Free Stuff To Do During A Heat Wave

Estimated reading time: 17 minutes

Stay refreshed and beat the heat wave this summer with free activities. Learn how to stay cool and have fun in the sun.

Summer Fun With Family

Spending time with your friends and family this summer outdoors, especially during a heat wave, will include water, water, and more water.

Whether you are splashing in or drinking it, water seems to be the highlight of the summer all across Canada.

The Weather Network (TWN) has forecasted dangerous heat warnings for most of Southwestern Ontario on Monday, with the humidex values reaching nearly 40.

Yes, that’s Hot, Hot, Hot. We must stay cool in these heat waves and drink plenty of water.

If you live in the GTA and have had a sneaking suspicion that this year’s meteorological summer has been hotter than last years, you’d be absolutely right. -TWN

What is a heat wave?

According to The Weather Network, a heat wave is;

• No official criteria
• Generally, 3+ days over 32 degrees Celsius is accepted
• Dew point and humidity are not taken into account.

With many cities applying a water ban for homeowners, it’s easy to see that grass looks lifeless and plants are screaming for rain.

Conserving Energy During A Heat Wave

One of the hardest things for most homeowners is to keep their fingers away from the central air or window air conditioning during high periods of use.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll try to justify whether you should turn it on while watching TWN, praying for weather forgiveness, or even a cool breeze.

One of the ways we combat the large hydro bill is to have working stand-only fans in the house and ceiling fans in all of our bedrooms and the lounge.

A fan is much cheaper to run than the central air; however, it still does not free you from summer expenses.

Besides, who wants to stay indoors all summer anyway?

Not me, and neither does our son, so my wife and I had to find some free summer fun in our city to help cool off and keep our budget in check.

Ways To Beat The Heat Wave For Free

If you’re a budget fanatic like we are, or even if you watch your budget closely (which you should anyway), always remember there may be an alternative to spending money.

In the winter, people complain it’s too cold and beg for the sunshine, and when summer rolls in, the opposite happens.

The minute a heat wave strikes, it can affect everyone who chooses to be outside or sit indoors without proper cooling mechanisms.

Besides drinking water in a heat wave, Mrs. CBB and I sat down last week and made a list of things to do to get the family out to cool off for free.

Although some of our choices are indoors, it’s always nice to entertain and be comfortable without turning on your hydro.

Being new parents, learning about community organizations and events has been a transition for us as we’re not so much in the loop as we once were with the adult nightlife.

With the new PokemonGo craze motivating all ages outdoors this summer hunting for virtual Pokemon characters, local businesses are gearing up for more foot traffic and expect more people looking for free ways to cool off during our Texas-like heat wave.

Volunteer To Beat The Summer Heat

I will start this list with something many people don’t think about in the summer but need.

Plenty of organizations are looking for volunteers, indoors or outdoors, in the summer.

You may be asked to volunteer for a community event at the beach or kids’ camp or help at the local food bank or soup kitchen.

Helping others is a great way to feel good and give back to your community.

Best of all, it’s another way to get out of the house and keep cool.

Stay Cool At The Shopping Mall

Not everyone has a car or can afford a day trip to the beach, especially if you have to drive out of town, so finding your free fun to keep cool is a mall trip away.

I can’t tell you how often we went around the mall for a walk when our son was a baby, but it was nice to get away from the house for a bit and get into some cool air.

This isn’t meant to be an all-day event but more of a change of environment.

When you’re a new parent, getting outside is like a family vacation, so plan to do things together, even if it’s a trip around the mall where it’s air-conditioned.

Just watch the wallet and keep window shopping as part of the plan.

Splash Pad Fun During A Heat Wave

Source Hendon Park Splash Pad North York, Toronto

Our family got to experience the joys of a splash pad earlier this week, and we all smiled.

Mrs. CBB said getting out was such a beautiful afternoon, especially since we were under a heat wave warning.

Our city has many splash pads, all free for families to cool off during summer.

