Cheap, cheerful tips for winter fun

The colder months don’t have to mean hibernation or spending plenty to stay active and excited. Here’s how.

Winter can be fun too.

Are you missing summer already?

Do you miss being outdoors, feeling free and fun-loving? This season is famous for falling foliage, but with the temperature down some of us might feel our spirits plunging too. But this is no lockdown – and the bright outdoors can easily be brought to life inside.

Here’s how.

Climbing the walls

You no longer have to go to a business park or gym to get your boulder workout done. Leave the car in the garage and get into it in the comfort of home. Discovery Climbing director Matt McCone says that home rock walls are booming.

“Inquiries went through the roof with Covid,” he says, adding that a number of architects have also reached out looking to include climbing walls in new builds.

Bring the mountain to you. Picture: supplied

The company supplies everything you need for outside and inside walls. Following the arrival of his first baby, McCone now also supplies a nursery product.

“Just one 1.2m wide panel is where you start,” he says.

“And you can paint it any colour you like or draw on it. It’s just something for two- to three-year-olds to have a little go – obviously with mummy or daddy supervising.”

Benefits from climbing are both physical and mental.

“Arms, legs and core get a work out and we do find that a lot of the kids who do climbing regularly, older kids, do improve in maths. One of the factors being that climbing is fantastic problem-solving practice.”

A starter nursery kit costs around $2500 including GST and a supplied builder/installer in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Big kids are well catered for as well – check out the website for vertical vibes.

discoveryclimbing.com.au

Wipe right

Part of the signature carefree nature of summertime is how casual we become dealing with daily hiccups such as spilt food and drink.

Outdoor furnishings are covered in fabrics that can withstand sloshed margaritas, pizza grease and Coke with a soapy handwash or turn in the machine. If you use good quality outdoor fabrics to cover furniture inside as well, you can weather slurp, slip and muddy dog disasters without freaking out.

Do not think palm fronds and Toucan prints – these fabrics come in an enormous range of colours, block and patterned, and not only are they fade resistant, they are also soft enough to drape. And finally, they are strong, strong, strong – perfect for the family room, kitchen and playroom use.

Outdoor fabrics are great indoors for people with pets and small kids – and hammocks are lovely for everyone inside and out. Picture: supplied

Sundrella, Outdura and other brands can be bought at most mainstream and discount fabric outlets. For a young family, or a doggie family, it is really a no-brainer decor decision to bring that durable outdoor solution right on in.

Sway daze

Have you ever spent time swaying in the breeze?

While it feels like a form of hypnosis, there’s actually a bit of science at play. A study carried out by researchers at RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan found our mammalian brain responds to rocking movement with a slower heart rate and other relaxed reactions.

If the effect of your last holiday hammock nap was like downing the elixir of youth, why not install a hammock right here at home?

Not just on the porch, deck or veranda, but inside your lounge, home office or playroom, where it may prove just the ticket for restoring that holiday feeling.

Warm and cosy. Picture: supplied

“An indoor hammock is a perfect way to create a cosy reading nook, making it a favourite spot for book lovers of all ages,” says Aaron Macaranas, of Siesta Hammocks.

“Indoor hammocks are a fun and unique way to add a playful touch to a child’s bedroom – a special space to unwind and daydream.”

You can buy a frame when you buy the hammock, or else invest in some mighty tough, but less obvious, wall fixings. The family room would be fun, but expect friendly warfare as everyone fights to claim it.