Cold Weather Sends Youngsters Inside For Fun
NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - With the coldest cold North Texans have experienced in three years, Monday's freezing weather was especially hard on youngsters who wanted to be outside.
Despite the frigid cold, a couple dozen people braved the elements to skate at the outdoor rink in Dallas' Klyde Warren Park.
For Olivia Fencl the plan was to stay on her feet and stay warm. Fencl said she bundled up and was ready for the cold. "We're in Dallas where it's like 110-degrees in the summer, so I want to enjoy this while I can."
The ice rink at Klyde Warren Park is open until 8 p.m. most days and will be available until February 1.
But at other North Texas public parks, kids and adults alike were no-shows Monday.
In Dallas and many other school districts, Monday was still a vacation day for students. So where were they? Some Dallas moms took their little ones bouncing at JumpStreet, at Central Expressway and Royal Lane, to prevent them from bouncing off the walls at home.
"Usually we go to the park or something else but today we had to come here," Mary Marchinares said as she watched her son play.
Kate Neylon, a mother of four, agreed this was a good day to play inside. "Definitely cold. When I saw the thermometer this morning, it was time to get inside JumpStreet." She said the trip gave her kids a chance to work off some energy. "There was a lot of bouncing around the house and a little bit of wrestling, so better to come here instead."
Birthday girl Julia Steckler admitted she could have played her favorite dodge ball game outside today. "Yeah, but it's more fun inside because you can play with other people --with more people-- and it's freezing outside." Elise Levy, the mother of one of Julia's friends, laughed at the thought of staying at home. "It would've driven me nuts. I would have come here by myself!"
Perhaps the best of both worlds, warmth and exercise, could be found at Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, where general manager Ken Broom's big indoor water theme park hosted hundreds of guests -- parents and children. "It doesn't hurt when it's so cold outside because it's 84-degrees in the water park."
Some young water users, like nine-year-old Katelyn Cornesser of Newport, agreed the conditions were optimal. "It's keen in here and all the rides are real fun and it's warm."
She and her friend, eight-year-old Chloe Copeland of Mt. Vernon, especially liked the park's Howling Tornado. "I like it in here better. Because if you're outside and it's cold you could get sick."
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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