Although our city taxes pay for these splash pads, they are 100% for everyone to attend.

What is a splash pad?

If you’re unsure if you have one in your community, call City Hall; they should be able to direct you to locations in your area if available.

The splash pad is an unsupervised area for kids and their parents to cool off.

There may be slides, tubes, shower heads, spray jets, waterfalls, and a host of other cool water features that all involve water.

The ground is typically spongy, which creates less falling hazard as most go in barefoot.

You can wear water shoes as well, so there are options.

We chased our son around the pool while he played with his toy truck.

It was great to feel the mist of the water spraying on us and getting our feet wet.

We weren’t as prepared as we would have liked for this trip and forgot the baby wipes.

Every parent knows this is a big mistake next to having no stash of diapers.

Next time, we will bring a blanket and chair and pack a lunch for an afternoon of fun in the water with our son.

Nothing beats sitting under a tree in the shade, enjoying family time, and splashing around at the splash pad. Don’t miss out.

Heat Wave Fun At The Beach

Source: Ontario’s South West Grand Bend Beach

Southwestern Ontario has beaches and provincial parks, making going to local beaches a breeze.

Whether it be a trip to Sauble Beach or Grand Bend, you’ll find beaches hidden everywhere and a great way to cool off during an extreme heat wave like we’ve experienced this summer.

Please pack a lunch and make a day of it.

If you’re looking for some of the best beaches in Canada, check out this list of 22 of the most beautiful Beaches in Canada that you will want to visit if they are close to you this summer.

Community Swimming Pool

If you don’t own a swimming pool, consider buying a kiddie pool that fits the entire family like ours.

They are relatively inexpensive, especially at the end of the season.

Last year, we purchased a kiddie pool that comfortably fits our family for 75% off the retail price.

Although you’ll pay to fill your kiddie pool, the water costs will be less expensive than running your central air or air conditioner indoors.

Hit up the dollar store for a massive bag of balloons, and now you’ve got a water balloon fight that just about everyone loves.

Create a backyard oasis for the summer that motivates you to get outside with the family.

Organize fun things to do by searching Pinterest for ideas the family can enjoy with little or no expense to your budget.

Alternatively, make friends with swimming pools and see what they do on weekends.

If you try to invite yourself over, at least bring food, beverages, and snacks to everyone.

It’s the least you can do for someone opening up their pool for you during a heat wave.

Library and Rec Centre Summer Fun

Our central city library and community rec center offer free programs in the summer for kids and parents indoors at the library, in the pool, or outside at the splash pad and playground.

The city also offers free kids programs, including group play time, outdoor summer fun with water tables, and other water events.

Call your local library or look online to see if any free indoor or outdoor events are happening in your city.

Multi-Cultural and Arts Events

This is a considerable deal in Toronto, but many cities have multi-cultural or country-specific festivals, such as a Portuguese or Italian festival.

The best part is that these events are almost always free. They have air-conditioned indoor events and stuff for the entire family to do for free.

There are always tons of food, but if you don’t want to pay for food, pack a lunch and enjoy the festivities and music for the day.

If you’re into the arts, there is never a shortage of art events and concerts, even in smaller communities, that showcase local talent or high-profile artists from out-of-town.

It’s a great way to get out of the house to explore your community for free.

Home Depot Free Workshops

Our son isn’t old enough yet, but if you’re four and up, you can join us at Home Depot for one of their popular workshops.

Every time we go to Home Depot, our son can’t get enough of the tools section and loves using his hands.

We’ll sign him up for a free indoor summer event when he’s old enough.

This free fun is also for the adults because they want you to do the job right.

Learn how to build a fence, install laminate flooring, paint, or organize your closet by participating in a free summer workshop.

Community Events

Don’t miss out on any free community events in your local area this summer, especially those that will cool you down for free during a heat wave we’re experiencing.

Our city has an indoor museum tour that will be free and air-conditioned, which will be educational and fun for the family.

Check online or in your local community paper for free events close to you.

