Tips for staying cool this summer

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Hot girl summer, more like hot mom summer. As summer continues to heat up, families may be looking for some activities that won’t leave them sweating.

One Richmond-area mom, Megan Ariail, who writes a blog called West End Mom, has some ideas for how to keep the family cool this summer.

She suggests checking out some museums like the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to take advantage of the air conditioning and the exhibits.

“We also really love the science museum because it’s got a lot of things for all ages,” said Ariail. “There’s a special place called the light place and that’s for children zero to five and then the rest of the museum is really for all ages.”

Another museum Ariail recommends to check out is the Keystone Truck and Tractor Museum in Colonial Heights whose tickets are only $5.

“You literally can look at 500 trucks, and for my son and my daughter to see tractors and cement mixers – that’s a huge hit. There’s also a restaurant in there, so we’ll get brunch so yeah, Keystone Truck and Tractors is definitely one you need to visit,” Ariail said.

Another idea is to visit one of the free splash parks around Henrico with locations in Short Pump, Twin Hickory, and Duncroft.

Maymont Nature Center also offers a space for families to cool off.

“You can see otters, you can see fish, you can see a huge climbing apparatus and it’s 34 feet tall. You can climb all the way up.”

Ariail suggests keeping an eye out for the King of Pops truck for a treat to cool down.

The Surge Adventure Park is another location to consider taking a trip to.

“Let me tell you. After an hour of jumping, we are sweating, we’re exhausted, and it’s just so much fun!” said Ariail. “They have wall-to-wall trampolines and they have a little kids area for 0-5-year-olds where it’s an indoor playground where you can climb up and down and go down slides. It is a really fun spot where you can really get your wiggles out and then go home for a long rest.”

Beaches are another great day trip option for families.

“We absolutely love historic Yorktown. Yorktown beach is really, really fun,” said Ariail. “It has this quaint atmosphere. It is free to visit and you can walk and grab ben and jerry’s ice cream after.”

Lake Anna also has beaches with shallow water and is very family-friendly.

There will be fireworks around the Richmond area this weekend. Find a full list of events and displays here.

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