Family Fun for Hot Weather: How to Stay Cool in the Heat
Here are a few places you can beat the heat with your kids.
Options for your consideration:
1 – Go Ice Skating
Most indoor ice rinks are open year-round.
What better than renting a pair of ice skates and flying across a sheet of frozen H-2-O to cool you and your family down?
Here are a few local places where you can skate right now:
Griff’s Georgetown in Hudsonville
8500 48th Avenue, Hudsonville, MI 49426
Admission & Skate Rental: $10 per person
Online registration is required for all open skating.
Thursday, June 16th, 1- 2:30 pm
Wednesday, June 22nd, 1- 2:30 pm
Wednesday, June 29th, 1- 2:30 pm
Patterson Ice Center in Grand Rapids
2550 Patterson Avenue, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
$10 per skater (includes skate rental)
June 21, 11 am – 12:50 pm
June 22, 11 am – 12:50 pm
June 28, 11 am – 12:50 pm
June 29, 11 am – 12:50 pm
2 – Explore Library Play Spaces
Camping out at your local library or trying a new one is a great way to stay cool and check off boxes on your summer reading chart.
The Main Branch of the Grand Rapids Public Library has an area with dress-up clothes, a play kitchen, LEGO bricks, and more. The Cascade Township KDL branch is outfitted with a “Space Lab” and lots of activity bins.
For photos of all of the area library play areas and a description of what each one offers, look here.
4 – Splash the Day away at Michigan’s Adventure Waterpark – TICKET DEAL!!
For the most part, Wildwater Adventure water park is open daily from noon to 6 pm starting on June 11, 2022.
Use our exclusive ticket deal to get 2-Day Admission Passes for $63!
5 – Head to an Inland Beach
When the water on the big lake hasn’t warmed up enough for swimming but it’s hot outside, it’s time to head to a local inland lake! Here are some favorites:
6 – Jump in a Pool or Splash Pad
The City of Grand Rapids operates several swimming pools. To help you know if they’re at capacity, they now offer live online updates. Check the status before heading out.
Or, consider a splash pad visit to help you cool off. We’ve listed them by size and broken down the amenities offered to help you choose a destination.
7 – Find Indoor Fun
Check out our Indoor Play Guide for a huge list of local places you can take kids to have fun indoors.
Trampoline parks, museums, movie theaters, pottery painting places, and indoor playgrounds – there are so many to choose from.
Take your pick, these destinations offer fun, learning, and a cool venue for the price of admission.
A few museums we love include:
– Grand Rapids Public Museum
– Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
Tell us if you have more ideas for staying cool in the comments. Thanks!
More to Explore

What’s that Smell? Stinky Cheese at GR’s New Christkindl Markt is Talk of the Town
Heads Up, Christlkindl Visitors The newly opened Christkindl Markt in Grand Rapids is a festive hit, drawing large crowds in the weeks since it’s opened. But it’s not just the twinkling lights and holiday crafts that are drawing attention. For those new to Christkindl Markets, the pungent aroma of the Raclette booth has caught many…

Visit Downtown Market Grand Rapids: GR’s foodie Gem in the Heart of the City!
Downtown Market Grand Rapids is a Food-Lover’s Paradise The delectable Downtown Market in Grand Rapids celebrated its 10th birthday in August. This culinary hotspot has been serving up deliciousness for a whole decade! It’s basically a GR institution. And wow, does it do it well. There’s a reason it has earned its place in the…

Shop Local GR: Uptown’s Treasure Trail is Filled with Fabulous Gifts from $10 – $50
A Gift-Giver’s Guide to Shopping in Uptown GR Follow this new 37-Store Treasure Trail to Shop Local Have you heard? The shops in GR’s Eastown are fantastic! Have you tried to shop Eastown or the Wealthy St Corridor? If you have, you know that finding the shops is a bit like a treasure hunt, and…

Stocking Palooza 2023: 12 Holiday Giveaways!
Nov – Dec 2023 12 Holiday Giveaways with Amazing Prizes Prizes include tickets, memberships, birthday parties, gift cards, and more! Brought to you by John Ball Zoo. John Ball Zoo Holiday Membership Sale Zoo memberships are 10% off through December 20, 2023. No code needed for discount. Members receive:- Free general Zoo admission for one full…

Rosa Parks Circle Ice Skating 2023-24: Reservations & Walk-Up Skating Available
Rosa Parks Circle Ice Skating for 2023 Rosa Parks Circle ice skating is one of our favorite outdoor ice rinks in West Michigan. It sits in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, amid trees twinkling with thousands of lights at night, with cozy local restaurants nearby for a warm up and treat afterward. The Circle…

WIN! Meijer Gardens Christmas 2023: Dazzling Light Show, Christmas Trees, Railway Train Garden & More
Meijer Gardens Christmas Trees & Events Make the Season Bright November 21, 2023 – January 7, 2024 This holiday season treat yourself to all the festivities a Frederik Meijer Gardens Christmas can bring. In its 29th year, the event celebrates the theme of Gathering, inviting you to drink up the holiday spirit with fresh poinsettias,…
Great list to follow! Running errands is one that I usually do because I get a chore done and stay cool at the same time.
Oh–and at the GR libraries, based on availability, you can get free museum passes.
Yup! Libraries and museums are the best! And if you take the bus, it’s air conditioned, you don’t have to get into a hot car when you’re done, and if your kids have a Grand Rapids library card, they can get free bus tickets from the library children’s desk through the “Ride to Read” program.
perfect, exactly what I was looking for!