Staying cool will be the challenge as extreme heat sticks around.
Children were laughing, screaming and splashing around at parks across Bloomington on Monday as families look for ways to keep them busy and cool during the latest heat wave.
The National Weather Service [NWS] office in Lincoln issued an extreme heat warning Tuesday that is in effect until midnight Thursday. All of Central and Southeast Illinois could see heat index values between 105 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
NWS warned heat-related illness could be more prevalent and advised people to stay hydrated and avoid being outside during the hottest parts of the day.
That extreme heat drove plenty of children toward pools and splash pads in Bloomington-Normal. Parents and guardians sought shelter under umbrellas, canopies and trees while they watched tables full of towels and water bottles.
Bridget Guede walked around Tipton Park in Bloomington keeping an eye on her 28 campers from Manito. She runs Little Dreamer's Learning Center, and Monday was Park Day for her summer camp program.
"They get to make those cute, quick bonds with kids they may never see, or kids they may see the next time we visit the park," Guede said, "and they'll be like, 'Oh, I remember you,'' and that's just another fun part of summer."
Some children waited patiently under filling buckets to be dumped with cold, clear water. Others camped near spouts in the ground and screamed gleefully when they were sprayed.
"All the little spray features are super fun and once you get the slide wet it's like your own little water slide," Guede said. "So that's part of their favorite thing to do."
At Miller Park, 10-year-old Amir and 7-year-olds Ari, Destiny and Jaila ran loops around a frog-shaped sprinkler, before making their own water slide.
"The water makes us fast," Amir said.
Ari and Jaila said they were pretending the water was "hard rain," while Destiny admitted it felt cold.
"When I first did it, it's, like, cold, but once you get used to it, it will start to get warmer," Amir said.
Splash pads are free and open to the public in Bloomington. There are also pools in the area which have an entrance fee.
