OK, it’s not getting hot; it is hot. You know summer is here when you walk outside and your palms start sweating and your flip flops (thongs for all you antipodeans) slip off your equally sweaty feet – and it’s only June!

There is a tendency to lose steam as our sunglasses start to fog up for summer, but we’re here to keep you motivated over these toasty months with long lists of things to do.

This week we’re getting (really) excited about the start of Summer in Abu Dhabi, which kicks off at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre next week. With four (huge) halls given over to this entertainment extravaganza, there are literally hundreds of activities to keep the little ones entertained.

We’re looking forward to testing out the Career Zone, where children can pick one of 12 different jobs to test drive. When I was a kid I wanted to be everything from an explorer and a tree climber to a bug collector. I’m guessing the options at Summer in Abu Dhabi might be more sensible!

We also can’t wait to see some of the shows. With Spiderman, Dora and SpongeBob gracing the stage we don’t know who to get more excited about seeing. Spiderman is the winner so far.

If you’re minus the kids (or you don’t have any) this week then there’s no excuse to slope off to your sofa and watch DVDs. With the arrival of summer there are loads of special offers going on at the Emirate’s hotels. So how about whisking your better half off for a romantic retreat? Or treating them to a slap up meal at one of their favourite restaurants, for half the price?

Then you can hop off to one of the city’s health clubs, which are also running a range of summer deals, to burn off the extra calories consumed over that bargain brunch!

Megan Wynes