Explore These Free Museums on O‘ahu
O‘ahu has a museum for nearly everything—from art and Hawaiian history to police, fire and fighter jets. The best part? Many are free!
Author: Jennifer Carlile Dalgamouni
11 Ways to Watch the Autumn Leaves Change Without Leaving Hawai‘i
See fall colors with these live webcams and aerial videos.
Hawai‘i Parent Hacks: 22 Cooking Tips and Tricks to Try at Home
Make your life easier with drip-free ice pops, no-mess bacon, perfect-peel eggs and more.
Hawai‘i Parent Hacks: 10 Tips and Tricks for the Beach and Outdoor Adventures
Quick fixes for sandy feet, broken slippers and a DIY campfire starter made from items you have at home.
We Tried It: Hanauma Bay State Park
Want to take your kids snorkeling? Here are our family's 11 tips for making the most of a day at this famous bay.
We Tried It: Pick Your Own Christmas Tree at Helemano Farms
Choose your own Christmas tree from more than 3,000 growing at this Oʻahu farm.
Remember When: How to Record Your Family’s History in Hawai‘i
Recording family history can be a fun and fascinating project for keiki and kūpuna. Here are tips for how to start, what to ask and how to turn storytime into history time.
9 Tasty Experiences to Turn Your Picky Eater into an Adventurous One
Stuck in a Spam musubi, saimin, chicken nugget rut? Here’s some food for thought.
Our Family Guide: Aloun Farms Pumpkin Festival 2019
Photo: Courtesy of Aloun Farms Editor's Note: This story was updated October 2019. Aloun Farms hosts the biggest Pumpkin Festival on the island. When we say big, we mean BIG. After all, the Kapolei farm produces up to 36,000 pumpkins…
Inside Look: Hawai‘i State Farm Fair
Photo: Hawai‘i Farm BureauEnter the "Keiki Farm Hands" tent and you'll find dozens of chicks in an incubator and get to milk a life-size cow replica. Editor's Note: This blog was updated on July 8, 2019. Would you like to…
Free Fun: 15 Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free
Photo: Karen DB PhotographyTempura and udon at Gyotaku. If your keiki are eating a hole in your wallet, you'll appreciate these 15 restaurants that offer free kids meals with the purchase of an adult meal. For more free fun, check out our…
On-the-Go Education: 24 Fun Lessons That Fit into Your Hawai‘i Summer Plans
Photos: Karen DB Photography When summer rolls around, we often have great intentions of keeping our keiki’s brains active with elaborate enrichment projects. But just because they’re not in school doesn’t mean you’re not busy. Here is a cheat sheet…
We Tried It: Fishing Farms Hawai‘i in Wahiawā
We rented rods, caught our lunch and had it cooked it up for us at a Wahiawā farm.
Decoding Robotics: Everything You Need to Know About Hawai‘i STEM Programs
Photo: Courtesy of Play-Well TEKnologiesPlay-Well TEKnologies Visit Mānoa Elementary School any weekday afternoon and you’ll find a couple of dozen students coding and driving robots on large tables in the library. “We’re making a 5-to-1 torque lift,” says 10-year-old Jackie…
Your Ultimate Guide to the 2020 ʻIolani Fair
This year’s fair takes place Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18. Here’s your guide to where to park, which gourmet foods and new flavors of malassadas to try, and everything else the event has to offer.
Money Matters: Boost Your Keiki’s Financial Abilities With a Bank Account
See what each of Hawai‘i's six biggest banks have to offer.
We Tried It: Keiki Swap Meet
Photo: Jennifer Carlile DalgamouniFamilies sell their gently used kids' items at the Keiki Swap Meet with the Hawai‘i Children's Discovery Center in the background. Editor’s note: The swap meet has been canceled in 2020 because of new City and County…
We Tried It: Keiki Swap Meet
Photo: Jennifer Carlile DalgamouniFamilies sell their gently used kids' items at the Keiki Swap Meet with the Hawai‘i Children's Discovery Center in the background. Editor’s note: The swap meet has been canceled in 2020 because of new City and County…
Inside Look: Honolulu City Lights 2018
Photo: Ron Slauson, courtesy of Friends of Honolulu City Lights The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without a family trip to see the Honolulu City Lights, Shaka Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Christmas trees at Honolulu Hale. We asked the…
6 Ways to Research Your Family History in Hawai‘i
If your keiki enjoy interviewing their grandparents, they may want to learn more about their family history. Here are some useful resources.
