5 Outdoor Activities to Beat the Summer Heat

You guys. It is h-o-t outside. The sun is shining, the heat is turned up, and the humidity can be high on most days. Don’t get me wrong. I love summer and the heat that comes with it. But, on days like today, the heat can be overwhelming, especially for our two-year-old son. So, I’m always trying to find ways to beat the summer heat while still having fun outside.

When I pick up my son from school, I always like to take him on a little adventure before I put him down for his afternoon nap. Today, we headed to our local park. After touching the slide, we decided the playground equipment was a bit on the hot side. So, we went for a little nature walk. He had so much fun finding bugs, birds, and sticks while we tried to beat the summer heat.

Yes, air conditioning is super nice. But, I love fresh air and our son loves being outside. So, I’m always trying to find ways to have outdoor fun while not being too overwhelmed by the summer heat.

5 Outdoor Activities to Beat the Summer Heat

Here are 5 of my favorite ways to beat the summer heat.

1.) Go Out for Ice Cream

This is one of my favorite things to do with our son. We found a cute ice cream shop downtown. On most days when we go to the park, we end up stopping by the ice cream shop to pick out our flavor, watch it be scooped into the waffle bowl, and then share the bowl outside under one of their umbrella tables (hello, shade). It’s a simple, fun activity that also tastes great.

2.) Find a Splash Park

This past Monday, I packed up our swim bag and headed to a splash park about 30 minutes away. Even though the sun was shining hard on us, we lathered up with sunscreen and had fun splashing around in the fountains. I cannot wait to go back and have more splash park fun with our son. Maybe next week?

3.) Go to the Beach / Lake / Community Pool

Depending on where you live, find either a beach, lake, or community pool to help you cool off all while having fun in the water. It’s great exercise (it will certainly tire out the kiddos) and so much fun.

4.) Have Backyard Water Fun

Our son absolutely loves the water. He cannot get enough of it. I think he’s part fish. I recently purchased a water slide and plastic pool. For just a few bucks, he had hours of fun splashing around, chasing the dogs, etc. Fill up water balloons, buy a water slide, play with a hose … there are tons of simple ways to have endless amounts of backyard water fun.

5.) Go on a Nature Walk

Today, since the playground was a bit on the hot side, we decided to find a wooded area and go for a nature walk. It was fun to watch for animals, talk about the different items our son found, and enjoy the fresh air … all while escaping the sun thanks to the shade.