10 Ways to Stay Cool & Have Fun This Summer

We love to have fun in the sun, but some days it’s way too hot to enjoy! Thankfully, there are many ways to have fun this summer while staying cool. Activities such as making slushies, water balloon games, washing your cars, and running through the sprinklers are all great ways to enjoy summer without overheating. 

1. Homemade Slushies

Your family is sure to love making their own slushies. After all, who doesn’t love a sweet treat that tastes good and also cools you down on a hot summer day? Slushies are incredibly easy to make at home. Simply pour one cup of water, one cup of ice, and one half cup of Kool-Aid into a blender. Blend up the mixture and test the consistency. You can add more or less ice and water depending on how you like your slushies. Consider purchasing fun crazy straws for some additional fun for the whole family. 

2. Family Water Balloon Games

There are so many great water balloon games to choose from. One of our favorites is Duck, Duck, Goose. This is played similar to the traditional game, but instead of touching someone’s head when saying ‘goose’, you splash the water balloon on them! Another great game is the Milk Jug Water Balloon Toss. Prepare by cutting the bottom off of multiple milk jugs and covering the cut edges with duct tape. The players will separate into pairs and stand across from each other, each with a milk jug. Players will start close to one another, using the milk jug to catch and toss the water balloon between each other. With each successful pass, the players will take a step apart from each other. The pair who completes the pass furthest apart, wins! At the end of the day, make a game for the kids out of cleaning up burst water balloon pieces. Whoever collects the most pieces receives a prize. 

3. Soft Sponge Bombs

If water balloons are a little too messy for you, we completely understand. The tiny plastic pieces can be a real pain to clean up at the end of a long day. A great alternative to water balloons are soft sponge bombs. Simply take colorful kitchen sponges and cut them into strips. Tie these strips together and let them soak up some water. Voilà! Now you have some soft sponge bombs. These are often the better choice for young kids as well since they don’t break on contact. 

4. Car Wash Fun

Washing the car is one of our favorite activities – talk about multitasking! Your family will stay cool while having some fun cleaning the car. Kids love to feel involved and help with activities like this. Plus you can always have a water fight in the process. Make it a challenge to see who can clean while avoiding spray from whoever has the hose. 

5. Sprinkler Time

Many of us have summer memories of playing for hours in the sprinkler out in the yard. This is often one of the best activities for parents, as kids will make their own fun all day long! If you have several hoses, place multiple sprinklers throughout your yard for your kids to run through. Not to mention, your yard will receive a good watering as well.

6. Slip and Slide

Coinciding with sprinklers, kids also LOVE slip and slides, and this fun activity doesn’t have to cost much! If you’re looking for the simplest option, purchase a slip and slide from the store or online, connect your hose, and start having fun! If you want to get a little more creative and save some money, use a tarp as your slip and slide! Just add soap and water all over and it’s ready to go. Just be sure to clear the ground of any rocks or sticks beforehand.

7. Go to the Beach

Yes, the beach can get HOT, but the ocean is usually not! Take your family to the beach and cool down by swimming in the ocean! Bring a ball to toss to each other, or skim boards and boogie boards to ride the waves! 

8. Break out the Kayaks

Going kayaking is a great way to have fun and stay cool this summer! There are tons of great areas to kayak in Northwest Florida. You can rent kayaks from local businesses like Emerald Coast Kayaks or Tommy’s Water Adventures, or take your own kayak out to Turkey Creek! As you glide through the ocean, lake, or creek, splashes of water from your paddles will keep you cool under the sun. This is a great activity for the whole family! Just be sure to wear your life jackets!

9. Go to the Waterpark

If you’re in the mood for a real adventure, drive down to Panama City’s Shipwreck Island Waterpark! With a wave pool, lazy river, tons of slides, and ziplines, there’s tons of ways for the whole family to keep cool and have fun. They even have lots of cold treats like ice cream and slushies! This park holds over 3 million gallons of water, so there’s plenty for everyone to enjoy!

10. Stay Cool Inside

While these water games and sweet treats will keep your family cool outside, it’s all up to your air conditioning unit to keep you cool inside your home. If yours isn’t keeping you ultimately comfortable, call Gulfshore Air! We offer air conditioning repair services on any system, even those we did not install. We also have high-efficiency variable speed systems if you’re in the market to replace your air conditioner and save money on your energy bills. 

Enjoy These Activities This Summer!

We hope you make the most of this activities list to stay cool and have fun this summer. If your HVAC system isn’t keeping your family comfortable, give Gulfshore Air a call at (850) 897-6540. Gulfshore Air is your local American Standard Customer Care Dealer and Niceville’s #1 choice for heating and air conditioning services. 

Feel free to email us at info@gulfshoreair.com with any questions or inquiries about your HVAC system. Be sure to visit us on Facebook and Instagram for more helpful home tips! have fun this summer have fun this summer have fun this summer