ANSONIA – Jess O’Connor watched her son Ben play at Ansonia’s splash pad as the year’s hottest temperatures so far began to roll in June 30.

“It’s a great way to cool down. Something to do in the summer,” O’Connor said from a park bench.

The splash pad, located just beside Nolan Field at 350 Wakelee Ave., opened for the season Monday.

It is one a few options that children and families have to cool off as weather forecasters predict blazing heat later this week. Gov. Ned Lamont ordered the state’s extreme hot weather protocol to be activated from June 30 until July 5.

Scroll down for a list of cooling centers throughout the Lower Naugatuck Valley.

Families interviewed at the splash pad said they were fans of its placement – nestled between a playground for young kids and the all-ages Nolan Field, it offers an easy way to look after your children while beating the heat.

O’Connor said she’s a fan of the splash pad, since she said she would otherwise need to drive to Orange to get to a pool. Her son Ben, asked if he was enjoying the splash pad, offered a thumbs-up and a grin.

Ansonia’s splash pad first opened in 2023 and has reopened for the summer months each year afterward. June 30 was its opening day this year.

Beat The Heat: Ways To Cool Off This Week

Weather forecasters predict that temperatures could get into the upper nineties later this week, with heat indexes possibly soaring past 100°F.

You can check 211 Connecticut for a list of cooling centers throughout the state. Below is a list compiled by The Valley Indy of some spots to catch a break in Ansonia, Derby, and Seymour.

ANSONIA

  • The Ansonia Rescue Medical Services building (22 W. Main St.) will stay open as a cooling center from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
  • The Ansonia Senior Center (65 Main St.) is open from 8:00 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. It will be closed Friday through Sunday in observance of the July 4 holiday.

DERBY

  • Derby Public Library (313 Elizabeth St.) is open 8:00 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. It will be closed Friday and Saturday in observance of the July 4 holiday.
  • Derby Neck Library (307 Hawthorne Ave.) is open 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. It will be closed Friday through Sunday in observance of the July 4 holiday.
  • The Derby Senior Center (293 Main St.) is open 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. It will be closed Friday through Sunday in observance of the holiday.

SEYMOUR

  • The Seymour Community Center (20 Pine St.) is open 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. It will be open from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Friday and then close for the weekend.
  • Seymour Public Library (46 Church St.) is open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Thursday. It will be closed Friday through Monday due to the holiday.