Dubai Summer 2021 Survival Guide For Families
Once upon a time the colours green, amber and red were merely an indication of how long you had to wait at a crossing. 2020 has since given those hues a serious upgrade in power as they decide on who goes where and how. As a result, many of us are facing a long hot summer in Dubai.
And whilst the colder climes might feel a bit like a distant memory right now, there’s a whole load of Dubai summer lovin’, for those of us feeling stuck in the UAE this summer.
Home Club brings to you our Family Summer Survival Guide for exploring the treasures of the UAE both beyond and from within your four walls.
Dubai Summer Indoors
Bake it Baby!
If your baking abilities stretch no further than the quarantine banana bread, why not expand your expertise with some at-home baking with assistant pastry chefs (your kids) by your side.
Get started with Koala Picks newly launched Summer Baking Bundle! Priced at AED80, the kit is awesome value for money containing a pancake, brownie and cookie mix, along with two paper chef hats and a whisk. Order yours via their website from 1st July 2021.
Get Crafty
There’s a lot you can do with paper, scissors and glue – and if you don’t believe us, then check out Canon Creative Park’s vast array of paper-craft kits to keep kids engaged and adults entertained completely free of charge!
From creating your own make-believe sushi restaurant, electrical shop or puppet show to scrapbooking and personalised decorations for anything you can think of, Canon Creative Park has you covered, all you have to do is download their app, select, customise and print.
Host the Olympics
Come rain, shine or global pandemic, The 2021 Olympics will be going ahead this summer in Japan and maybe your living room?
Create your own Olympic Games at home – establish teams, create your ‘country’ fan posters & make it official with an opening ceremony. Choose games that work with your space; egg & spoon race, water balloon toss, Lego tower building, plank challenge, or a watermelon eating comp. Get some tips on scoring and more game ideas here!
Movie Night
…Or day. Close the curtains, crank up the AC (always chilly in a cinema) have the popcorn at the ready and choose a film. Make it extra authentic and invest in a compact projector, or go all out and hire a cinema set-up experience complete with a popcorn machine and all!
Above: Image via https://www.comebackmomma.com/
Get Them Ready
For those of you with teens about to fly the coup to university in September, equip them with a few kitchen skills ensuring they won’t exist off of Pot Noodles and chips their first year. Start with 3-ingredient recipes or explore something new together.
Kibsons DIY Boxes aim at making life easier and more delicious and would make a great intro to cooking for your teens. Each box comes with the right amount of ingredients & a recipe card with easy-to-follow instructions to feed from 2-6 ppl and is a great way to introduce new menu items to your family menu.
Get Out this Summer in Dubai
Paint, Sketch, Create
Explore your inner Picasso, Degas or Dali together and invest in a few canvases, acrylic paints and maybe some plastic sheeting to keep the house safe from paint splatter. Get some charcoal and try your hand at still life – sketching out a napping dad on a Friday afternoon.
If you feel you could use some direction, The Native Creative have a summer art camp for teens & adults exploring resin art, oils, calligraphy and more, over 9 sessions from July 6th till August 30th from 11-1 pm for AED2500. To register call +971505779816.
Take a Dip
One of the great things about Dubai is all the 5* hotels with stunning pools, yummy grub and fancy gyms. There are loads of day-cay options right now with paid day-use giving you access to their pools, beaches and facilities. Some are even redeemable on food and/or younger kids go free.
If you think this is going to be a big hit for your brood over the summer, then Privilee’s three month Summer membership for AED 1,599 is for you! The award-winning lifestyle membership gives you access to beach resorts and gyms; such as Jumeriah Zabeel Saray, Palazzo Versace, FitRepublic & even further afield like the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah.
Summer Camp
Where would us parents of young ones be without a summer camp or three! There are summer camps all over the Emirates providing entertainment and learning for kids throughout July & August. Find the one that will best suit your kid’s interests, whether that be beginners coding, sports, theatrics, art or other…
…Here are a few we’ve found to get you started:
Oli Oli, Dubai’s first experiential children’s play museum, has launched launch two camp concepts; Discoverer’s Camp in the mornings and the Adventurer’s Camp in the afternoons from 4thJuly to 26th August 2021 from AED 790 for the week. Find out more here!
