10 Ways to Beat the Heat This Summer

By Michelle Reese

The summer heat is here, and like everything else right now, COVID-19 is making things a little more complicated! Sure, you could spend your summer inside with the AC cranked, but if your family is getting stir crazy, here's a list of ways to cool off, stay safe and have fun in & around Bucks County.

Montgomery Township Parks and Rec Splash Pad, which unfortunately decided to stay closed. (Photo by Michelle Reese.)

1. Make a splash: At the end of July, Hurricane Harbor and Sesame Place reopened with restrictions in place. In addition, the spray areas of Warwick Township Community Park and Everybody's Playground are open, and the BRAND NEW spray park and playground in Bristol Township is opening soon.

UPDATE: Montgomery Township (shown here) announced on June 30 that they will NOT be opening the splash pad this year.

Bucks County River Country (Photo via Facebook)

2. Stay cool & relax while river tubing at Bucks County River Country. This family owned business reopened on June 26 with guidelines in place for the safety of their staff and visitors. The Delaware River waters hover around a refreshing 80 degrees all summer long, and you can sit back & relax as the waters pull you along at an average speed of 1.5 mph.

Newtown Athletic Club

3. Go swimming at a local pool! Bucks County offers a number of public and members-only pools. Check out our 2020 Summer Guide for more details on some of the area's pools that are open this season.

(Photo by Michelle Reese.)

4. Take a day trip to the beach! We're lucky enough to live in a location where you can reach several shore cities within a couple hours. For quieter beaches, try Belmar or Brigantine. And if you're missing the boardwalk fun, Ocean City is always a family favorite. Many businesses are open this season, but with precautions.

6. Take the entertainment indoors. Things are bound to be a bit different, but there ARE spots that are open! Tip: The Game is Afoot Arcade in Warrington (our 2020 Happening List Winner for Amusement), Board & Brush Doylestown (Happening List Finalist), Thunderbird Lanes in Warminster (Happening List Finalist), Funzilla in Fairless Hills (Happening List Finalist) and Doylestown Escape Room (Happening List Finalist), Altitude in Feasterville and Bowlero Feasterville are all open with health and safety guidelines in place.

7. Escape to the Movies! This year, there won’t be packed movie theaters to see the summer blockbuster. But if movie nights at home on the couch are getting stale, there are other options! Mid-Atlantic Event Group is hosting drive-in movies. In addition, the Newtown Theatre is offering small Private Movie Nights. You bring the movie, and they provide the popcorn and a water for each guest.

Uncle Dave's Ice Cream (Photo by Michelle Reese.)

8. Cool off with a few scoops of mouth-watering ice cream. The Warrington Dairy Queen was voted Best Ice Cream in the 2020 Bucks Happening List. A few other local favorites include Moo Hope (New Hope), JoJo's Ice Cream (Levittown), OWowCow (Newtown), Uncle Dave's (Yardley) and Nina's Waffles & Ice Cream. See our 2020 Summer Food & Drink Guide for more suggestions.

Adventure Aquarium. Photo by Lauren Stites from wildkidswander.com.

9. Explore a local museum or indoor attraction. This one is a little trickier than usual, but there’s hope in sight! The Franklin Institute, Adventure Aquarium, The Michener Art Museum, Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle have all reopened. The Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia hasn’t released their opening date yet, but has started sharing information about the modifications they’re making. So fingers crossed that they'll be opening this summer.

In the mean time, many local museums (including Bucks County Children’s Museum) are offering at-home tours and activities that you can access from home. So take a virtual field trip from the cool comfort of your living room.