Summer days are synonymous with beach days. Given how many people live in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and how small our beaches are, however, we’re going to need to find new ways to share the beachy goodness. Fortunately, we only need to do this while restrictions are in place that limit the number of people that can gather in an outdoor space.

Here, we’ve come up with 7 other activities you can do if the beach looks packed and you need to come up with a different plan.

Water games

If there’s a hot day on the horizon, it’s time to plan a water game day. This is a bare feet and bathers day (with sunscreen, of course) where the only rule is to get as wet as possible.  Buy or borrow a kiddie pool, turn on the sprinkler, unravel the hose, commandeer as many spray bottles, buckets and water pistols as possible and have at it! Sponges can be used instead of water balloons if you’re looking for a more sustainable, reusable option.  If you don’t have a backyard, check our website for what parks or reserves are near you – water pistols are allowed. BYO slip and slide.

Colour me happy

The New York Academy of Medicine has close to 400 PDF colouring books from more than 100 museums and libraries around the world that you can download for free. Together Gallery provides a range of downloadable colouring sheets created by some of Australia’s most notable artists, illustrators and creatives. Perfect for a bit of quiet time in the heat of the day.

Walk in the shade

Instead of heading to the beach, have you walked the Yarra Bay trail in La Perouse? It’s cool, shady and connects you to the Aboriginal heritage of the area. There are plenty of other walks you can do in Randwick City, read this article for some ideas. If you want to head outside the area, check the Bondi to Manly app to see how to enjoy coast or harbour views while walking from, you guessed it, Bondi to Manly. Another great resource is the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Nature Walks website. Pick your bushwalking personality type, lace up your shoes and get ready for an adventure.

Find your inner iceblock Picasso

Fill up your icetrays with water and pop a few drops of food colouring in before freezing them. You can then use these coloured ice blocks to ‘paint’ pictures on paper. It’s a new take on the classic watercolour!

Keep cool, quiet and calm

Completely dropping out of life to focus on becoming stress-free isn’t always a practical option, but focusing on our mental and physical wellbeing has never been more important. Enter, the wellness sabbatical. This concept allows you to hit the pause button on life for a bit to allow you to include some self-care into your day, weekend or week – the length of time is up to you. All it involves is taking those activities you would normally do at a pricey health retreat – mindfulness activities, meditation, healthy eating, yoga, gratitude journaling etc – and purposefully scheduling them into your day. A wellness sabbatical allows you to slow down, pay attention to how you feel and enjoy activities that keep you cool as well as calm.

Be a frozen foodie

Thread a couple of grapes on a skewer, chuck it in the freezer for a bit and voila! Frozen grapecicles! Get creative, mix up some juices in a large jug and find a new family favourite. Mango and coconut water is magic or blueberry, orange and pineapple if you’re feeling tropical! Why not master your own homemade lemonade recipe or create your own iced tea? Once you’re done, drop a couple of ice blocks in your glass to enjoy the soft tinkle, tinkle that only a summer ice drink can make.

Travel inside

Stay inside and travel virtually, thanks to Airbnb’s new experiences platform that allows you to find a huge range of new things to try in your neighbourhood or, even better, in a different country. Learn to make pasta with an Italian nonna, pick up some choreography from Broadway professionals or schedule a virtual visit to the North Pole to visit Santa. It has never been easier to expand your horizons while staying in your own breeze-cooled living room.

Things to remember if you do decide to go to the beach:

• Check our beach pages first to see how busy they are. If the beach is full, come back later.
• Avoid crowds by swimming or surfing early in the morning or during the week.
• Maintain 1.5m between yourself and others.
• Wear a mask if you can't socially distance.