So, your house has also been playing the Moana soundtrack on repeat until the CD (or Spotify playlist) is practically worn out? You’re not alone in that particular brand of paradise. My niece recently informed me that I am “Pua,” and she is obviously Moana, which means I have to follow her around the backyard while she “saves the world.” Honestly, it beats working.
If you are looking for ways to channel that obsession into something productive—or at least something that burns energy—you’ve come to the right place. I’ve rounded up a dozen Moana-themed activities that are actually fun, require minimal adulting, and might just keep the kids from using the family dog as a substitute for Hei Hei.
Here are 12 Moana activities for kids that will have them exploring, crafting, and singing until they’re literally “where the wind meets the sea.”
1. Make Your Own Wayfinding Stick
Every great chief needs a wayfinding stick to navigate the open ocean, right? This is probably the easiest activity on the list because it literally involves going outside and finding a stick.
Go on a Quest: Head to the backyard or a local park and let the kids find their perfect “wayfinding stick.” It needs to be sturdy, about as tall as they are, and obviously, full of magic.
Deck It Out: Once you’re home, grab some yarn, ribbon, or even old fabric scraps. Let the kids wrap the top of the stick to create a grip. We used some leftover washi tape on ours, and let me tell you, that stick looked fancy.
Why Bother? Besides getting them outside, it taps into that imaginative play. Suddenly, the backyard is the vast ocean, and they are Maui or Moana, steering their people to new lands. IMO, that’s a solid win for a Tuesday afternoon.
2. Create Coconut Art (The Non-Messy Kind)
Remember when Moana has to go return the heart, and the villagers are all about the coconuts? Yeah, we’re leaning into that.
Grab Some Coconuts: You can buy a couple of coconuts from the grocery store. Shake them first to make sure they have milk—it’s just more fun that way.
Paint Session: Give the kids some acrylic paint and let them turn these brown hairy orbs into faces. You can make them look like the Kakamora, or just give them goofy expressions. We painted one to look like Pua, and it was horrifyingly cute.
FYI: If you don’t want to deal with actual coconuts (they can be messy to crack open if the kids insist on drinking the milk), use smooth river rocks from the dollar store. Same effect, zero splinters.
3. Hei Hei Scavenger Hunt
Hei Hei is the world’s dumbest rooster, and frankly, he’s my spirit animal. He’s easily distracted, which makes him the perfect subject for a scavenger hunt.
Hide the “Rocks”: Hide a bunch of small objects around the house or yard. They can be anything—polished stones, plastic eggs, or even just crumpled-up pieces of paper.
Cluck Your Way to Victory: Tell the kids they have to act like Hei Hei (complete with clucking and tripping over their own feet) and “find the food.” Every time they find an object, they have to bring it back to a designated “canoe” (a cardboard box).
This activity is pure chaos, and I love it. The giggles are totally worth the weird looks you might get from the neighbors. 🙂
4. Build a Cardboard Canoe
Look, I know we all have a million Amazon boxes lying around. It’s time to put them to good use.
Construction Zone: Tape a few large boxes together to form a canoe shape. Don’t stress about perfection—kids aren’t going to care if it looks like a boat or a poorly constructed shoe.
Paint and Sail: Let the kids paint it brown and add designs with markers. Once it’s dry, they can sit in it and “sail” across the living room floor. Fair warning: floor sailing requires a lot of grunting and pushing sounds.
Pro Tip: Add a paper towel roll as a mast and tie on an old dish towel for a sail. It elevates the whole experience from “box” to “voyaging canoe.”
5. Learn the Haka (Or a Kid-Friendly Version)
When Maui tells his story through song, he gets pretty intense. Kids love that intensity.
Watch the Scene: Watch Maui’s “You’re Welcome” sequence or the haka dance. Talk about how dancing can tell a story.
Stomp and Slap: Teach them some simple moves—stomping feet, slapping arms, making funny faces. You don’t need to be authentic; you just need to be loud.
Performance Time: Cue up the song and let them perform for you. It’s a great way to get energy out, and honestly, watching a five-year-old attempt to look tough is the highlight of my week.
6. Ocean Sensory Bin
Sensory bins are a lifesaver when you need thirty minutes of quiet time. They’re also super easy to theme.
Base Ingredients: Grab a plastic bin and fill it with blue-tinted rice or water beads. If you’re brave, use water and soap for some splashy fun.
Add the Crew: Throw in some small toys—Moana, Maui, Pua, Hei Hei—and maybe some shells or smooth stones.
The Goal: The kids can reenact scenes, sail the ocean, or just bury Maui in the “sand” (aka rice). It’s open-ended, which is exactly why it works.
7. Make Ocean Slime
Okay, full disclosure: I hate making slime. It gets everywhere, and it always ends up in someone’s hair. But kids absolutely love it, so sometimes you just have to hold your nose and dive in.
Go Blue: Make a batch of clear or blue slime using your favorite recipe (contact solution and glue is my go-to).
Mix Ins: Add glitter, small plastic sea creatures, or even beads to represent the “shiny” ocean from the song.
The Cleanup: Accept now that this will be messy. Set up a vinyl tablecloth or do it outside. Trust me on this.
8. Write a Message to the Ocean
In the movie, Moana has a special connection with the ocean. This craft taps into that idea.
Supplies: You just need paper, markers, and maybe some stickers.
The Activity: Ask the kids to write or draw a message to the ocean. What would they ask it? What would they want it to show them?
Delivery: You can “send” the messages by placing them in a bottle and putting it on a shelf, or if you’re near a body of water, you can actually float them (biodegradable paper only, please!).
9. Coconut Bowling
Remember those painted coconuts from activity #2? Now they have a job.
Set Up the Pins: Use empty water bottles or plastic cups as the “villagers” or “Kakamora.”
Bowl Away: Line them up and let the kids roll the coconut to knock them down.
Scoring: Who cares about scoring? It’s just fun to throw things. If you want to be fancy, you can call a strike a “Maui smash.”
10. Lava Monster Tag
This is just regular tag with a storyline, and it’s perfect for the backyard.
Who’s the Monster: One person is Te Kā (or Te Fiti, depending on how the story goes).
The Rules: If Te Kā tags you, you turn into stone (freeze in place) until another player touches you to “return your heart.”
The Fun: It turns a simple game of tag into an epic saga. It also wears them out, which is always the ultimate goal, isn’t it?
11. Bake “Kakamora” Coconut Treats
Time to get in the kitchen! Coconut is a huge part of the Moana aesthetic.
Simple Recipe: Make no-bake coconut balls. Mix shredded coconut, condensed milk, and a little vanilla. Roll them into balls and chill.
Make Them Funny: Use mini chocolate chips to give them faces. You can even dip them in brown chocolate to make them look more like the furry little pirates.
The Verdict: These are ridiculously sweet, but the kids will eat them up. Just be prepared for a sugar rush afterwards.
12. Family Movie Night (With a Twist)
Obviously, you have to watch the movie. But let’s make it an event.
The Setup: Build a fort out of blankets and pillows to be the “canoe.”
The Snacks: Serve the coconut balls you made, plus some blue jello cups for the “ocean.”
The Experience: Dim the lights, queue up Disney+, and let the voyage begin. It’s the perfect way to cap off a day of Moana madness.
How Far Will You Go?
So there you have it—twelve ways to keep your little ones busy without hearing “I’m bored” even once. From wayfinding sticks to lava monster tag, these activities have saved my sanity more times than I can count.
Will they make a mess? Probably.
Will they ask to do them again tomorrow? Definitely.
Will it be worth it? Absolutely.
Now get out there and find that stick. The ocean (or the backyard) is waiting. 🙂
