Heat Wave Indoor Activities in Fairfield

1.Take an indoor swim.

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

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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

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

5. 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.

6. 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. 

7. 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. 

8. 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.

  
Wait til sunset for some family fun! Free Friday Flicks photo courtesy of The Promenade Shops in South Windsor

9. 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!

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

A little neon, a little fun lighting, and it's inside and in the air conditioning so it's a win! Monster Mini Golf for a hole-in-one!

Heat Wave Indoor Activities around Hartford

11. 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.

12. Take your 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

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

16. 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.

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

This is a great time of year to learn to ice skate or roller skate. The International Skating Center has Open Skate, just check their daily schedule. Don't forget Ron-a-Roll, the well-loved roller skating rink in Vernon.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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. 

More Heat Wave Indoor Activities in Connecticut

 
Enders Falls is both beautiful and cool. Photo by Rick Schwartz, via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

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

22. There are so many FREE places to go this summer in Connecticut (and year-round). 

23. Make sure to put Cinemark's Summer Movie Clubhouse on your calendar. Connecticut has four locations.

24. With so many museums participating in the FREE summer admission program, there is a museum on our list for every age in Free Admission for Kids at Connecticut Museums and Attractions. 

25. Fudge and whipped cream? Try some of Connecticut's delicious ice cream destinations.

26. Take in one of the food festivals happening all over the state. 

Fun in Fairfield

 
Area pools are the perfect spot to beat the heat. Photo courtesy of Monroe Parks and Recreation

27. 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. 

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. Other splash pads in Fairfield can be found in Best Sprinkler Parks and Splash Pads in Connecticut.

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

29. 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. 

30. Take the whole family to a summer concert.

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

31. 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.

Outdoor Cool Fun in Hartford

32. 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.

 
Spots like Keney Park Splash Pad are great to cool off little ones Photo courtesy of @todesignllc

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. Dance to the music at a local concert.

Check out a FREE summer concert in one these great towns: Windsor, Glastonbury and Simsbury.

36. 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, both in Hartford.

More Outdoor Cool Fun in Connecticut

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

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

39. Connecticut has miles of sparkling shoreline for families to explore.

40. Swim with the fishes on a weekend jaunt to Mystic.

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