What do kids do in summer????? (Phoenix, Scottsdale: skateboarding, house, neighborhood)

[shadow42]

We are thinking of moving to Gilbert and I am wondering what do kids do all summer when it is sooo hot? I am currently in OC and it does get pretty hot here. We go out in the morning and stay indoors until around 4pm when it starts to cool off again. But, it doesn't cool off like that in the Phoenix area, or does it?

[Cyanna]

The hottest summer months never seemed to stop my children or their friends from finding things to do. They would go swimming, ride their bikes, hang out at the local park, go to the mall, play games and eat pizza at Peter Piper, etc... Just make sure to teach your kids that they want to take a bottle of water or Gatorade with them to avoid dehydration.

Kids are pretty resilient

[sfw1979]

Originally Posted by shadow42

We are thinking of moving to Gilbert and I am wondering what do kids do all summer when it is sooo hot? I am currently in OC and it does get pretty hot here. We go out in the morning and stay indoors until around 4pm when it starts to cool off again. But, it doesn't cool off like that in the Phoenix area, or does it?

Hello shadow42,

No it really doesn't cool off that much, but night swimming is so much fun in the summer. We didn't live in Gilbert, we lived in Yuma but it was way to hot for the park for us so we did a lot of swimming, there are a lot of childrens movies that come out in the summer so we did that. I'm sure near Gilbert they must have some water parks and maybe some indoor roller skating rinks?

[chionactis]

i have 3 kids all under 7 and they do not, obviously, have the freedom to go wherever they want with their friends during the long, hot summer (ie: park, mall, water parks). So, they are at my mercy. And I do not like the heat, I am not from this region, and though I've been here 7 years, I am not used to the summer heat. So, it is very boring and long in the summer. We have a pool, they use it, but trust me, I am not out there whenever they want because I cannot take the heat. I do not take them to the mall without another adult to help me - and that doesn't happen much. End up spending a lot of $$$ if you do it often. And to travel out of the area to escape the heat is not something you can do routinely unless you have a favorite destination - but that also takes $$$ for gas, lodging, eating....to me, summers here with 3 young kids is like living in a cage. I am so glad we are leaving this area.

[Cyanna]

Originally Posted by chionactis

i have 3 kids all under 7 and they do not, obviously, have the freedom to go wherever they want with their friends during the long, hot summer (ie: park, mall, water parks). So, they are at my mercy. And I do not like the heat, I am not from this region, and though I've been here 7 years, I am not used to the summer heat. So, it is very boring and long in the summer. We have a pool, they use it, but trust me, I am not out there whenever they want because I cannot take the heat. I do not take them to the mall without another adult to help me - and that doesn't happen much. End up spending a lot of $$$ if you do it often. And to travel out of the area to escape the heat is not something you can do routinely unless you have a favorite destination - but that also takes $$$ for gas, lodging, eating....to me, summers here with 3 young kids is like living in a cage. I am so glad we are leaving this area.

Hey, some people do find that they can never adjust to the heat, making it very difficult for them to live a fulfiling life. I can fully understand. After 6 years I still can't get used to the cold British weather. I am always cold here, which is why I do look forward to getting back to the AZ heat, which I love. Wish I oculd offer you some ideas for keeping the kids occupied. My children were only 10 years old and 2 years old when I first moved to AZ, but I don't recall having any trouble keeping them busy or feeling trapped in a cage. Why do you need another adult to help you with your children? Is it just a problem when going to the mall? Maybe you could take them to the library, where you will find a large selection of children's books to keep them occupied and can also take advantage of the air conditioning to keep cool.

[shadow42]

I guess part of my question is....Do people lock themselves indoors during summer with their kids, or are people out and about with their kids playing and swimming...etc.?

[maniac]

well, I'm almost 16 now so I don't do the same things I used to, also when I was younger Gilbert was more of a rural city. When I was little I mostly played with my older brother and cousin though and we would catch lizards, frogs, small snakes, etc. We also liked to ride bikes, build forts, and makes sling shots out of tree branches. Swimming is definitely a good thing to do though, and even though it gets very hot, it's not too much of an issue as long as you make sure they stay hydrated. If you burn easily, try and get sunscreen on your kids when they go outside, but they generally will get tired and come in before they get seriously burned. We liked scooters and skateboards as well. Older kids like to go to the mall, movies, etc, as well as swimming, skateboarding, etc.

If you are moving to a housing developement (which is what most people do now) chances are there will be a small park very close to you, your kids will have plenty of opportunity to meet other children.

What it really falls down to is whether or not you can take the heat. This area is a place that for the most part, people either like or hate. If you can take the heat, then you will probalby love it and summers will be easy and fun. If you can't take the heat then I wouldn't recommend you moving here because you will fell like you are locked in a cage for the whole summer. I find that as long as your house has air conditioning then it's rather bearable because you can do what you want outside, then come in for a drink and cool off. And air conditioning is pretty much standard these days in any house.

[gigi927]

Originally Posted by shadow42

I guess part of my question is....Do people lock themselves indoors during summer with their kids, or are people out and about with their kids playing and swimming...etc.?

In the really hot months of summer, I personally felt (just moved from Phoenix several months ago) that it's close to unsafe to keep your kids out for any length of time during the hours of 8 a.m. until well after 5 or 6 p.m. And I lived in northern Scottsdale, where it was 8 to 10 degrees cooler than the rest of town.

Sure, you can go swimming, but when it's 115 degrees you really can't in good conscience keep a little one out in that sort of sun for more than 30 minutes - at least I couldn't. We might go out for a bit in the morning to swim, and then not get back in until after dinnertime. The playgrounds are ghost towns; the slides and play equipment gets too hot to play on. We spent more time than I ever cared to walking around the mall and going to McDonald's playlands.

think of the summer in Phoenix just as you would a winter in the northeast. People stay in and seek indoor activities first and foremost. Where I lived, the summer was the quietest part of the year as far as neighborhood activity was concerned!

[irwin]

Originally Posted by shadow42

I guess part of my question is....Do people lock themselves indoors during summer with their kids, or are people out and about with their kids playing and swimming...etc.?

I don't have kids, but yes....during the summer I felt like a hermit in my place. I tried to spend as little time outside as possible. Way too hot and the sun is brutal.

Some people like it, but I hated sweating bullets just walking around the block. And I normally did that after dark!

[sheena]

Originally Posted by shadow42

We are thinking of moving to Gilbert and I am wondering what do kids do all summer when it is sooo hot? I am currently in OC and it does get pretty hot here. We go out in the morning and stay indoors until around 4pm when it starts to cool off again. But, it doesn't cool off like that in the Phoenix area, or does it?

Swim, swim some more, get a Summer pass at Sun Splash. Once the Sun stops beating on your head it will cool off some.