Elite Sports are offering multi-sports, swimming & football camps throughout various locations, across a wide age range in Dubai from 11th July –29th August from AED 882 per child, per week. Get more info here!
Aventura Parks is offering Evening Adventures in the Ghaf forest and engaging summer enrichment programs exploring STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), arts and crafts, survival skills and animal care, starting June 27th, until August 26th from AED 240 for a day pass and AED 840 weekly, including snacks and lunch. See more here!
Break Free With A Staycay
Escape the same-old, same-old and try a holiday at home with a UAE staycay. Venture to new Emirates, explore the other side of town, or upgrade your lifestyle and book yourselves into a luxury or boutique hotel.
We’ve come across an amazing deal from the vibrant Park Regis Kris Kin hotel offering 50% off, starting from AED220++ for the Family Stays promotion. This gives a family of up to four a spacious suite with a complimentary buffet breakfast, 50% off the ‘Dubai Summer Surprise’ food menu and up to four Dubai Park tickets at half the price. Choose from a Junior Suite with a double bed, triple beds, or two double beds and enjoy a rooftop pool offering expansive views across Dubai’s skyline. Check this out here!
Don’t Just Take Our Word for it
We consulted some of our best Insta accounts for family inspo in Dubai and here are their top tips for surviving the Dubai Summer.
Camilla of @mydesertvilla
Good for bargain ideas & things to do on a budget.
Having spent the last 14 summers in Dubai, and the last eight with children, I can definitely recommend some family-friendly activities to pass the time.
- I recently took my children to Mirzam Chocolate Factory in Al Quoz where for AED 60 pp, they learnt all about chocolate bar making with a live demo and got the chance to decorate the wrapper of their own yummy bar.
- The Dubai Ice Rink is always a great way to keep cool, while the Dubai Mall also provides bowling, movies, soft play, trampolining and arcades. You’ll often find some great offers for these over the summer, making it a bit more affordable for children to go with their friends.
- For a cheap but fun way to keep the kids entertained, the Dubai Water Taxi or the Palm Monorail are a fun day out. Make sure you sit at the front for a great view.
Above: Image credit Time Out Dubai
- For the simplest fun at home; there are board games, playdates, baking or dressing-up. We mix and match activities to keep things interesting and throw in a few weeks of summer camp too.
Jackie of @jackiealo
An amazing resource of sensory play and at-home fun for families with kids.
If you’re staying back in the UAE this summer and need to entertain your kids – These are 3 easy activities you can do, using resources from your pantry.
Pasta & Play – Pasta is an excellent and cheap source for play. You can use it for counting, colour matching, sorting, making pasta jewellery and with playdough etc.
To colour pasta:
*Add Pasta to a Ziploc bag.
*Squirt in a few drops of Paint
*Add a few drops of hand sanitiser to help spread the paint and shake well.
*Spread on a baking sheet and let it dry for around 30 minutes.
(If you have little ones that are still mouthing, you can use food colour and a dash of vinegar instead)
Home Made Bath Bombs – You will need: 1 cup baking Soda, 1 cup citric acid, 1/2 cup cornflour, 1/2 cup Epsom salts,1/4 cup coconut oil & Few drops of essential oil (optional).
*Add the dry ingredients to a bowl & mix well.
*Slowly add in the wet ingredients until you have a consistency similar to wet sand and the mixture holds when squeezed.
*Put into your mould (silicon moulds are best if you don’t have a bath bomb mould)
*Leave for a few hours or overnight to set.
With the last day of school slowly encroaching, we hope this article has helped to fill your family summer calendars whilst here in Dubai. If you think you’ve got the answer for family fun in/out of the sun, here in the UAE this summer, then please let us know in the comments or tag us on your social accounts @homeclubme – Have a great one!