We Tried It: T-Rex Planet/Jurassic Tour
Photos: Jennifer Carlile Dalgamouni Sept. 2018 Editor's Note: The animatronic dinosaur exhibit currently in Hawai‘i is called Jurassic Tour. However, the website reflects the same photos, descriptions and the contact information for the company is the same as T-Rex Planet.…
30 Tips for Flying with Children
Photo: Jennifer Carlile DalgamouniTraveling with young children is never easy, but there are ways to make it a lot more bearable. Are you flying to the Mainland, Asia or beyond but worry about entertaining your keiki on the long plane ride?…
We Tried It: Poi Packs
Photo: Jennifer Carlile Dalgamouni As parents, we’re always looking for tasty, nutritious snacks for our children. They also need to be easy to carry, mess free and resealable. Given these requirements, I’ve never heard a mom or dad suggest sticky…
15 Ways to Protect Your Family from Rat Lungworm Disease in Hawai‘i
How to keep your ‘ohana safe without giving up local fruits, veggies or outdoor play.
These New Poi Packs Make It Easier to Fuel Up on Poi
A local athlete and mom creates a poi package for on-the-go eating.
Inside Look: Hawaiʻi’s New Center of Innovation
Photo: Courtesy of Boys & Girls Club HawaiiThe Center of Innovation focuses on STEM learning. School-age children have a new place to explore science, technology, engineering and math with hands-on activities in West Oʻahu at the Center of Innovation, which…
We Tried It: Living Art Marine Center Reef Walk
Photo: Jennifer Carlile Dalgamouni Who: Mom, Dad, Uncle and 5- and 7-year-old boys What: Living Art Marine Center Night Reef Walk Where: Shoreline near Kāhala When: Saturday, 6 to 7:45 p.m. Our family had gone on a few daytime reef walks…
We Tried It: UH Institute for Astronomy Open House
Photo: Jennifer Carlile Dalgamouni What: Institute for Astronomy Open House Where: UH Institute for Astronomy in Mānoa, 2680 Woodlawn Drive. When: 1 to 3 p.m. at last year's event in 2017. Who: Mom, Dad, 4- and 6-year-old boys, joined by two…
Inside Look: 2018 HONOLULU Family Fun Run Presented by First Hawaiian Bank
Photo: Gregory Yamamoto We've all had it happen. Our kids wake up early on the weekend, wake us up, then keep us running around all day. Here’s a way to put that extra energy to good use. HONOLULU Family's second Family…
We Tried It: Keiki and Plow
Our tips for feeding chickens and bunnies, gathering eggs, picking veggies and playing in a pirate ship on this family-run farm.
Your Weekend: The Best Family Events-March 14, 2018
Photo: Bishop Museum Fall in Love with Science Preregister now to visit Bishop Museum for free and try out dozens of hands-on activities this Sunday. We tried it last year and our boys had a blast going from booth to…
We Tried It: Star of Honolulu Whale Watch Cruise
Photo: Star of Honolulu Cruises and Events What: Star of Honolulu Premier Whale Watch and Lunch Cruise Where: Departs from Aloha Tower Marketplace, Pier 8 Who: Mom, Dad, Uncle, 5-year-old and 7-year-old boys When: Sunday, the cruise departed at noon and returned…
We Tried It: “Expedition: Dinosaur”
Photo: Jennifer Carlile DalgamouniClimb inside a T-rex's mouth at Bishop Museum's new exhibit. What: Expedition: Dinosaur Where: Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St. Who: Two adults, 7-year-old and 5-year-old boys and a 10-year-old girl When: Friday evening, 4 to 6:30 p.m.,…
Shelter in Place: 9 Expert Tips for Preparing for a Missile Attack in Hawai‘i
Photo: Thinkstock Hawai‘i’s recent ballistic missile warning was a false alarm, but it sure got us thinking. In the case of a real nuclear attack, we’ve heard that we should shelter in place, ideally in the basement of a concrete…
We Tried It: Honolulu Theatre For Youth OnStage Workshop
Photo: Jennifer Carlile Dalgamouni Editor's Note: The next Onstage workshop will be Saturday, Feb. 25, for the production Rainbow. Click here for details. What: Honolulu Theatre For Youth's Onstage workshop for The Ballad of Mulan Where: Tenney Theatre Who: 5-…
Our Guide: The Best Kids Play Areas at Oʻahu’s Malls
When your keiki get bored shopping, explore a treehouse, jump in water jets, climb up a maze or ride a surf board.
