We Tried It and Your Family Can Too
Five kid-tested, mom-approved adventures your ‘ohana will love.
Oh boy, do kids have energy! As mom to a 9-year-old boy, I’ve learned that the key to a chaos-free existence is to keep the kid busy. Fortunately, O‘ahu families have lots of options for fun-filled outings with their children—everything from fishing to stargazing to ice skating. Here are some adventures to try.
SEE ALSO: We Tried It and You Can Too
Hammer and Create at the Home Depot’s Kids Workshops
For keiki intrigued by how things are built, Home Depot is a great Saturday morning destination. Free Kids Workshops are held at all Home Depot stores on the first Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon, with a new hands-on project every month. During our visit, kids constructed and painted their own birdhouses, which they took home with them after.
After checking in at the Iwilei store’s parking lot, participants received DIY kits along with personalized aprons with their names on them. Using tools like hammers and screwdrivers, they were guided through the build process by friendly staff. After, they chose colors and painted their birdhouses with sponge brushes.
The projects typically take about an hour to complete, and at the end, each kid receives a completion certificate and commemorative pin. While the workshops are designed for kids 5 to 12, younger siblings can join in too with hands-on help from their parents.
Free, multiple locations, homedepot.com/c/kids-workshop
Watch a Cartoon Chef Cook Your Dinner at Le Petit Chef
For a memorable family dinner, taking a seat at Le Petit Chef at Romer House Waikīkī is like stepping into a movie. This first-in-Hawai‘i experience turns your table into a canvas where a tiny 3D-projected animated chef (Le Petit Chef) cooks a five-course dinner right on your plate.
Hidden behind an unmarked curtain inside the 855-Aloha restaurant, the 28-seat dining room feels part-speakeasy, part-theater. Once seated, the plates become part of the show. Before each dish, the table comes alive with a new scene using technology developed by Belgian artist collective Skullmapping and Germany’s 2Spicy Entertainment.
Diners watch as Le Petit Chef harvests vegetables from a vibrant garden, battles a mischievous mole and sets off on playful culinary adventures. While all that’s going on, diners listen to humorous narration by local entertainer and storyteller Lanai Tabura, including a familiar “broke da mouth” quip that gets laughs around the room.
The food, created by executive chef Brad Dodson, highlights local ingredients, including bouillabaisse with mahimahi, Kaua‘i shrimp and a coconut-macadamia crème brûlée. The kids menu is likewise elevated but still approachable with a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich.
The experience has a magical quality—almost Disney-like. Throughout the two-hour show, we were part of a fairytale about a little chef who could do big things. Yes, it’s pricey, but when you factor in the entertainment, it’s perfect for a special occasion.
$169 classic menu, $139 vegetarian menu, $89 kids menu, 415 Nāhua St., Waikīkī, lepetitchef.com, @le.petitchef
Feel Like a Zoo VIP With After-Hours Access to Animals
For kids who love animals or weird animal facts, the Twilight Tour at the Honolulu Zoo is a must-do late-afternoon outing. The two-hour guided tours run on Saturdays beginning at 4:30 p.m., after the zoo closes to the public.
The first stop on our tour was the Komodo dragon exhibit, where Rose, a female, was fully visible. Kids learn that the lizard can go an entire year without eating, then consume a whole wild boar in one meal. Our guide brought out a skull to show how the reptiles use their sharp teeth and venom to take down prey.
Throughout the evening, we were entertained with stories about ring-tailed lemur “stink wars” and Spider-Man comparisons that explained how gibbons swing effortlessly through trees. Despite a lot of standing and walking, kids stay engaged, with some eagerly answering trivia questions at the exhibits.
Another tour bonus: The animals seem more awake and active than during regular zoo hours. Mari, the Asian elephant, was eating and cleaning dirt off her back; a hippo was plodding along in the water; and a rhino was pacing back and forth. We even spotted porcupines, which typically hide during the day.
$25 kama‘āina adult, $20 child, 151 Kapahulu Ave., Waikīkī, honoluluzoo.org, @thehonoluluzoo
Get a Fantasy Makeover at Storybook Station
Offering makeovers, playdates and birthday parties, Storybook Stations in Hawai‘i are imagination wonderlands. I assumed the fantasy salons were mostly for princess-loving girls, but I was wrong.
Boys too are instantly swept into the magical world created by owner Casey Fortuno and her team of “land mermaids.” Every corner of the space we visited at Windward Mall feels straight out of a storybook, complete with an enchanted forest, tea party setup, princess carriage and mermaid-themed scenes.
The highlight is the costume closet, where kids can be transformed into ninjas, fierce T. rexes, unicorns or something else entirely. Embracing their new identities, kids gallop through an enchanted forest on stick horses and dive headfirst into imaginative play. The staff also leads groups in games, like a freeze dance and the floor is lava.
Afterward, as a wind-down, keiki can get their faces painted and hair glitter-sprayed for extra flair. They won’t want to leave, which is the best review possible.
$20–$149 makeover packages, birthday party packages start at $650, Pearlridge Center and Windward Mall, storybookstationhawaii.com, @storybookhawaii
Snack Your Way Through Honolulu’s Forests
Nat Bletter leads nature lovers and adventurous foodies on monthly foraging tours through O‘ahu’s jungles, teaching about wild greens, medicinal plants and the growing “foraging” trend popping up on restaurant menus.
The day before our family’s tour, Bletter texted the secret meetup location, at a forest minutes from central Honolulu. A botanist with more than 30 years of experience and founder of Madre Chocolate, Bletter shared safety tips before introducing us to Hawai‘i’s edible invasive species. His motto: “Let’s eat the invasives out of existence.”
Along the trail, we sampled everything from haole koa seeds that tasted like edamame to maile pilau, also known as “stink vine” for its kim chee-like flavor. Tiny sour grass flowers reminded us of SweetTarts candy, while other plants double as natural remedies for eye care, asthma and insomnia.
By the end, our group had gathered enough ingredients to create a family-style salad topped with Bletter’s homemade cacao nib honey mustard vinaigrette.
Laura Dornbush is the contributing editor of the 2026 issue of HONOLULU Family and a regular contributor to HONOLULU Magazine. @ldornbush
