Top Five Ways to Beat the Northern Virginian Heat This Summer

While the average summer temperature in Northern Virginia is 88 degrees, we've experienced record highs of up to 106. Factor in a relative humidity of 70% or more, and you have the makings for many a sweltering day. When it's simply too hot to play outside, what do you do with the kids? Perhaps because it is nestled in the D.C. metropolitan area, Northern Virginia boasts lots of indoor family-friendly activities, attractions, and destinations. Here are five great things to do with kids on hot summer days:

1. Let them literally bounce off the walls.

At a resplendently air-conditioned bounce house, your children can slide, jump, bounce, tumble, and climb on an array of moonbounce equipment. There are several bounce houses in Northern Virginia, but the two most popular are House of Bounce at 9625 Center Street in Manassas and Pump It Up, which has locations at 10110 Battleview Pkwy #110 in Manassas and 73 Lawson Road SE #105 in Leesburg.

While bounce houses are often reserved for birthday parties, they also have regular hours (typically 1.5 '" 3 hour stretches) that are open to the public. Call ahead or visit the company's website to check public hours prior to visiting. Don't forget to bring socks, or you may be forced to purchase them!

2. Kill two birds with one stone: lunch and play.

You have to eat anyway, right? So why not take the kids out to eat at a restaurant that also offers an indoor children's playground. In Centreville, across from each other just off of Route 28, you'll find two different two-story indoor playgrounds, one at Burger King and one at McDonald's.

If you're looking for a sit-down restaurant where your kids can still manage to get a little run-around time, you might try Joe's Crab Shack on 12831 Fair Lakes Parkway. Ask to sit near the back at a table next to the small, indoor playground (complete with slide, tunnel, and other play equipment).

3. Endure Chuck E Cheese. For the sake of the children, endure.

Many parents loathe a trip to Chuck E Cheese, but in the heat of a hot summer day, it can actually provide a much needed respite if your go at the right time. Pick a weekday, when it's like to be less crowded. Be sure to avoid peak lunch and dinner times. The least busy time of day is in the morning, before 11 AM, and most locations open as early as 9 AM.

You can find great everyday coupons for tokens on the Chuck E Cheese website, and you don't actually have to eat there. Bring a book to read while the kids rack up tickets. Chuck E Cheese has Northern Virginian locations in Fairfax, Alexandria, Herndon, Manassas, Sterling, and Dale City, so you're certain to find one near you.

4. Cool off at the mall.

Children under seven will enjoy playing at the tot playgrounds inside of cool malls such as Tyson's Corner, which offers forest-themed playground or Fair Oaks, which sports a play area decked out with Looney Tunes designs. Tyson's Corner even has a train ride that will take kids around the food court for a nominal fee.

Stop by the Barnes and Noble at Tyson's and let the kids play with the trains while you sip a cup of coffee. Pop in for a movie at the theatre, or dine at the food court. If you have older kids, consider some family window shopping.

5. Visit one of the Smithsonian's lesser known museums.

A lot of people don't realize that not all of the Smithsonian's museums are in Washington, D.C. Right here in Northern Virginia, you'll find the Air & Space Museum Udvar Hazy Center. Located on 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway in Chantilly , the museum features numerous displays of air craft that can be viewed from two floors.

Young kids love riding the elevator to the top of the observation tower where they can watch planes take off and land at Dulles airport. The museum is free, but parking is $15 a car. If you arrive after 4 PM, however, parking is free, and you can still enjoy the museum for one and a half hours before it closes, at one of the hottest times of day, when you'll be glad to be inside.

Pools, water parks, and playgrounds are great places to visit in the summer, but sometimes it's just so hot that the kids can only last a short time. On those particularly steamy summer days, try one of these five great family-friendly activities instead.