Your city may also offer Movies in the park, which is outside, but it’s free, and you may find the evening hours will offer some relief from a heat wave earlier in the day.

Discover Ontario

We found this excellent online resource called the Summer Fun Guide for Canadians, which gives us plenty of ideas for upcoming events and places to explore.

Some of them will cost money, but not all, and the best part is there are beaches all over Ontario.

Visiting an event and heading to the beach to jump in the water is a great way to cool down in this heat wave without stretching your budget.

Go Fishing or Boating

We’ve already done this with our son while visiting his grandparents this summer.

My father-in-law is a considerable fisherman out on the water every night.

Our son could hold the fishing rod with his grandpa, and his smile was joyful.

What was most pleasurable about the occasion was spending time with the inlaws we rarely see.

It’s nice to enjoy time in the water, cool down with our feet in the water, and splash with each other while making memories that last a lifetime.

If you don’t have a boat, sailboat, canoe, or other water-driven fun toys, maybe some of your friends do.

If you get an invite, don’t turn it down because getting out on the water is a beautiful experience and will certainly cool you down during a heat wave.

Thrive During A Summer Heat Wave Outdoors

Enjoy summer while it lasts because soon enough, we’ll dust off the winter gear. Brr.

Discussion: What other accessible activities would you suggest to beat this summer heat wave?

Please leave your ideas below in the comment section.

CBB This Week

This week went by so fast, and we didn’t get much done around the house besides cleaning.

I cleaned all the windows, inside and out, like every year.

I measured the deck and looked through deck photos to see what type of pergola I wanted to build.

So far, the wife and I haven’t agreed on anything specific, but we have narrowed down a few that we wouldn’t mind.

Besides that, I took our son for a few bike rides, which he loves.

Now, he tells us when he wants to go and play outside, which is excellent.

He’s even stringing together three words now, which just happened. It’s great!

The other day, we made our way to the splash pad, which was a tonne of fun since I’ve never been before.

We’ll be back again, likely next week, as it will help our son integrate with other children in groups.

This will help prepare him for preschool or daycare, which we may enroll him in to prepare him for kindergarten.

Out With The Old In With The New

We finally made the trip to our son’s bedroom to start clearing it out.

All the clothes in his room were now the right size, and we boxed stuff that was too small for him.

It’s incredible how much stuff we have that he didn’t even get to wear.

Next, the plan is to take his crib apart and put his toddler bed in his room so he can start sleeping there.

It will take lots of transition time, but we’re prepared.

A message from a friend of my wife saw us get a massive box of toddler books for free this week.

Our son probably has about 200 books, almost free or under $0.50 each.

We are looking at a third bookshelf as the two we have now are packed to capacity.

They are the smaller bookshelves so our son can reach his books.

We paid $5 for one, and the other was free.

I made a couple of new recipes this week, which I’ll share on the blog shortly.

One involves gorgeous organic cherries and is to die for.

The way it turned out surprised me.

Our son made some cash this week when he sold his sandbox for $20, which he quickly spent on some new Melissa and Doug puzzles from Goodwill.

That’s all for this week, folks.

I’ll meet you again next Saturday to fill you in on a busy week in the CBB family.

Posts Published This Week

If you’ve missed any of my blog posts this week, I will share them all below.

Top performing CBB Post this week: How to Make Money When You’re Broke

• How to become financially secure so you forget it’s payday
• Supermarket confrontation and how to avoid embarrassment
• Simple Italian Tomato Salad

Fan Budget Brags

You got WHAT for HOW Much?

Submit your Deal or Brag:

Please email me at canadianbudgetbinder@yahoo. (ca) < remove brackets) or fill out my contact form by Friday each week to have your brag considered for the Saturday post.

Jen is back with her weekly Garage Sale Deals, which are unique as usual.

Hey everyone!

