Beat the heat with these fun indoor activities for families in Merced

As the first major heatwave of 2026 hits the Central Valley, bringing a forecast of triple-digit temperatures next week, several businesses in Merced County are offering free and discounted indoor activities to keep kids entertained and cool on scorching hot days.

When temperatures spike, parents are faced with the challenge of finding activities for restless kids that keep them out of the heat during the hottest parts of the day.

Young children and infants are more sensitive to heat, along with older adults, people with chronic health conditions, and pregnant people. The National Weather Service recommends keeping children cool by making sure they drink plenty of water, take lots of breaks, wear light-colored and lightweight clothing and limiting outdoor play to the cooler times of day.

With just a bit of planning, there are a number of affordable options for families in Merced, from discounted movie screenings and indoor rollerskating to a free bowling special for kids.

Here are some of the indoor activities and family promotions being offered locally to during this week’s heatwave:

Kids skate free Merced

Rollerland family fun center in Merced offers an all-year-round Kids Skate Free club. The indoor roller rink is open Friday through Sunday.

To sign up for the offer, you must register at kidsskatefree.com. There is a $4.99 annual fee to participate in the program. Quad skates are free to rent, while in-line skates can be rented for $5. Skate mates — wheeled, walker-like training aids — are also available to rent for $5.

Admission for adults is $14.

Kids Discovery Station in Merced

For little kids, the Kids Discovery Station at 350 W Yosemite Ave. is full of fun and educational activities. The station advertises itself as “kinda like a museum but high-touch!” with exhibits including a mini Central Valley, a child-sized health center for roleplay, and a model fire truck.

Admission is $7 for kids ages 1 year and up and the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday.

The discovery station also offers weekly and monthly activities including a story time and puppet theater on Fridays and Sundays and a “Slime Time” lab on Wednesdays.

Free bowling for kids in Atwater

Bowling is a classic indoor, summer activity. Atwater’s Bellevue Bowl is the only bowling alley in Merced County that is participating in the Kids Bowl Free program from June 1 until August 31.

The offer includes two free games per day for children ages 2 through 15. The offer is limited to weekdays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. There is a $5 charge for shoe rental.

To register, fill out the form on the Kids Bowl Free website here: https://www.kidsbowlfree.com/center.php?alley_id=7218.

$1 movies at Regal Cinemas Merced

Regal Cinemas in downtown Merced will be participating in the chain’s Summer Movie Express program with $1 movies running from June 1 through August 13.

The movies playing are family friendl- and include films from the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Kung Fu Panda” franchises as well as a special sing-along viewing of “K-Pop Demon Hunters.”

All attendees will receive $3 off a snack pack which includes a junior-sized drink, popcorn and a choice of fruit gummies or Dippin’ Dots ice cream.

The full list of movies playing is online at: https://www.regmovies.com/promotions/summer-movie-express.

Fun for Merced kids that is ‘always free’

In addition to these special deals, there are also plenty of “always-free” activities in Merced County for people of all ages.

The public library hosts sensory playgroups and storytime events for young children as well as Dungeons and Dragons and video game events for older children and teens. On Saturday the Merced Main Library will host a Mother’s Day crafting event from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

A full list of library events is on the library website.

Aysha Pettigrew

Merced Sun-Star

Aysha Pettigrew is the economic mobility reporter for the Merced Sun-Star and a California Local News fellow. Prior to this role, Pettigrew worked as an administrator for the UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program.