As far as family destinations go, Hawaii is more exciting and entertaining than ever. Parents don’t need to worry about packing an extensive wardrobe when traveling to Hawaii, cool, comfortable casual clothing will be perfect just for everything you and your children want to do. Hawaii’s climate is temperate, generally ranging from the mid-70 to the mid-80Fs year-round.

Another benefit to the islands is that even though it’s exotic, it is also American, which means there are fewer concerns for the family on the go. Hawaii uses American dollars and follows American laws. English is a primary language. All this makes communication and transaction in Hawaii as easy as at home.

But there are plenty of new experiences with cultural diversity for everyone to absorb. Hawaii’s population is a melting pot, during vacation you will mingle with people of many different ethnic backgrounds. Visiting places such as Chinatown and Hawaii’s Plantation Village on Oahu or attending such events as Aloha Festival, a statewide cultural celebration that usually is schedule in September and October each year, provide wonderful opportunities for guests to learn about many races - including native Hawaiians, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Samoan, Tongan and Portuguese - who now call the islands home.

Most of the major resorts have designed keiki (kids) programs that allow parents to enjoy some vacation time alone, knowing that their youngsters are under the supervision of trained counselors. The majority of these programs are geared for kids ages 5-12, are available seasonally and charge a fee between $40-$50 for a full day of activities, including lunch and a souvenir t-shirt. Exceptions are the Keiki Aloha program at the Sheraton Waikiki on Oahu and the Kids For All Season program at the Four Seasons resort Maui and the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Big Island, which are offered complimentary for guests, all year round. Activities include storytelling, Hawaiian games, arts and crafts, movies, swimming, sandcastle building, tidepool explorations, picnics, kite flying, lei-making, hula lessons, scavenger hunts nature walks and excursions to popular attractions.

Camp Grande at the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui features a 20,000 sq. ft children facility including a theater, computer learning center, arcade, library, art room and dining area. Some resorts take children’s entertainment the extra mile.

The Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island, for example, has just opened the Canon Creative Room, a new "Cyberarcade" where computer-literate keiki can send and receive e-mail, check out the Internet, create t-shirts from their own photographs, send a virtual postcard, and play more then 50 on the latest computer games from Sega, Nintendo and Disney. Charge is $6 per half-hour and $10 per hour. Tuesday evening from 7:30p to 10pm, families can join astronomer Wayne Fukunaga for a fascinating lesson about the celestial bodies that sparkle in Hawaiian skies. On Monday and Tuesday mornings, guests are invited to help feed the hundreds of colorful tropical fish that reside in the Hilton Waikiloa’s canal, and on Friday and Saturday mornings they can interact with friendly feathered friends at Parrot Talk sessions. Meeting the resort’s dolphins face-to-face is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

At the Westin Maui in Kaanapali, kids can indulge in splashy fun all day long at the Playground, a 55,000 sq ft pool garden encompassing five free-form swimming pools and three water slides. Any parent knows when youngsters play hard, that usually results in a hamper full of soiled clothes. At the Westin Maui, a separate kid’s laundry bag is given to families at check-in. You don’t have to worry filing the bag because instead of charging by the piece, the hotel will do all the children’s laundry at a flat rate.

The Four Seasons resorts on Maui and the Big Island prepare all rooms for families with special touches tailored to the ages of the children. For infants, the crib is set up complete with bumper pad an kit. Complimentary baby supplies are available as well. For older kids, milk and cookies on arrival; a plush stuffed animal, their names spelled out on the side of the bathtub with a brightly colored sponge letters, and a bathrobe (ages 5-8). Rooms are automatically child-proofed . Available upon request at no charge are microwave ovens, bottle warmers, mini-refrigerators, strollers, car seats and high chairs. Toy boxes in the hotel restaurants and pool areas provide all sorts of fun distractions for keiki. The Four Seasons resorts know how to put smiles on the faces tough-to-please teens. After being greeted with soda and chips, they can escape to the Games Room, which is equipped with table shuffleboard, pool table, video games, a juke box and a big-screen television.