Here are today’s deals:

• Baby sleeper and children’s magnets for reward chart $1.98 ($2 since we no longer have pennies, lol) at Salvation Army Thrift Store (stopped by after garage sales as they had a 50% off sale)
• Lego (brand new and sealed!), bouncy ball-making kit, and neon chalk $12 (Lego is a retired set and is $144 on Amazon)
• Bubbles (brand new), scotch tape (brand new), and play kitchen toys $3
• Marvel Avengers play shaving set $.50 (will use as a Christmas gift. Adam loves to pretend to shave with Daddy!)

Total spent $17.50

Yummy Recipe

Food and grocery shopping are relevant because food is a large part of the budget, which people struggle with the most.

We all have to eat to survive, but just because we have a budget doesn’t mean we can’t eat delicious home-cooked meals that are drool-worthy.

This week, our Top Recipe Pick goes to Alyssa at The Recipe Critic for these moist Blueberry Cream Cheese Cookies with Lemon Glaze.

I’m a huge fan of blueberries and almost anything; these two ingredients pair well together.

She says the texture is between a muffin and a chewy cookie, which is perfectly fine with me.

If I can dunk it, I’m good. With berry season in full swing, save this recipe to share with your family.

Cool Pinterest Find

I wanted to share a couple of busy boards for babies and toddlers that I found on Pinterest with all of you.

The reason is that I made our son a busy board similar to the toddler busy board above, which the bloggers at Millionayres built but on a larger scale.

The busy board can be a reasonably frugal project, depending on whether you can find used parts at second-hand shops and even the wood.

I also painted the board as in the photo, which took some time but was well worth it.

Our son loves his busy board.

I’ve already had requests to custom-make one or two for friends.

I may start a new hobby.

Editor’s Choice

Every week, I will pick a blog post of the week from around the web that I found interesting and want to share with all of you.

Editor’s pick (That’s me, Mr.CBB) This week, I read a post over at Money Coaches by Sandra Mann, who explains a bit more about the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) expansion and how it will affect Canadians, most notably to help fine-tune retirement.

I agree that most people don’t stay with the same company for long as they bounce around to new roles instead of up the ladder.

These days, company pensions are few, and retirement savings are coming from our pockets, affecting the budget, especially when many other expenses take priority.

I agree that people take money from one pile to use for another and say they will go back and top it up when things settle down.

She’s right when she says it won’t, so balancing the budget is critical.

The plan is usually to put their resources on something more immediate, just for a short time, and when “things” settle down, they will double down and catch up.

It’s an idea that rarely works, because “things” never settle down, “things” just change from one pressing priority to another.

Finance Quote Of the Week

Mr. Franklin is correct when saying that little expenses can sink a ship.

Most people tend to push those small shops or coffee runs out of their budget, but it MUST be documented if the money comes from your bank account.

This is a good one for the refrigerator for budget motivation.

Source: Bringjoy

Google Search Giggles

Thousands of people visit Canadian Budget Binder every week because they have searched my blog online.

If you notice any spelling errors below, I share how it was typed into a search engine query to land on my blog.

• My husband refuses to budget until the bank calls to take away his home, and he has to file a bankruptcy claim.– Not that this will happen to everyone, but using a budget is a clear path to understanding financial health and certainly will prepare you for future retirement.
• Rogers Promo May 1999- It seems odd to search for online, seeing as it’s 2016.
• Why is squash so expensive in Canada?– For the same reason, everything else is expensive. Get used to it.
• How to get $100,000 to pay off debt– Magic spell sounds like a start.
• How to steal from a grocery store- It always breaks my heart when I see this come up in search because it only means someone is struggling. I’d opt for the Food Bank as you won’t get arrested there.

That’s all the fun for this week; thanks for dropping by, and we’ll see you all again next Saturday!

Mr.CBB

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• The Saturday Weekend Review #178: How I Made My Move To Canada From the UK
• The Saturday Weekend Review #179: When You’d Rather Be A Redneck Than A Rich Girl
• The Saturday Weekend Review #180: How to Make Easy Money When You’re Broke
• The Saturday Weekend Review #181: Should I buy a Cheaper or more expensive house?SaveSave