19 Fun Ideas for Fall Break
Photo: Kahuku FarmsTour at Kahuku Farms. It's Fall Break for Oʻahu's public schools. Vacation days start out fun, but can quickly descend into battles over the statement, "I'm bored." So, if you're looking for somewhere to go or something to make or…
10 Tips for Talking to Your Keiki About Tragedies
Photo: ThinkstockThe Las Vegas skyline during a more peaceful time. News of the mass shooting in Las Vegas has shaken all of us. As parents, we also worry about what our keiki will see and hear about deadly events. Television, the…
Our Guide: Children and Youth Day 2017
Photo: Children and Youth Day The 24th Annual Children’s and Youth Day is Sunday. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. kids can try 300 educational and fun activities as well as museum tours, a plant give away, goodie bags and a fun run. Itʻs all free.…
We Tried It: Ala Moana’s New Play Area
Photo: Jennifer Carlile Dalgamouni The new keiki climbing structure at Ala Moana Center is unlike any other on the island. So, we had to try it out. “‘Oh my gosh!’” my boys squealed when they saw the 20-foot-tall maze of blue,…
Date Night Idea: 2018 Hale ‘Aina Awards
Photo: HONOLULU Magazine New restaurants, new chefs, and creative dishes and cocktails are always popping up in Honolulu's vibrant dining scene. For parents, our cuisine “scene” often involves mac and cheese, sometimes stuck in our keiki’s hair. When we do score a rare…
Inside Look: Best of Honolulu Festival 2017
Photo: Kelli Bullock Looking for a place where your kids can burn off some energy, be entertained and learn something while you eat, drink and shop? Saturday, Aug. 5, you can have it all at the second annual Best of…
We Tried It: Nā Kama Kai Ocean Clinic
Would your keiki like to stand up paddle and ride in a canoe? See our tips for this free, monthly event.
Money Matters: How Much Does The Tooth Fairy Pay?
Photo: ThinkStock When your child lost his or her first tooth, did you wonder what the Tooth Fairy would pay? Did you Google it or later worry that the fairy had given too much or too little? Our oldest son…
We Tried It: Coral Crater Adventure Park
Our tips for zip lining, climbing and free-falling with keiki as young as 6 years old.
Money Matters: Boost Your Keiki’s Financial Abilities With a Bank Account
Photo: ThinkStock Where do your keiki keep their money? Our house has accumulated two traditional piggy banks and several others in shapes including a London bus, dinosaur, space station and two kid-painted airstream caravans. I’m realizing it’s about time to…
Hawai‘i Parent Hacks: 11 Tips and Tricks for Your Garden
Learn how to keep pests away from your vegetables, stop birds from eating your strawberries and which secret ingredient makes tomatoes sweet.
Hawai‘i Parent Hacks: 13 Tips and Tricks for Your Home
Learn how to stop doors from slamming, detangle doll hair, organize LEGO and slip a duvet cover on in seconds.
Free Fun: 6 Volunteer Opportunities
Photo: Tien EngaFamilies helped clear a lo‘i at Ka Papa Lo‘i O Kanewai in Mānoa as part of the 2017 HONOLULU Family Volunteer Day. Do you want your keiki to learn the value of volunteer work? Check out these six…
Free Fun: 10 Outdoor Adventures
Photo: Courtesy of Na Kama Kai (Note: This blog was first published in April 2017). Does your family get bored going to the same beach or playground every weekend? If you want to try something new, check out our ten…
