Beat The Heat And Do It Cheap

2019 is on track to become one of the hottest years for Singapore and it was predicted to be so as early as March. Not only is the island baking, Earth is experiencing heatwaves sweeping across the planet too.

Singapore’s climate all year round can be so warm that we may just forget there are four seasons in a year. All we get is summer on this sunny island and while people in colder countries fly south for the winter, Singaporeans fly north to cool off. However, flying to a country with cooler climates is no cheap affair, and there is only so many vacation days you and your family can take.

We have compiled a list of wallet-friendly, fun-filled and relationship-building things you can do to keep yourselves cool without burning through your bank account:

1. All hail Netflix

Someone please nominate Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph for a Nobel Prize already, for bestowing upon mankind the power to watch (and binge-watch) our favourite shows and movie titles all in the comforts of our crib. Bonus points to you if you have got a high definition TV and surround sound to turn your home into a theatre.

A starter kit to some of the popular shows and genres:

• Educational documentary: Chasing Coral
• Childhood favourites relived: The Magic School Bus Rides Again
• Mind-blowing science fiction: Black Mirror
• Sci-fi with a little scare: Stranger Things
• Political thriller: Designated Survivor

2. Board games to keep boredom at bay

If there is any credit to the heat, it is that it incentivises people to stay home. So, please do not let it go to waste by not seizing the opportunity to have your loved ones come around and enjoy some competitive fun!

If you have lost touch with your younger days where your clique would book a table at The Minds Café or Settlers Café, here are some board and card games ideas fun for all in the family:

• Nothing gives you constant mood swings (the fun kind) between adrenaline rush and the relief quite like Jenga. Pit your concentration skills and dexterity against one another and celebrate your opponent’s downfall.
• An all-time classic, Uno is the ultimate card game for endless fun fuelled by vengeance. In some kind of twisted way, you and your family members can build bonds by ‘sabo-ing’ each other with Draw-Two and Draw-Four cards and form temporary alliances against each other before ending them in betrayal.
• The Singaporean Dream is the perfect conversation starter and excuse of a game to ask awkward questions about one’s ambition. With character cards that depict stereotypical caricatures of different occupations assigned to players, each player must overcome other players’ political games and amass ‘dreams’ to win the game. Great way to motivate your kids to think about their dreams and talk about them!

3. Cook and bake together

Nothing unites Singaporeans more than our love for food and nothing tastes as good as home-cooked food. When everyone has a hand in preparing tonight’s dinner (literally), it gets even better.

Cooking together as a family is one of the ways family members build working relationships with one another. Go shopping for groceries together, discover and educate ingredients together, delegate roles in the kitchen and enjoy the fruits of everyone’s labour together.

Tip: It's now possible to eat healthy and be kind to the environment, by buying organic, homegrown herbs and vegetables grown right here on the rooftops of Singapore's high-rises. Watch our Changemakers video on ComCrop, and learn about how they are doing the planet a whole lot of good, the fresh, tasty way.

4. Spin the globe, virtually

Ok, so physically leaving the country may not be possible at this juncture, but you can still discover the world in your own home thanks to the Google Earth’s camera men.

‘Visit’ your favourite destination at a click of the finger and take ‘snapshots’ of the sights and scenery. Discover new places and things in the countries that are not on your immediate to-go list but are still worth checking out.

Just a bonus for you to kickstart your curiosity, type in 35.70407437075822, 139.5577317304603 in the Google Earth search bar and select street view.

5. Nurture the inner Picasso

While the heat is not painting a very good picture for the climate, you and your loved ones can paint masterpieces together! Revisit old favourites like Art Attack or learn a trick or two from Bob Ross on how to create artistic pieces. Let the kids explore every inch of their creative brains and unleash the Da Vinci in them.

Just a word of advice: if your kids are using paint brushes for the first time, go for watercolour – they are easier to clean in case of unbridled artistic mayhem.

KEEP COOL WITH OUR COOL PLANS

While you and your family hole up at home with the AC on, your smart TV playing your favourite shows and the kitchen at full capacity for a dinner feast, we’ve got your electricity bill covered with some of the most competitive plans.

Staying home and staying cool has never been this fun and fruitful. Whether you are looking for the best plan to suit your energy needs or enjoy your home’s comforts without contributing to climate change, we are here to #powerthechange.