Plenty of kids joined their parents on the Reefdancer trip, a great kid-friendly excursion. As we rode in an air-conditioned, underwater, “glass” cabin, our friendly tour guide personally greeted every child on the cruise. At the reef, two Reefdancer scuba-divers circled the boat, stopping at each window to show us a few types of spiny urchins, which they respectfully plucked from -- and then returned to -- the reef below. Excited passengers were also treated to a rare sight: a baby octopus!

The crew invited us to climb to the upper deck for fresh air or a change of scenery, and the view of Lahaina was beautiful from our vantage point. As we headed back to the harbor, the Reefdancer divers casually pointed out some interesting sights. It was obvious that the crewmembers love their jobs!

The fairly-priced one-hour excursion will cost a family of four about $100, an average for most harbor tours; Reefdancer usually offers online discounts if passengers book a week in advance. The Reefdancer tour caters to families; almost every passenger on the boat, including locals who were celebrating a second birthday, had at least one child in tow—and all the kids were happy! Be sure to wear sunscreen, save a few bucks for a tip and a family photo, and use the bathroom before climbing aboard. If a family member tends to suffer from motion-sickness, you might want to skip this excursion altogether.

Having visited the local aquarium a few days earlier, it was interesting to see many of the same sea animals in their natural environment. The Reefdancer trip allowed my son, a non-swimmer, to experience the beauty of the Pacific up-close. Until he learns to snorkel, we will return to the Reefdancer for more underwater adventures!


“This review is based on a complimentary visit to the Reefdancer. I received no other compensation and the business owner did not state any requirements that I express a particular point of view.”

We have been taking our now three-year old to the SJCDM since he was 10 months old, and we always have a blast! The place seems to "grow" with the little ones. When he was young, we played in the Wonder Cabinet, where he crawled through a starlit tunnel, played with sound manipulatives and hovering balls, and experimented with sand. Now that he is older, he still enjoys the Wonder Cabinet, but also loves to dress up like a firefighter and drive the real fire engine or ambulance. He plays "mailman" at the post office, and LOVES the water exhibit (bring a change of shoes, because your kids are going to get wet!) Last week, he attempted face-painting for the first time. There is a TON of fun for everyone here. The rotating exhibits vary in quality and interest, but overall, this place always provides hours of safe, educational fun!

The African exhibit is gorgeous. Kids love to walk through tunnels and view giraffes, zebras, and other African animals, and you can spend a lot of time in that single area. We also love the penguins and the children's zoo. Some of the older exhibits (bears, for example) desperately need updating, but overall, this is a fine zoo. Lots of room to run and play.

My husband (a science teacher) and I took our three-year old to the Exploratorium on a weekday. I thought the exhibits would be too advanced for our toddler, but he had a BLAST turning knobs and dials, playing with hovering balls, standing in a fog machine, catching his shadow on a flash wall, playing with magnets, watching waves, and playing instruments! We had the BEST time engaging with him at the exhibits and watching him wander, wonder and explore. There was so much to do that we could have stayed all day. We picnicked outside near the Palace of Fine Arts, and the fun continued at the little guy chased seagulls and geese around the lagoon. Later that night, he said, "Mommy, there's wasn't science at the museum; there were kids' things." When I explained that the "kids' things" were "science things," he replied, "I love science!" My husband beamed. What an AMAZING day!

Bounce U is a GREAT indoor play place, with some of the coolest inflatables we've ever seen! We visited for open-bounce and the kids had a blast; even though kids in the area were on spring break, it was not crowded. There's a baseball batting cage where kids hit a hovering ball, lots of slides and obstacles courses, and even an old-school air hockey game. The best thing about Bounce U is that it's open (for preschoolers, at least) Monday through Friday (unlike some other places that are only open a couple times a week.) The other thing that's "refreshing" about Bounce U is that it doesn't smell like stinky feet (unlike those other bounce places.) Be sure to check out the website; they ask guests to make reservations for open bounce. The only drawback: no eating in the bounce areas; there should be a designated snack area inside one of the bounce rooms, as little ones get hungry during play time!