Beating the Heat

The best way to beat the Texas heat of July, August, and September is to just stay inside.  When you have three littles who are four, two, and two, you find indoor parks, activity centers, or even play areas at malls.  We've been to lots of these places this summer, and here's my summation.  (Keep in mind, the most important factor in of all of these is the presence of an AC).

Our Top Three Indoor Play Areas
The Ark--This gigantic play area has a separate, contained toddler section, so parents can easily keep track of the younger ones while big brother or sister has fun in the maze of ropes, ramps, jumbo balls, and a huge slide down the front in the main area.  It's located at First Baptist Coppell (back of the building) and is free and open during business hours, and it has free wifi.  Also, there are tables between the two play areas for parents.  We usually bring a sack lunch or snacks and stay for a while.  There's also a handy changing station in the back of the room that scores lots of points in my book.

The Tubes--This is located at Irving Bible Church, and it's just what it says it is...tubes.  The kids climb and crawl through this complex maze and usually end up at the bottom of a slide.  There's a toddler area connected to the side of the structure, but that only holds my girls' attention for two or three minutes before they want to tackle the main play area.  The Tubes is open almost all the time that kids are awake, and it's very adult-friendly with tables, chairs, sofas, and free wifi set up outside the englassed tubes.

Paradise Pond--Hands-down, My kiddos (and I) love Paradise Pond the best.  Located in the old sanctuary of First Baptist Grapevine, the pond has a theme center for every child out there--dolls, dress-up, bounce house, dinosaurs, basketball, trucks and cars, a little climbing wall, building blocks, and the list keeps going.  It costs $1 per person and is the best deal in town.  The workers are friendly and helpful, but wear your running shoes because, if your kids are like mine, you'll be chasing them from one thing to another.  It's only open on Thursday and Friday morning from 9-11, so get there early before the pond "overflows."

As far as the franchised (a.k.a. expensive) play areas, (we usually get to preview these at birthday parties) Liam loves Pump It Up and Bounce U.  I'm not crazy about Indoor Safari Park because it seems so crowded and nuts every time I've gone.  Our favorite among this indoor group is a place called CooCoos in Plano, but don't let the name scare you.  It is crazy, but it's fun and spacious with many cute and creative bounce houses, and our kids love riding the train that is included in the price of admission.

I think the Galleria and Shops at Willow Bend have the best play areas as far as malls in the area go, but my kids are also entertained at Northpark, Northeast Mall, and Grapevine Mills.

Of course, Liam's favorite way to beat the heat is located in his back yard.  Here he is cooling off with his buddies, Shane and Shawn.