Beat the Heat: Fun Ideas to Stay Cool

With humid 90s sticking around until Wednesday evening, Sussex Patch is sharing ideas on how to cool off.

If you don't have air conditioning or good fans, find places to be cool, stay hydrated and and watch out for the most vulnerable — children, elderly and pets, officials say.

Here's a link to the National Weather Service forecast for Brookfield. Good news: the high drops to low 80s on Thursday.

Cool ideas

Pauline Haass Public Library: There is plenty to do in the , such as reading a book, doing computer research or bringing work to do on a table or conference room. Here are the library activities planned this week for adults and children, including a book club, playing games with locals and storytime. 

Or take the kids on a round-robin of area public libraries, exploring ones in New Berlin, Menomonee Falls, Waukesha, Elm Grove and Wauwatosa.

Eble Ice Arena: What could be cooler than ice skating? Admission to at 19400 W. Blue Mound Road in Brookfield is $6 for adults and $4.50 for those under age 18 and over age 60. Skates can be rented for $2.50. Public skating hours are limited — from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, the hours are 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sussex Community Center: You know, it's someone's full-time job to make sure you're not bored in Sussex. The Sussex Community Center has something going on literally every day of the week. Here is a schedule of daily events, from adult yoga classes to simply playing cards.  

Menomonee Park: Cool off in the natural waters of the local Lannon Quarry in . Located just off Hwy 74 on the way to Menomonee Falls (W220n7884 Town Line Rd), the park features a 16-acre quarry lake with 160 feet of beach. You're allowed to go swimming from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.

Fox Brook Park: Any body of water is sure to be cooler than the air temperature. The beach and 6-acre quarry lake at the county park , 2925 W. Barker Road, offers lots of family-friendly amenities such as a beach house, diving dock, concession stand and pedal boat rentals. 

Beach hours will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends, with lifeguards on duty daily. County park entrance fees are $3 on weekdays and $5 on weekends. 

Or explore these . 

Majestic Cinema: The , 770 N. Springdale Road in Brookfield, offers $2 popcorn and fountain drinks on Tuesdays.

Here are the movies being shown and times (scroll down page). 

Bowling: Hit the lanes at  on Main Street. The lanes are open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight, and they serve food. Also, don't forget the bar's . 

Flabbergast: If your active child needs a place to run around with some air conditioning, hit up , Sussex's local indoor playplace. Flabbergast has huge inflatables, slides and more than 50 arcade games. The hours of operation vary, so be sure to check their website. Each child costs $9 to $10, depending on the day.

Restaurants and coffee shops: Take an extra long lunch or coffee (but avoid too much caffeine which is not hydrating) at area dining establishments. Again, Sussex has a ton of places, so check out Patch's list of area restaurants and eateries.

Where else do you go to escape the heat? Please share your ideas. Tell us in the comments.