Ways to Beat the Summer Heat with Young Children

It's so incredibly hot outside here in Texas. I literally cannot remember the last time the high was below 90. All my plants = dying. My neighbor's super green lawn? Yeah, I don't want to see that water bill. Apparently neither do any of my other neighbors who join me in the brown + patchy lawn club. It's really tempting to just stay inside and be a vegetable all day but when you've got young children who want to go go go all the time, it's not very practical. So what can you do? I've rounded up some ideas you can use every day this week.

• Find an indoor playground (like the Little Gym or even a fast food place) with some air conditioning.
• Head to a museum with -- guess what? -- air conditioning.
• Bust out the sprinkler, get some water toys, make your own popsicles and eat them outside. Bonus: Your lawn gets watered at the same time!
• Head to the beach. And remember, lakes have beaches, too! Also remember sunscreen.
• Does Grandma or any other nearby relatives have air conditioning? Then grab your binkis and get in the car, kiddo! 
• Find a local library and join a wonderfully cool story time.
• Go ahead and stay home. Every day can't be an outing. But take advantage of this day to monitor your own and your child's water consumption so you know you're getting enough on these hot days.

What do you do when it's hot outside to keep your children (and yourself) from going stir-crazy?