Print
E-Mail
tool name
closeDay by day: Ten or more ways to stay cool with a 5-year-old
Joanne Haffly
Guest columnist
It’s hot and I’m cranky. My 5-year-old, Abby, is crankier. Her red, sweaty, sullen face is evidence that, one, we do not have an air conditioner, and, two, the five fans in our house just blow hot air around.
So, I spent the past week of this heat wave finding fun things for her to do while staying cool.
Fifteen bucks bought a plastic wading pool at Fred Meyer. What I didn’t anticipate was how disgusted a 5-year-old would get at the amount of drool entering her pool when our dogs started drinking and wading in it to get cool themselves.
So we went to our favorite local lake, Horseshoe Lake. It has a swimming area, picnic tables, a baseball field, restroom facilities and a playset with swings and slides at 15931 Sidney Road SW in Port Orchard, located a few miles off state Route 302.
We spent many days at the YMCA pool (253-853-9622) with its instructional and lap pools, but there are also the pools at Gig Harbor High School (253-530-1400) and Peninsula High School (253-857-3530).
Surrounded by the cold waters of Puget Sound, we sought out two of our favorite spots to visit: the Purdy Spit (along state Route 302), because it is so close to home and great for exploring tide pools; and the Narrows Park (1600 Lucille Parkway in Gig Harbor) beneath the Narrows bridges, because the beach has pockets of sand to dig in and the overhang of trees offers shade to her tender skin.
We visited the new toy store in Uptown Gig Harbor called Teaching Toys Too (253-514-6113). While each time the doors were propped wide open, it still provided a distracting excursion from the summer swelter. I really liked the way they encourage the children to test out the toys.
We saw a movie. The Galaxy Theater at Uptown (253-857-7469) is playing the newest Harry Potter movie and Ice Age 3. It’s a time-honored way to take a break from the heat and brightness of the day and gorge oneself on salty popcorn — yummy.
The Pierce County Library System is free, air-conditioned and offers books, crafts, puppet programs and movies. Abby discovered these nifty devices called Playaways, which have recorded books for all ages. Just add your own headphones to listen to the stories. Reach the Peninsula branch at 253-851-3793 or the Key Center branch at 253-884-2242.
Of course, summer means ice cream and other frozen treats. No one can beat the price at McDonalds, at 5050 Borgen Blvd. NW, which offers a 50-cent cone and an indoor play area.
Jamba Juice at Uptown Gig Harbor is our favorite destination for fruit smoothies — so cold you suffer brain freezes. I like that the menu offers ones only 160 calories for 16 ounces. The outdoor seating area is right next to a large water fountain, which is very soothing. The kids splash in it, too.
We found traditional dipped cones at both Kelly’s Café and Espresso at 7806 Pioneer Way, and at a toy store and consignment shop called Animal Crackers Kids Store, 3026 Harborview Drive, which has a cute collection of toy kitchen food and utensils, art supplies and rain gear in pirate, dinosaur and ladybug themes.
But, most of the time, cooling off was as simple and timeless as playing in the sprinkler and eating Popsicles. We even made our own with fruit juice, paper cups and wooden sticks.
It’s still hot, and August won’t hit until this weekend. Abby walks around smelling a bit like sweat, sunscreen and grape Popsicle, but the grin on her freckled face makes it all seem worthwhile.