Waikiki Beach, near Kapahulu Avenue

I like this part of Waikiki Beach if I want to go bodyboarding! It's right near the zoo parking so it's an easy walk with a bodyboard and fins. Also, it has the best bodyboarding close to shore that can be found in Waikiki! The only caveat: there is a lot of reef and it's an inch from your knees as you zoom along at lightning speed! Still, if bodyboarding gives you a high, this place is for you!

The sand here is wide and nice. There are usually lots of kids swimming. Because of all the coral, your only choice is to swim near the shore. If you need shade, you'll find some on the south end of this beach. A wide lawn stretches out there with abundant shade trees. Coconut trees also provide some shade on the sand.
A few times a year, the city of Honolulu hosts the most amazing spectacle here- a movie on the beach! Nothing could be more blissful than sitting on a fold-up chair, toes buried in the sand, listening to the waves crash on the shore and the palms sway overhead, while watching a giant movie screen play a favorite film. And it's free! Parking can be bad so come early. 
Nearby is Tiki's Grill and Bar (on the second floor of the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel). It's relaxing to sit outside on their balcony among the tiki torches and red lanterns with a view of the ocean enjoying the wonderful live music. Try the amazing purple taro bread rolls served with banana butter- yum! Request the mashed purple Molokai sweet potato instead of fries. The coconut shrimp is delicious!
Across Kalakaua Avenue, on the corner of Kapahulu, there is a Starbucks.
At night it's romantic to walk to the gazebo at the end of the jetty and take in the city lights, warm breeze, and salt water mist on your face.
Just across the street from this beach is Honolulu Zoo, my favorite zoo of all the zoos I've been to in the world! Walk over to Monsarrat Ave for a row of cafes and coffee shops!
Other nice spots in Waikiki from east to west are: the Hau Tree Beach all the way on the Diamond Head end of Waikiki- lots of shade and a lovely swim; the ocean swimming pool, a safe spot for more timid swimmers, and very romantic at night with the moon shining on the still water; Duke Kahanamoku Statue Beach, in the center of it all; the Sheraton Beach, crowded but with the warmest water for swimming; and all the way west before you hit the harbor, my favorite spot, the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach, with tons of fun stuff for kids to do.
To prepare for your trip, introduce your toddler to animals in Hawaii with this adorable book about where animals sleep, Naptime by the Sea. It is a magical book.

Directions

This section of Waikiki Beach (sometimes called Kuhio Beach) is at the end of Kapahulu Avenue. There is a long jetty with a gazebo to your right as you look out at the ocean.
Parking is limited here so park at the zoo and walk. The zoo parking is on the corner of Kapahulu and Kalakaua. It costs $1 per hour and you can pay the parking machine with your credit card.
Tiki's Grill and Bar, upstairs on the corner of Kalakaua and Paoakalani Ave, 2570 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu HI 96815, call (808) 923-8454.
Great Place to Stay: Park Shore Waikiki Hotel, 2586 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, call (866) 406-2782.

Click on map for interactive view