Heat Wave Activities in Connecticut - Outdoor Cool Fun

  
Wait til sunset for some family fun and a cool summer experience! 

1. Catch an outdoor movie.

As the sun goes does, the movie screens go up! There are lots of places to catch a fun outdoor movie showing, some in Fairfield County too!

2. Hit a hole in one, miniature golf style.

Get out for some low-key activity at the best mini golf courses in Connecticut.

3. Catch the limit!

Grab a rod and reel and head to one of Connecticut's fishing holes!

4. Attend a summer movie near you.

Whether you like them in the on a lawn or at a drive-in, there are plenty of summer movies to take the kids to. 

 
Buttermilk Falls photo by Kelly Verdeck via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

5. Visit a waterfall

Go on a day trip and see some of Connecticut's amazing waterfalls. 

6. Hit the beach.

Connecticut has miles of sparkling shoreline for families to explore.

7 Take a shady hike.

Forested, open land with ponds and lakes are worth looking into to stay cool. Many of Connecticut's state parks are sheltered from the sun.

8. Fly through the trees on a zip-line.

Let the wind hit you in the face as you zip through the trees. Zip lines and rope courses are all over Connecticut, and they are very family-friendly.

9. Try some new food and fun.

Take the whole family and attend one of the many festivals held during the summer like the Riverfront Dragon Boat and Asian Festival and the Taste of the Carribean and Jerk Festival.

10. Step out for a bite.

Try one of these 20 Restaurants with Outdoor Dining That Families Love.

11. Cool off at an outdoor New England Water park

Some of the best outdoor water water parks in New England are a short drive away!

Heat Wave Activities in Connecticut - Cool Indoor Fun

12. Cool off at an indoor water park...

If you've had enough sun screen for one summer, try a visit to one of the indoor water parks in New England.

13. Take an indoor swim.

Learn to swim, or perfect your skills, in one of these Indoor Swimming Pools.

14. Explore indoor play spaces in CT.

Stay cool and have fun on the hottest days at the best indoor play spaces in Connecticut!

15. Grab a cool treat...

... with fudge and whipped cream? Try some of Connecticut's delicious ice cream destinations.

16. Head to Foxwoods.

Try a mini-vacation to Foxwoods for a break from the heat for the entire family.

17. Bounce away from the heat at a CT trampoline park.

Find a nearby indoor trampoline park for cool family fun on a hot day.

18. Get in the (fun) zone.

Find the right spot to stay cool with our Connecticut guide to indoor play spaces and fun zones.

Heat Wave Activities around Hartford

19. Go back in time at the Dinosaur State Park.

Find out who was here before we were at the Dinosaur Museum. Touch fossils, see dino animatronics and watch a dino movie too.

 
Dr. Suess Museum photo courtesy of the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

20. Take your CT preschooler to the museum.

Connecticut  and nearby have a lot of awesome museums for kids which will intrigue, educate and also cool little kids off like the Dr. Suess Museum, New England Air Museum and The New England Carousel Museum.  Try a few more of these 20 Things to do with Preschoolers in the Hartford Area.

21. Check out one of the local nature centers in Connecticut.

Nature centers are a special place where kids can get up close to live critters, learn about the wildlife in their area and even take a class with a nature educator. Some great ones around Hartford include Roaring Brook, Northwest Park and Barnes Nature Center.

22. Shop and then play at the mall.

Malls are a great destination for families who are looking for somwhere to play that is air conditioned and somewhat contained. Kids will enjoy the soft climbing features and nearby shopping. Buckland Mall has one and so does the Meriden Mall.

23. Leave the cooking at home.

House too hot to cook in? We don't blame you. That's why you might want to take advantage of one of these Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free in Connecticut.

24. Dance to the music at a local concert.

Check out a FREE summer concert in  Windsor, Enfield, or Hartford.

 
Arcades and fun centers are definitely cool fun! Photo courtesy of Nomads Adventure Quest.

