Aikahi Playground
Aikahi Elementary School 281 Ilihau St.,
Kailua, HI 96734
IN A NUTSHELL
Pros:
- Unique Equipment
- Several Variations of classic equipment
- Shade
- Sea animal theme
- Voted best playground on Oahu by Honolulu Family Magazine
Cons:
- Only open to public during non-school hours
- Bathrooms far away from playground
Can be a bit of a drive for babies and toddlers if living in town- Water fountains out-of-order (or turned off during non-school hours)
- No swings (the abundance of other equipment more than make up for this fact, but since my daughter mentioned it, I thought I might as well)
Features:
- 6 Monkey Bars/Rings
- 5 Slides
- 3 Different bridges
- 4 Different Playgrounds
- Parking lot
- Rock climbing wall
- Equipment available for all ages
Be Sure to Check Out:
Everything! The equipment on this playground is different than any playground I have ever seen on Oahu so be sure to provide plenty of time for your keiki to explore out every nook and cranny (including fun hiding places for a game of hide and seek). If visiting on a Saturday, head over to the baseball field behind the school and check out a little league game.
It is not possible to exaggerate the novelty of Aikahi Elementary School’s wooden playground. Voted Best Playground on Oahu by Honolulu Family Magazine, the playground has qualities other playgrounds do not even touch, like a sea animal theme, or the overwhelming feeling that you are in the kind of tree house of your childhood fantasies. Prior to visiting this playground, I heard about it from several different mothers via word of mouth, as “that great wooden playground in Kailua by the Kaneohe Military Base.”
Sea Dragon
Sea Dragon Tiles
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A large sea dragon lines the park, separating it from the parking lot and featuring children’s artwork on the scales. Children’s artwork and “thank you” tiles also line the entrance gazebo.
Treehouse
The park boast: six different types of monkey bars/rings, some that spin, some that swing, and some closer to the ground for shorter or younger children; five different slides, multiple moving balance beams, and three different bridges. The fun variations in what could otherwise be typical equipment works muscles children might not normally use and keeps exercise fun and interesting. There are methods of “crawling” or “scaling” the playground that I can not even begin to name because I have never seen them before. My favorite was a series of roped nets used to get up to the the “tree house.” They reminded me of a cross between the orangutang enclosure at the zoo, and a fast-food restaurant PlayPlaces. The rock climbing wall, and various rope climbs are equally different and fun.
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Rock climbing wall on the “Volcano”
Parts of the playground are better for older children, as climbing a rope or manipulating a net with gaps large enough for them to fall through can be impossibility for toddlers. That said, my two-year-old was able to do the “volcano” rock climbing wall (with Mama or Papa standing behind her just in case). Nonetheless, the wooden turtle and tunnel features, as well as the hammerhead shark platform and “boat” is perfect for even the very youngest of children. Babies can crawl along the boardwalk and those just learning to walk will get a kick out of cruising from walkway to walkway. Many mothers spread their blankets in the shade by these features and relaxed or nursed their infants while their older children explored the playground for hours. And I literally mean hours as we stayed for three hours and families who were there when we arrived were still there when we left.
Hammerhead Shark and Sea Turtle Features are perfect for the younger crowd
In addition to their spectacular wooden playground, there are three additional standard playgrounds on the property, one directly next to the main playground, one just slightly off in the distance but still visible, and one by the baseball field on the other side of the school.
Playground #2
Playground #3
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The bathrooms are located all the way on the other side of the school behind the baseball field, so bathroom trips with many children can be a pain. In magazine and internet articles it warns that the playground has no public restroom, probably because it is an elementary school playground, but the baseball field around the building is part of the department of parks and rec and offers a public restroom behind third base. Also, the water fountains at the playground did not function. More than once I saw children open a little door at the bottom and attempt to pull a few valves and get it working. My guess is that they turn the water fountain off during non-school hours, so bring water for the keiki.
Pretty, but turned-off water fountains
Parking is available at the school parking lot as well as the on the street along side the playground. For families coming from outside of Kailua, the nearby Aikahi Shopping Center has a Safeway, L & L, Burger King, and Sizzler for grabbing lunch or snacks, and also hosts a classic car show from 5pm-9pm on the first Saturday of every month.
For an additional learning experience, have your child recycle in the large recycling unit in the parking lot next to the playground. Proceeds benefit school programs and participating and learning about recycling can help children feel more connected and invested in their environment.
