Hot Weather: How to Stay Cool in the Heat
Here are a few fun 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:
Walker Ice & Fitness
4243 Remembrance Road NW, Walker MI 49534
Admission & Skate Rental: $10 per person
Mon, June 17, noon – 1:50 pm
Wed, June 19, noon – 1:50 pm
Patterson Ice Center in Grand Rapids
2550 Patterson Avenue, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
$10 per skater (includes skate rental)
Mon, June 17, 11 am – 12:50 pm
Wed, June 19, 11 am – 12:50 pm
Sun, June 23, 1 pm – 2:50 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.
Many of the local libraries have great kid spaces, with EGR & Wyoming being some of the favorites.
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 this summer.
Use our exclusive ticket deal to get discounted tickets on one or two-day passes.
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. City of GR pools are open from June 7 – August 17, 2024. Admission is $3 for youth and $5 for ages 17+. (Residents save $2 each).
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
Grand Rapids Area Cooling Stations
Additionally, area cooling stations are open during this June 2024 heatwave. Here are GR centers that have open hours this week:
| Alano Club of Kent County 1020 College Avenue NE Monday – Friday 7 AM to 9 PM, Saturday & Sunday 8 AM to 9 PM |
| Degage 139 Sheldon SE Daily 7 AM – 3 PM; Emergency shelter open 3 PM to 7 AM daily |
| Exodus Place 322 Front Avenue Daily 9 AM – 9 PM |
| Grand Rapids Public Library Locations Regular business hours |
| Kent District Library Locations Regular business hours |
| Mel Trotter 225 Commerce Avenue SW Cooling Center Daily 8 AM – 7 PM; Emergency shelter 3 PM – 8 AM Daily |
| West Grand Neighborhood Organization 754 Leonard Street NW #2 Monday – Thursday 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM |
Tell us if you have more ideas for staying cool in the comments. Thanks!
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!