You get this bright idea to take your teenagers to Maui for vacation, but you have no clue what to do once you get there. To successfully avoid the 'I am so bored death looks' and make them to put away their iPods long enough to really experience what this island paradise has to offer, make your family trip about adventure, and even the fussiest teens will consider it cool to hang ten in Maui with mom and dad.  

The Hawaiian culture is all about families, which makes it an ideal family vacation destination. No matter what you teenager is into, Maui has something that will interest them. Just don't mention how educational some of these activities can be. Best of all, some of these activities won't bust your budget. 

1. For the nature buff visit the Maui Ocean Center in Ma'alaea. The aquarium displays are loaded with jellyfish, octopus, reef fish, shrimp, eels, skipjack tuna, lobsters, rays, sharks and more. There are hands-on exhibits and even a "touch pool" where visitors can touch various ocean creatures like sea urchins and starfish.
2. Hawaii Nature Center's Tao Valley Interactive Science Arcade has more than 30 hands-on exhibits that will help you learn about Maui's natural environment.
   
3. Take advantage of the Nature Center's Rainforest Wilderness Walks guided by naturalists who interpret the culture and the natural history of the Tao Valley.
4. Kaanapali Beach or ""Dig Me"" beach as it is known among the local teens is one of Maui's best beaches. The grainy gold sand stretches along the sea channel for 4 miles and has a paved walk way. The summertime swimming is unbeatable and it offers nearly every type of water activity and equipment imaginable.
5. Ma'alaea and Honolua Bay are two of the best surfing beaches with world class waves and several companies offer surfing lessons.
   
6. Rent snorkeling equipment and take a charter boat trip from either Ma'alaea or Lahaina Harbors.
7. Maui is honored to be home to the windsurfing capital of the world, Ho'okipa, but only the pros surf there. Advanced and beginners wind surfers alike, will find the conditions at Kanaha, Kihei and Spreckelsville more favorable, but still challenging.
8. Maui offers literally hundreds of miles of hiking trails, both marked and unmarked, so go exploring, but ask a local before you go. 
9. You can try your hand at horseback riding from several stables on the island; with trips lasting for 1 to 6 hours. 
   
10. Rent mountain bikes and take one of the numerous tours that are available or just explore back roads of Maui on your own.

Whatever you and your teenagers decide to do for activities, you can easily some things to do in Maui that will delight and astonish even the most picky teenagers.

This advice for traveling with teenagers was provided by mom, Kendall Smith.

One final tip for traveling with teens: get them their own room to stay in! After all, you want to enjoy your vacation, too, don't you? For the best value, rent a family size condo or vacation home in Maui, where you can spread out and have some 'personal space' away from the rest of the family - perfect for when you drive each other crazy.