It’s Hot, Now What? Fun Ideas to Beat the Heat with Your Kids

You’ll know when it’s here.  You open the front door and the Houston humidity slaps you in the face.  Your kids whine if you even suggest doing ANYTHING outdoors.  Your poor dog looks at you with those sad eyes when you try to coax her outside to do her business. Yep, it’s July in Houston, and it’s only going to get worse.  Instead of giving up on summer {like I have so many times in the past}, here is our list of ways to survive THRIVE those dog days of summer.

Things to Do at Home

snowball fight
science experiment
water balloons

Some of our favorite things to do at home include :: Legos, nerf gun wars, card games, and water gun wars. My kids can keep themselves entertained for hours doing any of these things, but towards the end of summer, even the most innocent game of Uno can end in tears and fights.  I love to have these options in my back pocket ::

  • Science Experiments – Tracy over at She Loves Science has a fun summer science goals list that’s sure to keep your kiddos busy during those hot mornings at home.  You can also check out her experiments tab.  She has them conveniently broken down by age groups as well as quick experiments.  
  • Water balloons-  We love these easy to fill water balloons by Bunch O Balloons.  You can find them anywhere {Target, Amazon, Costco, etc.}.  My boys request them all the time and after buying a jumbo pack from Costco, we can do them anytime we are stuck at home.  
  • Snowball fights- Bahama Bucks offers “sno to throw” at all of their locations.  It’s best to call ahead to reserve so you don’t have to wait.  I find it’s best to put a tarp down on the ground or do it in a contained place {like a trampoline} so that you can pick them up and throw them again. 
  • Explore Pinterest- Simply type in “Summer Activities for Kids” and a ton of ideas pop up.  Here are a few of our favorites:: excavating dinosaurs, ice painting, and puffy paint.

Getting Out of the House

michaels
Little Beakers

Sometimes staying home is NOT an option.  Here is a list of fun things to do even when its HOT outside ::

  • Indoor Play Places- Check out our guide on indoor play places across Houston
  • Bowling- Kids Bowl Free is fun and free, all you have to do is sign up.  There are multiple locations across Houston.  It’s great for killing a few hours in the day.
  • Movies- Cinemark and Studio Movie Grill are just two of the Houston area theatres offering summer movies at a discounted rate for kids.  For $1 per ticket, it’s a great way to beat the heat.
  • Craft Time- My kids love doing crafts but I HATE the cleanup.  Luckily Michaels has that taken care of.  This summer they have Camp Creativity, a summer long program for kids ages 3 and up.  On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 am – 12 pm kids can make a fun craft.  The cost is $2 for 3+ and $5 for 6+.  Parents have to stay in the store, but can shop while the kids are having fun being creative.
  • Houston Museum of Natural Science- On Fridays HMNS hosts the Friday Feeding Frenzy.  Admission is free for HMNS members.  If you’re not a member you can still attend with tickets to the Cockrell Butterfly Center.  You get to check out the museums live animal collection, including snakes, centipedes and much more. We love to make a day of all that HMNS has to offer and check out the rest of the exhibits as well as the IMAX.
  • Little Beakers– My kids love doing science experiments but when I don’t want to stay home, this is where we go for all the fun, with minimal effort on my part.  It is very hands on, so I would suggest leaving the babies at home.  

What are some of your favorite ways to survive the dog days of summer with little ones?  Comment below with your favorite at home games, places to go, or fun ideas!

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Jessica L
After graduating college, Jessica moved to Fort Worth to pursue her love of fashion, listen to some Texas country music and have a little fun. One night out with a friend, 615 miles would be erased when this small town southeast Texas girl met her tall west Texas boy. Eventually jobs would move them to Houston where they would settle down into suburban life and have two sweet and VERY active boys, Jett {January 2011} and Jay {November 2012}. It wasn’t until having kids and becoming a stay at home mom, that Jessica truly fell in love with Houston. Her perfect day with the kids would begin EARLY at the zoo {because we all know parking there} with a strong cup of coffee, around lunch time they’d hop on the Hermann Park train and head over to Centennial Park for a picnic lunch and then they would end the day checking out the dinosaur exhibit at HMNS. When not exploring Houston, Jessica loves to shop online for amazing deals, watch Texas A&M football and basketball, and plan their next family adventure.

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