Patch's Guide To Beating The Heat In Berkeley

BERKELEY, NJ — Maybe you don't have air conditioning. Maybe you need a break from work. Maybe you're going a little stir crazy staying inside and scrolling through Patch.

Here are some ways you and/or the kids can beat the heat either today and throughout the summer:

Indoor Activities

Ocean County Library - Berkeley Township Branch

If you're looking for air conditioning in a space where nobody forces you to buy anything, libraries reign supreme. Open Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sunday. Read more: What's Happening At The Berkeley Library: July 17-27

Movie Theaters

Escape the heat for a couple hours (or maybe three hours, since you can still see "Avengers: Endgame"). Here are movie times for theaters near Berkeley.

Malls

You can always try businesses and grocery stores. But if you want to walk around more, there's the Ocean County Mall. Open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Great Outdoors

Spray Park

Open during park hours (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.) at the John C. Bartlett, Jr. County Park. It's free too.

White Sands Beach

20th to 23rd Ave. in South Seaside Park. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Labor Day, weather permitting. Click here for more info on beach badges.

Ice Cream

In 1984, former President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of July as National Ice Cream Day. This year, the day falls on July 21. But Reagan never said you couldn't celebrate ice cream outside of these days.

Here are some options in and around Berkeley:

• Miss Mindy's Ice Cream
• Bella's
• Dairy Queen
• The O.G. Creamery
• Two Sisters' Ice Cream Shop
• Baskin-Robbins

Stay Safe

Ideally, we'd all spend blistering days cooling off inside. But that's not always an option.

If you or your employees are working outside, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides these tips:

• Provide workers with water, rest and shade.
• Allow new or returning workers to gradually increase workloads and take more frequent breaks as they acclimatize, or build a tolerance for working in the heat.
• Plan for emergencies and train workers on prevention.
• Monitor workers for signs of illness.

And don't forget about your pets. Bring them inside your home during extreme heat.

Before walking your dog, place your hand or bare foot on the pavement for 10 seconds, according to Banfield Pet Hospital. If it's too hot for you to keep your hand or foot there, it's too hot for your dog. Stay on grassy surfaces if they need to go out. Banfield Pet Hospital says to consider investing in a pair of booties.

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