during this trip and still needed one afternoon nap.

• Day 0: arrive at Kona airport. Stop by Kailua-Kona to eat lunch, then go grocery shopping at Costco/Target/KTA superstore/Walmart. Kailua-Kona is a 20-30 minute drive from the Waikoloa resort area. 
• Day 1: Kikaua Point Bay beach – Lava Lava Beach Club – sunset at Anaehoomalu Bay. 
• Day 2: Makaiwa Bay Beach 
• Day 3 (Saturday): Day trip to Waimea. Waimea town Farmers market – Anuenue playground – Kamuela Farmers Market
• Day 4 (Sunday): Day trip to Hilo side. Akaka falls – Volcanoes National Park
• Day 5: Kukio keiki beach
• Day 6: Mauna Kea beach

Tips on timing: 

• The farmers markets occur on different days around the island. The two farmers markets in Waimea that we checked out happen on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Check this amazing website for details locations and times of the various farmers markets. 
• We did our day trip to the Hilo side on a Sunday, and found that traffic was much lighter. The highways only have one lane each way, so the drive is faster when there are less cars on the road. The fastest way across the island takes about 2 hours, but can take 3 hours if there is traffic. That one hour makes a difference when you have a toddler trapped in the car with you. 
• Many of the beaches listed below are on the property of a resort or a private community, so the gate guards monitor the parking. There are usually only a few (15-40 depending on the beach) public parking spots at each beach.. We went to those beaches no later than 10am on a weekday. If there were no parking passes, the gate guards told us where we could wait to watch for cars leaving. We usually just left and went to another beach. The gate guards suggested arriving early morning or after 1pm for the best chances. Some of these parking lots were not straightforward to find, but lucky for you, parking directions are listed below each beach.

I am all about visuals, so check below for a map showing the locations of all the activities listed below. As you can see, it’s pretty spread out. So make sure you factor in driving time when you are planning your day!

Makaiwa Bay at the Mauna Lani Beach Club

15 min north of the Waikoloa resort area

This is a small beach with shallow and calm waters for little ones to play in. It is also great for snorkeling, as we could see colorful fish even in the shallow waters we were in. The cabanas and chairs are reserved for resort guests, but there is some shade by the grassy area in the back. There is a public restroom and a foot washing station at the beach.

Parking tip: the public parking lot is a ¾ mile walk (15 min) away on a paved path through a lava field and ancient fish ponds. There is very little shade on this path so be warned if you are carrying a toddler and beach gear. To get to the parking lot,  drive into Mauna Lani Resort and at the roundabout take the second right onto Mauna Lani Drive. Take the first left onto Pauoa Road where you will find the Kalahuipua’a Historic Park parking lot immediately on your right, which is also the public parking lot for the beach. The parking lot has a bathroom.

Kikaua Point

20 min south of the Waikoloa resort area

We found this beach because we could not get parking passes to the Kukio keiki beach on our first try. It has a small lagoon like area created by a small reef with calm water where our toddler could play. Otherwise the rest of the beach did have more waves. This beach was fun to walk down and explore because there were also small lava fields that created tide pools. There is a lot of shade from the trees bordering the beach.

You can walk from this beach to the Kukio keiki beach, either on the beach itself or on the paved path behind the beach. It took us about 20 hot minutes each way carrying just our toddler and not our beach gear. Would not recommend walking it with a child and beach gear. There is a public restroom and a foot washing station at the parking lot.

Parking tip: Turn off of Highway 19 onto Kaupulehu Drive, just south of the Four Seasons Hualalai Resort sign. Drive to the security hut and let them know you would like to go to the public beach. You’ll turn left just after the security hut and follow the road until you reach the parking lot.

Kukio Keiki Beach

20 min south of the Waikoloa resort area

Could there BE a more perfect baby beach?! Kukio keiki beach is a protected lagoon, so the waters are very calm and shallow for a toddler. Our kiddo loved playing here because even in the shallows there were small schools of fish swimming around. Because the public parking spots are so limited, this beach did not feel crowded at all. There also seemed to be some good snorkeling as folks further out near the reef said they spotted a turtle. Some shade from the trees in the back. There is a public restroom and a footwashing station on the beach.

Parking tip: Turn off Highway 19 onto Kukio Nui Drive. Drive to the security hut and let them know you would like to go to the Kukio keiki beach. They will give you a parking pass, and you will go around the security hut and back towards Highway 19, turning right just before getting back to the highway. This road will take you to the small parking lot.

Anaehoomalu Bay

In the Waikoloa resort area

The local beach in Waikoloa. Great for sunsets – go behind the Kuualii fish pond for photos of the sunset reflected in the ponds.

Parking tip: plentiful parking at this lot! Just follow Google maps. The parking lot for the beach is behind the parking lot for the Lava Lava Beach Club.

Mauna Kea (Kauna’oa) Beach

20 min north of the Waikoloa resort area

Your picture perfect sandy beach. This half crescent sandy beach is bordered by trees, so there is a lot of shade. The waves are a little strong for a toddler, but would be good for little kids. There were a lot of turtles here, in fact, we even saw one swimming along the coast in knee deep water. The lifeguards ensure visitors give the turtles adequate space, but it was magical for our kiddo to see one little turtle swimming in the water (bubble bubble bubble bubble pop IYKYK). This beach did get windier and the waves got stronger as the morning progressed, so it might be more enjoyable in the morning.

