Sure, you can easily spend your entire family vacation at the pool or at the beach. There's nothing wrong with that, and if your kids are like ours, they will be perfectly happy with that. But if you want to shake things up a bit, here are five more family activities to keep the family engaged and off the tablets and phones!

Whale Watching
In season, December 1 - April 30, nothing beats a whale watching tour. Two hours on a nice boat, learning about whales and the ocean, while taking in gorgeous views of Maui and surrounding islands. Out of season, snorkel trips out to Lana'i almost always take you through pods of active spinner dolphins. While dolphins aren't as spectacular as giant whales, they are loads of fun and love to play next to the boat. Click here to learn more about our whale watch tours and our Lana'i snorkel adventure.

Maui Ocean Center
Should the weather forecast look iffy, schedule the Maui Ocean Center for a rainy day. Nearly all of the activities are indoors, and oh what activities they are! The highlight of any trip to this aquarium is the stunning glass tunnel through the middle of a tank full of sharks and rays. It's just beautiful. Maui Ocean Center is ultra-eco-friendly. They keep no mammals, nor do they serve drinks in plastic bottles or offer plastic straws (they use paper straws). Overall, it's a very impressive aquarium and is a highlight of any trip to Maui. (Maui Ocean Center)

Surf Lessons
Depending on the age of your kids, this can be a fun for the family. Generally speaking, you'll find friendly, knowledgable instructors who will get both you and children up and riding waves. A morning of surfing creates memories to last a lifetime. It may even create a lifelong surfer, and just as importantly, your children will learn respect for the ocean. You can find surf lessons all over Maui.

Ziplining
Ziplining is a fun and exhilarating way to see Maui. You can find various zipline adventures all over the island. We recommend googling it. But, for this article, we'll call out three that are located near visitor hotels and condos and that are family-friendly.
- Lahaina Zipline Adventure Tour: Soar over the Maui Dragon Fruit Farm on Lahaina's only zipline tour. Though only 450 ft. long, this zipline tour allows you to go up to four times! The minimum age is 5 years old, with a max weight limit of 250 pounds.
- Maui Ziplining at Maui Tropical Plantation: With five zipline adventures, ranging from 300 - 900 feet, Maui Ziplining has something for everyone aged 5 and up. Must be between 45 and 250 pounds.
- Skyline Eco-Adventures Ka'anapali: For ages 10 and up (minimum weight 80 pounds,) this tour encompasses either an 8-line or 11-line tour with views of the Pacific Ocean and takes 2.5 - 3.5 hours.

Roller Skating
Take your kids roller skating at the Kalama Park roller rink. Every Wednesday from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM and Friday and Saturday from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Skating is free, but if you need to rent skates, they are available for just $5 a pair. FYI, this is not the skate park, which is located near the rink. The skate park, for those a little more adventurous, is for skateboarders, roller skaters and scooter riders who prefer ramps and tubes.

One bonus listing: Toddler story time at the Kihei Public Library on Thursday mornings from 10:30 - 11:o0 AM, with crafts from 11:00 - 11:30. Children's librarian Miss Kathleen leads a raucous story time for toddlers with reading, singing and dancing. It's a truly interactive experience for toddlers and parents, alike. On Fridays, there's an additional 10:30 AM story time for children 4 and up, though kids of all ages are welcome.

Please let us know if you have other family recommendations for visitors of Maui by commenting below or hitting us up on Twitter @HIOceanProject and Instagram @hawaiioceanproject