25. Find a one-stop, fun destination for the whole family.

If you have kids of different ages, you might want to go somewhere that has a variety of things to do like Nomads Adventure Quest. Other all-in-one locations include Spare Time in Bristol or Spare Time in Windsor Locks.

26. Roll away the heat with some roller-skating or, even better, ice skating!

Get some roller skating time in at Ron-a-Roll, the well-loved roller skating rink in Vernon. A heat wave is a good reason for ice skating. The International Skating Center has open skate and lessons open to the public (and even drop-in ice time for hockey). 

27. Make hands-on, hand-made creations.

Get creative and keep cool at The Claypen where kids can paint, play with clay and create. Want more hands-on ideas? Read 30 Days of Indoor Activities for Kids.

28. Splash around at the park.

With these temps, a 6,000 sq. ft. splash-pad sounds refreshing doesn't it? Located in Danbury, Kenosia Park is the place to go.

29. Begin getting your littles used to the water.

If your littles aren't ready for swimming, but love the water, a splashpad or sprayground is perfect for cooling off. The Hartford-are has a pile of splishy-splashy spots in Splash Pads, Spraygrounds and Fountains for Kids in Hartford County.

Heat Wave Activities in Fairfield

 
Cooling off at the beach is the perfect activity for a heat wave. Jennings Beach photo courtesy of Mommy Poppins

30. Don't forget to visit the beach.

Kick back, splash around and make a sand castle at Jennings Beach, or try one of these other beaches in the area. 

31. Spend the day at a Fairfield-area pool.

Visit Wolfe Park to take a dip in the pool. Non-residents can purchase a pool membership for easy access to swimming. Or try one of the other pools in the Fairfield-area to cool off. 

32. Attend one of the weekly programs at CHS.

Make a visit to the Connecticut Historical Society to learn all about the nutmeg state. This summer they are having weekly programs for the public.

33. Go to Norwalk's favorite kids museum.

There is always something going on at Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk. Stepping Stones offers free family fun night on Friday nights. 

34. Two words: ice cream.

Two scoops of chocolate-brownie or coffee-flavored or you-name-it! Take the whole family out to one of these Fairfield ice cream parlors to cool off with something sweet.

 
Grab some (cool) air and enjoy fn activities at Chelsea Piers. Photo courtesy of Chelsea Piers

35. Get some exercise...inside.

Try one of the many indoor activities for kids at Chelsea Piers in Stamford or if you want to check a few fun places off your summer bucket list, try all of the fun places in Fairfield listed here.

36. Take the whole family to a summer concert.

Check out a FREE summer concert in one of these great towns: Trumbull, Newtown or Redding.

37. Take advantage of a fun, summer festival.

Take the whole family and attend one of the many festivals held during the summer like the St.Ann Feast or the Hey Stamford Food Festival.

38. Grab an ice coffee and hit the mall.

Westfield Shopping Center in Trumbull has a cute play area for littles with soft features, carpeting and seating for parents.

Craft time is no sweat with many indoor pottery spots in CT! Photo courtesy of Hands on Pottery.

39 Try making pottery (in the AC, of course).

Create some lovely art at Hands on Pottery which opens at 11am every day except Sunday. Other places for pottery include The Pottery Factory and Happy Hands Pottery.

40 Try gymnastics.

Get the wiggles out at Tumble Jungle every weekday at their open gym time. There are lots of places for gymnastics in Fairfield. Find one near you in Where to Take Gymnastics Classes in Fairfield.

41. Hit your local library.

Never discount a local library for cool fun. Most are having reading programs running all summer including Fairfield and the beautiful Pequot Library. 

More Cool Fun in Eastern Connecticut

42. Head to Mystic, CT

Swim with the fishes on a weekend jaunt to Mystic.

43. Ride the choo-choo

Take a combined train and boat ride at Essex Steam Train.

44. Have some monster fun.

Head to Dinosaur Place for fun (and cool!) family activities on a hot day.

45. See the Lighthouses

New London is home to some of our favorite lighthouses in CT.