Parking tip: Turn off Highway 19 to the Mauna Kea Beach Resort and ask the gate attendant for a public parking pass. You will follow a long road down to the parking lot. Look for the spots marked public parking. The beach is a 5 minute walk away along a paved path.

Other Beaches and Parks on the Big Island with a Toddler

• Spencer beach park (17 min north, on the way to Waimea) 
• Harold H. Higashiwara park (45 min south)
• Honokohau beach – turtles (29 min south, by airport)
• Hapuna beach – more waves (15 min north on the way to Waimea)
• Manini’owali Beach- gorgeous white sand beach but no shade  (22 min south)

Non-Beach Activities on the Big Island with a Toddler

Waimea Farmers Markets

Visit the Saturday Farmers Markets in Waimea town (30 min drive north) for some delicious locally produced treats and beautiful art. There are over 40 vendors at each farmers market selling everything from local jam and coffee to local art.

• Waimea Town Farmers Market at Parker School. Highlights for us were Akaka Falls Farms with unlimited jam samples, Ahualoa Farms with unique flavors of macadamia nuts, and Danielle Burnside Art with beautiful ocean inspired art flecked with copper flakes. Grab breakfast at the Mai Grille stand – the pancakes were so fluffy and delicious!
• Hit up the Anuenue Playground at Waimea Park next to Parker School to burn off some energy
• Kamuela Farmers Market. Highlights for us were Wild Harvest for delicious freeze dried local fruits, toothSWEETS for unique mochi flavors, and Pine Village Small Farm for island-inspired crepes and fresh musubis.

Day Trip to Hilo with a Toddler

One day is not enough to do justice to Volcanoes National Park because there are so many unique hikes to explore. We initially were not planning on going because we did not think we could maximize it with a toddler in tow. However, we ultimately decided that we would still like to see the park and we are glad we did! With only one day to see the highlights of the national park, this route is a good place to start.

We drove to Hilo on the Hamakua coast road, which is longer but more scenic. The day we traveled it was rainy and foggy so we didn’t see much, but apparently the views of the coast are beautiful. It took us 1.5 hours to get to Akaka Falls State Park.

Akaka Falls State Park

Akaka Falls is a 0.4 mile paved hike with 650 steps down to the waterfall. The hike down has some real Jurassic Park vibes, minus the possibility of death by dinosaur.

From Akaka Falls, it takes about 1.5 hours to get to Volcanoes National Park, passing through Hilo on the way. If you have time, 2 Ladies Kitchen in Hilo was highly recommended by friends for their strawberry mochi (closed Sun Mon). We drove straight through Hilo because it was raining and because we wanted to ensure we saw some of the national park before nap time. 

Volcanoes National Park

There is something awe-inspiring about being in the presence of an active volcano. Follow the route below to hit the highlights of the Volcanoes National Park. This route is heavy on views and light on hiking.

• Stop at the entrance gates of the national park to pay for park entrance fees.
• Take the first left turn to take the road to the Thurston lava tubes. The Thurston lava tubes are underground tunnels created by lava flows. There is a loop trail that will take you through the tunnels and back to the parking lot.
• After exiting the Thurston lava tubes, cross the street and look for the Kilauea iki overlook trail. This is a short trail with great views of the Kilauea iki crater. It shares the same parking lot as the Thurston lava tubes.
• Stop at Kilauea visitor center for ranger advice on what to see. Cross the street to Volcano House to marvel at the active volcano from the lobby overlook.
• Drive to one of the parking lots along the Crater rim trail for an easy paved ¼ mile walk along the top of the crater.
• Drive back to Waikaloa resort area via the Saddle road (2 hrs). 

Unique Big Island Activities

When our kiddo is a bit older, these are the unique Big Island activities we would love to enjoy. If you have older kiddos or have a babysitter, definitely check out these excursions and let me know how they are!

• Night time manta ray snorkel
• Stargazing on Mauna Kea
• Green sand beach
• Polulu valley overlook and Waipio valley overlook

Where to Eat

Hungry from all that exploring and looking for where to eat on the Big Island? Check out my post with our list of delicious Big Island eats!

Reality Check of Traveling to the Big Island with a Toddler

Traveling with a small child is HARD. The extra level of difficulty is that you travel with a different child each time you go on a trip. The developmental leaps that make raising a child so awe-inspiring also make said children extremely unpredictable. What worked on one trip won’t work for the next one, and you may run into new problems that were never an issue in previous trips. On this trip in particular, the time difference hit us particularly hard and we ran into sleep issues that we haven’t seen since our sleep training days. The lack of sleep made us all a little more on edge, and there were more meltdowns than usual from all parties involved.

I thought that we were already being relaxed by having only one activity planned per day. But I did not anticipate the power struggles that would ensue from trying to rush a toddler through transitions and out the door by a certain time every morning so we could find parking. What we learned from this trip is that trying to leave the house by a certain time every day creates more stress than it is worth. Not only do we have to limit our activities, we also have to limit our expectations of what time we will actually make it to those activities. There is no perfect trip when traveling with a toddler, only endless learning opportunities for how to stress less next time. Want to learn from our mistakes? Read my post with tips on how to make traveling with a toddler more enjoyable.

Ready to take this traveling circus international?

For more jaw-dropping natural wonders, consider taking your next family vacation with your toddler in the Canadian Rockies or Switzerland! Both countries are safe, clean, and have stunning natural beauty and lots of fun activities for kiddos. Stressed about traveling internationally with a toddler? Leave the planning to me by following our toddler-friendly itineraries to Banff and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies or to Switzerland!