I love children’s author Tara Lazar’s blog. Many years ago she posted “500+ Things That Kids Like.” From 3D movies to zoos, the wonderful list is a reminder of the things that make childhood fun.
Let’s add to this list. To start, here are 12 things Native Hawaiian and Hawaiʻi kids* like.
- Paipo boarding, the perfect short board for body surfing
- Spam musibis and ume musubis
- Hehi at a loʻi kalo (flattening the fields at a taro garden—sticky, muddy fun!)
- Standing on a surfboard and not falling off
- Dancing in hula festivals competitions, or cheering on hula sisters and brothers
- May Day festivals in elementary school
- Spotting kōlea as they change from brown to black and white just before they leave
- Shave ice, with or without azuki beans and ice cream
- Waving at paʻu riders at Aloha Week and King Kamehameha parades
- Stringing lei for Memorial Day and laying them on graves if you’re a scout
- Learning to play the ukulele in elementary school
- Olivine sand
Send me your uniquely Hawaiʻi list, and I’ll include it in an upcoming post!
*Native Hawaiians are indigenous to the islands and can trace our ancestry to before Capt. Cook’s arrival in 1778. In contrast, Hawaiʻi kids are non-native locals. The term Hawaiians is reserved for the native people.
