Love Hawaii but our kids woke up at 2 am for the first 4 days of the trip. We even stopped overnight in Phx to help break up the flight and adjust to the time zone change. Also, do you know if your kids have ocean/sand phobia? It's pretty common among preschoolers and can totally kill a beach vacation.

Aulani poster here - just realized you asked about activities. Oahu is very kid friendly and there is lots to do outside the resort. Our older DC LOVED Pearl Harbor and talks all the time about it. He didn't understand the sadness of it - although the solemnity of it all did impact him once there - so for him it was mostly an awesome museum of planes and ships. We also did a day at the North Shore to see the big waves and had a lovely hike in the botanical gardens, a morning hike up Diamond Head (3 year-old was able to make it but was exhausted after), the Dole Plantation, and some of the other beaches to see sea turtles, etc. We also heard that the zoo and aquarium are both fun for kids but didn't make it there. Definitely enough kid-friendly stuff to do.

Anonymous wrote:I went to Waikiki twice with my two year old (work trips and family came with). The time zone difference wasn't a problem. It's really easy to have children on Oahu. They want to spend most of the time at the beach and the pool. Honolulu has nice shops and stroller friendly sidewalks. The Dole Plantation is very fun...so is an enormous shave ice.

Definitely do it.

Pali peak is really cool. Hiking to Manoa Falls is doable for a three year old as long as you don't mind mud.
North Shore and the sea turtles, shrimp trucks, etc is fun
renting a car and driving a loop around the island, stopping here and there along the way
luau at the military hotel
coconut pancakes
Bellows beach is a must see
Pearl Harbor is definitely doable for three year olds and up unless your kid is wild.
My kids loved the flea market. Go figure.