Five Quick and Fun Ways to Cool Off the Summer Heat on a Budget

When summer heat strikes, everybody wants a quick way to cool off. If you are on a budget, or simply want some different ways to fight the summer heat, try one of these five ways to cool off and have fun doing it.

Wheelbarrow Pool (See photo.) Not everybody has access to a swimming pool when summer heat hits. Simply get a hose and a wheelbarrow. Then fill it up and climb in. This is a fun place to play with simple water toys too. It is easy to empty and easy to put away. You can use the water to water garden plants, after playtime is over. If you don't own a wheelbarrow, see if someone you know does . If you want to buy a wheelbarrow, they are easily found at stores like Home Depot. Make sure you get a good sized and very sturdy one.

Crazy Daisy (See photo.) There are a number of available hose attachments ranging from simple lawn sprinklers to fun attachments with children and families in mind. The Crazy Daisy is made by Fisher-Price toy. Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, and Toys-R-Us usually carry them. It is a simple and fun way to beat the summer heat.

The Crazy Daisy attaches to a hose . The stand for the Crazy Daisy pushes into the ground. Then you turn the hose on and watch the daisy jump around. Part of the fun for children is guessing where the wiggling daisy head will squirt next, as it jumps and spins around. It comes in a number of different colours. It is very easy to assemble.

Spray Bottle Battle Plastic spritzer or spray bottles are available everywhere. They are inexpensive. Discount stores and big chain stores like Wal-Mart and Kmart carry them. Drug stores like Longs Drugs, Walgreens and Rite-Aide have spray bottles. Even grocery stores and dollar stores carry them. They come in all different sizes. There are even very small ones for younger children.

All you do is fill them, put the top and squeeze the handle. They are great to carry around for outside events like swim meets, baseball games, picnics or even to carry around in the car. Buy a bunch of them and get the whole family involved in a spritzer bottle battle.

Water Balloon Fight (See photo.) This timeless classic never loses its appeal. It is a way to cool off on a budget and have fun doing it. Part of the fun is seeing who can fill the balloons the fastest and building up an arsenal, much like a snowball fight. You can play toss games with groups of people.

Line up teams in two lines facing each other. Toss the water balloons back and forth and try to make the opposite team members drop the balloon or have it break all over them. Sometimes it is just fun to throw them and see how hard you can make them explode.

Water balloons are easily found at drug stores and discount stores. Make sure you buy a few bags full. Be sure all pieces are picked up after the game, so small children or animals will not ingest them.

Wash the Dog, Wash the Car or Wash the Windows (See photo.) Put everyone to work, but have fun doing it. Turn the carwash into a water fight while you are at it and get cooled off. An outside carwash or dog wash is a fun and useful way to get relief from scorching summer heat. It helps the dog to fight the summer temperatures too. Dogs don't sweat the way humans do. They only cool off through the pads of their feet and through their mouths, so give the canine member of your family some summer heat relief too.

Give everyone a bucket and get the hoses ready. This is a great time to get the outside of your windows done and have fun doing it. Make it fun. Wear you old clothes or swimsuit. Don't be afraid to get right in and get wet while you work. It makes the job a lot of fun, when you do it as a group.

Pick one of these or go all out and have a summer heat wave water party. Invite the neighborhood children or even have a water themed summer birthday party. Get wet and cool down from the summer heat on a budget.