I am not a fan of hot weather. I classify any temperature over 20° as too hot to be outside. For me, t-shirt weather is in March when the snow has melted for the first time. I’m Canadian and it’s in my blood to be more comfortable with minus 25° than plus 25°.
We’re into July now and so far our weather has been exceeding temperatures that I am comfortable with and I’m afraid that means we are in for a scorching hot summer.
Luckily, I’ve spent many summers finding fun ways to beat the heat. Here are a few of my favourites:
Nothing feels better on a hot day than being drenched in cold water, so water fights are a perfect summer activity.
Whether you have water balloons or water guns, or even just buckets of water to throw at friends or siblings, water fights are always a blast.
Another cool activity is going down to a lake. Outdoor pools are great too, but they are usually super busy and filled with small children on sugar highs. There are many lakes that aren’t too far away and visiting one feels like a mini holiday. Lakes like Chestermere Lake, Sikome Lake, Ghost Lake, or even Lake Bonavista (if you can get lake access) are the perfect getaway. The water is cool and refreshing and it’s a guaranteed fun time.
Cold drinks are an essential over the summer. It’s amazing how much cooler you feel when you are drinking a cold drink. My personal favorite summer drink is a Slurpee. But if that’s not what you’re feeling, there are so many fun summer drinks that you can buy or make that will cool you down this summer. Between iced caps, lemonade, milkshakes and Frappuccinos there are no shortage of delicious summer drinks to keep you cool.
The best way to stay cool this summer is to be prepared for the sun.
Find shade or air conditioning when you get too hot and make sure you wear sunblock. As someone who gets sunburned in a bright room, I’ve become a master shade-finder and a religious sunscreen applier. Make sure to drink lots of water when you’re outside. Nothing ruins an outing quite like dehydration or sunstroke! If you’re prepared for the heat, you’ll have a much better summer!
Summer is fun despite the rising temperature. For me, the key to having the perfect summer is learning to deal with the hot days. I try my best to enjoy them because I know, come September, we’ll probably have snow to deal with.
Photo courtesy of Stanley Zimny. Cropped and text added by ConnecTeen.
