12 Ways to Beat the Heat with Kids

Fresh, midsummer ideas for getting through the dog days of summer.

It's hot out there! If you're looking for some fresh, midsummer ideas to beat the heat, check out these creative ideas suggested by our readers via Facebook.

1. Squirt guns with ice water! We also put the sprinkler near the driveway so we can play basketball in the water.
— Laura Bray

2. Going to museums! Indoors! Air conditioning!
— Mitzy Holtzman

3. Gatorade popsicles!
— Liz Arthur Graham

4. We're pretending its winter, eating snow cream popsicles, building cotton ball snowmen, watching Frozen !
— Brent Amy Cook

5. Playing the game "Trouble" inside! best 12 dollars I ever spent! WHO KNEW!!!
— Cristina Ianucci-Mills

6. Planning different parks every morning and mall visits every evening, pool trips late evening. Reading a new book every night with a flashlight under a fort of blankets.
— Vidya Rao

7. Went to the movies today! $1.50 on Tuesdays! Great deal and free ac!!!
— Jill Mansfield Pereira

8. Water balloons and putting the sprinkler under the trampoline!!
— Heather Adams

9. Splash pad, sprinklers, and swimming lessons (convienently held indoors!)
— Ginger Rushing

10. Pool days with ice cream, water fights, slip n' slide splash activity, and walks with lots of water!
— Sarah W. Sofia Knepp

11. Lots of water and indoor adventures around town: movies, Monkey Joes and IKEA
— Jessica Hines Norman

12. I take my pillow and put it in the freezer for a little while before I go to bed as well as some of my sheets so that I can fall asleep. The kids love this when I do this with their blankie or stuffed toy.
— Bejal Mehta

I'm on vacation this week, but will be back next week. Look for our August issue to hit stands this week and stay tuned for a big announcement Friday!