Kamakana Playground

One of the better playgrounds on the Big Island, Kamakana sits near the forest in Kailua-Kona and earns its reputation. The wooden fort structure is genuinely impressive — multi-level, with slides, a maze, and a tire swing — and there’s a separate area for toddlers so younger kids aren’t getting bulldozed by bigger ones. Basketball and soccer fields round things out for older kids and adults, and the shaded picnic tables with BBQ grills make it easy to stretch an afternoon into a full day out.