I am looking for advice on Hawaii. Which island has the most to do for families? Mostly snorkeling and sights to see. We aren't interested in shopping but having good food options and low key bars would be nice. Also any house accommodation recommendations would be appreciated. There will be 6 adults and 2 babes. Also is there a time that is best to book flights (ie. How many days out)?

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We love Maui.

Maui just went in April with 30 family members. We all loved it

Depends on what your interests are. If you want the "rugged tropical paradise" experience, I'd suggest going to the big Island of Hawaii (probably the least touristy of the islands).
If you want more amenities and more touristy stuff, the Oahu has the most in terms of hotels, restaurants, shopping, and tour packages.

We don't really want super touristy but we do want some activities. We will have a 3 year old with us too so it would be great to keep her active

Olivia There's no shortage of family friendly things to do in and around Oahu. There's numerous luau's and hula shows. The Polynesian Cultural Center, Sea Life Park, the various military history exhibits (USS Arizona Memorial, the museum-battleship Missouri, the Bowfin submarine, and the Pacific Aviation Museum, all of which are in the same area).
There's the Kualoa Ranch if you want to go horseback riding.
And there's surfing lessons available at both Waikiki and in Haleiwa.

Thank you Ming

Olivia by the way, if your looking for less-touristy restaurants in Oahu, I have a number of them on my blog.
https://shinyandbright.wordpress.com/category/hawaii/

If you don't want touristy I would stay away from oahu and maui. Big island is great and lots of cool beaches and places to snorkel . Less expensive to rent a condo also. Check out vrbo.com and look either kailua-kona or waikaloa. I've stayed in both.

I found Oct /Nov has cheap flights and accommodation. Buy hawaii is great anytime of the year.

Not the Big Island with young kids, there aren't many lovely beaches, you have to navigate lava rock to go snorkeling. Stick to Oahu or Maui.

The islands are different ages, from west to east....Kauai in the west was formed first, and so is the oldest/greenest/lushest. The Big Island in the east is the youngest/most volcanic looking/barest/rockiest, scenerywise. That might also figure into what type of place you'd rather be. I prefer the lushness,.outdoorsiness, and somewhere quieter, so Kauai is my favourite. Maui has a mix. I find Oahu (anywhere near Honolulu) kinda busy, but there are nice spots there too, for sure.

Maui is SO amazing!

My son and I LOVE Hawaii, we have been to all of the islands but can only really speak of 2, Maui and Oahu. We found Oahu more of the big city island but lots to do, we had a VRBO with 6 adults and 2 babies and other times we stayed in Waikiki/Honolulu. Now we go to Maui now every year, more laid back and much easier to get around with a car. Lots of beaches and great restaurants.

Great thanks. Do you have advice on things to do with a 3 yr old while there?

There is an aquarium and lots of kid friendly beaches. http://mauioceancenter.com/

Olivia the beach! My kids sat all day in the sand and played. Never got bored.

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Maui us the best

Oahu, especially the north shore, will highly recommend the Polynesian cultural center, rated best attraction in Hawaii.

kaanapali maui great happy hours besutiful beach need car to go to other beaches

Kauai is the most laid back of the 4 most popular islands. Great beaches with the fewest people. Jungles, canyons, beaches, rivers and more. Big Island may be a bit overwhelming as there is a lot of driving to be done if you want to go to Volcanoes National Park, black sand beach, Two Step, Waipio Valley, etc, especially if you have 2 babes with you.
We've been to the Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Big Island. Kauai and Big Island are our favourites. Definitely less tourists there. We're heading to Kauai and Molokai in January. Can't wait to check out Molokai.
The islands are a better deal before December 15-April 15 generally. Use the app "Hopper" for your flights. We usually fly Alaska Airlines out of Bellingham. VRBO or Airbnb are good sites to use for accommodation. If you choose Kauai, Kauai Vacation Rentals is a great company to use.
Hope this helps! Have a great Hawaiian vacation!

Agree! We've been to Maui & Kauai and have loved both- Kauai with slight preference. We are going to Oahu later this year so can report back on how it compares after

Oahu is like Las Vegas with an ocean.
Took our teenage boys there they loved it. Second time, next will be quieter and more lush atmosphere of Kauai. Aloha

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In maui families often choose "sunny Kihei" to stay as there can be 15 microclimates on the island. We used vrbo to book a beautiful condo in kamoale sands resort. Which had both adult and kids pools, beautiful gardens and was a short walk to the beach. A ground level condo will give your kids green space to play. You can also check www.pmimaui.com for rental inventory by this property management company. Wailea is higher end but the beaches are less crowded as not within walking distance. If you rent a car, Do visit lao valley to experience the lushness & immigrant history and lavender farm in Kula for beautiful views! Enjoy!!

My adult kids and their 2.5 yr old just got back from Kauai. They loved it for the laid back feel, the hiking and swimming and snorkelling options, and the camping was SO cheap. That's because of the chickens that wake you up at dawn, lol. But they still loved it. They were 4 adults and the wee one and they stayed at a great VRBO for 5 nights as well. They spent almost 3 weeks on the one Island and didn't feel they missed the city at all!

Kathi Klassen check this out! Options so we can take the WHOLE family!

Best weather on all islands is on the Big Island in Kona - it rarely rains and then mainly up in the volcano area not in Kona. Water is warmest Sept to Dec. Great snorkeling - not too many sandy beaches but many interesting beaches with sand and lava rock combination. Very laid back and not as touristy as other islands.

The Big island of Hawaii in Kona has the driest - best weather of all the islands. Water is warmest Sept to Dec - great snorkeling - not as touristy as all the other islands.

The Big island of hawaii has the driest most consistent weather of all the islands and is not as touristy. Great snorkeling.