Six Little Hearts: Ways to Keep Cool in Summer...

Wednesday, 13 January 2016

Ways to Keep Cool in Summer...

*This post is brought to you in collaboration with Brivis.

How wonderful are the summer months?! My family adore the warmer weather and not just because it also accompanies six long weeks of relaxed holiday fun together. (Though that does play a huge part, it's true!) Summer has that delicious feel and scent that makes just about everyone feel energised and motivated. I could live in this season permanently.

It's full-steam ahead in our home during the warmer months. Sometimes that's unfortunate! Even on the hottest of days, the kids can seem immune to the fury of the heat and be a handful. That fact can be so frustrating for us adults, who are definitely feeling the discomfort and bother of the heat.

Children seem to excel at finding ways to cool down and use the heat to their advantage. From wading pools to beach visits and icy poles, here are some of the ways our family beats the heat in the summer time.

On the home front: On very warm days with hot winds, keep all the windows and doors shut in your home, (with the exception of any upper storey rooms which will benefit from airflow for ventilation). Keep blinds and curtains drawn too, and cover any areas that admit light with a temporary blanket or sheet to reduce glare and radiant heat. This can be unattractive yes, but the benefits of keeping the heat down on the interior, are awesome!

Use portable fans: Upright fans are a very economical way to cool your home. While they won't actually reduce the temperature in a room, they will give a relieving bit of airflow which can make a huge difference to the way you feel while you try to stay comfortable. These are as cheap as they come and fancier models can be costly. Buy a few for different points in your home to combat stickiness if you do nothing else this summer.

Ceiling fans: These can be a blessing if you live in a region where the temperature is permanently set to blazing. They are available in some attractive styles too, so they can really make your interior look dazzling.

Air conditioning and Evaporative Cooling Systems: Quite frankly, these are the absolute best way to cool your home to the point of sanity in the heat. There are too many obvious benefits to list and if you are not a lover of the warmer months, then these are amongst your best options no matter where you dwell. Find a reputable company such as Brivis to help you sort your cooling woes forever more.

Water your garden, especially around your home in the very early hours of the day or the late evening. The moisture that evaporates when the sun is gone is a lovely natural way to cool your home. Open the windows and doors and feel (and smell), the goodness.

Pools, big and small: Not everyone has the funds or space to install a swimming pool but there are many options available to you if you are looking for the ultimate in outdoor fun for the entire family. There are compact above-ground options right down to small wading pools to consider and children will love you eternally for anything you provide them with that's filled with water. (This applies no matter what time of the year too!)

For the kids: As I mentioned earlier, children are simply not fussy about how they cool down in summer. They will manage to make their own heat-resistant fun regardless. One of the latest things my kids discovered this Christmas just-gone, were water balloons. These are endless fun and they've the added benefit of getting kids outside and noisy, instead of being couped-up inside the house generating even more heat. We will be buying many more of these!

Ice cube play: In any season of the year, there's a kid of mine dangling from the ice cube tray within our freezer. Children love these things - to eat, to torture each other with, and to play with. Make some snazzy flavoured ones with fruit juice, cordial or with pieces of real fruit inside and serve them up to the kids in a small ice cream cone. These are virtually free and the kids love them.

Frozen fruit treats: Have you tried freezing fruit smoothies into icy pop moulds? Frozen yoghurt or just plain store-bought icy poles make everyone happy in the heat. Try a fruit pizza: Place wedges of watermelon on a platter in a circle and top with sliced oranges, pineapple, cantaloupe, cherries etc in an arranged order. (Make things even prettier by using small cookie cutters to cut some fruit shapes.)
To finish, sprinkle the entire 'pizza' with desiccated or shredded coconut and serve. Kids love it!

Visit the beach, the local pool or swimming hole. Many communities have water play parks which are free for everyone. Just turn up in your bathers and run through all those water jets!

However you keep cool, remember to always watch your kids at all times, when they are playing in or near water.

How does your family keep cool in summer?