Summer is beautiful — until it’s 105°F and stepping outside feels like opening an oven door. If you’re a homesteader, gardener, or just someone who loves the outdoors, the brutal heat of summer can feel downright defeating. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to choose between protecting yourself from the heat and staying connected to nature. In this post (and the video below!), I’m sharing 3 practical ways to survive summer heat and bring the outdoors in — without ever setting foot outside during the hottest part of the day.
▶️ Watch the full video here: 3 Ways To Survive Summer Heat | Get In Nature Without Going Outside
Why Summer Heat Is No Joke (Especially for Homesteaders)
If you’re raising a garden, homeschooling kids, or just trying to live a more intentional, nature-connected life, summer heat can completely disrupt your rhythm. In places like Oklahoma, temperatures regularly climb well above 100°F in July and August — making outdoor time not just uncomfortable, but genuinely dangerous during peak hours.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are real risks, especially for children and anyone doing physical outdoor work. But the answer isn’t to hide inside with the AC blasting all day and lose your connection to the living world around you.
The answer is to work with the season instead of fighting it.
1. Shift Your Schedule to the Edges of the Day
One of the most powerful things you can do in summer is stop trying to operate on a “normal” schedule. The middle of the day — roughly 11am to 4pm — is when heat peaks and the sun is most intense. Those hours are best spent indoors.
Instead, shift your outdoor time to the early morning and evening hours:
- Early morning (6–9am): Temperatures are coolest, the air smells incredible, and there’s a stillness to the garden and yard that feels deeply grounding. This is the best time to harvest, water, check on plants, and do any physical work.
- Evening (after 6pm): The sun drops, the breeze picks up (usually), and the garden comes alive again. Evening is a wonderful time for a slow walk, tending to plants, or just sitting outside and observing.
This simple schedule shift lets you stay deeply connected to nature and your homestead without putting yourself at risk — and it honestly makes those outdoor moments feel more special and intentional.
2. Bring Nature Inside Your Home
Just because you’re staying inside during the heat of the day doesn’t mean you have to feel disconnected from the natural world. There are beautiful, simple ways to bring nature indoors that engage all your senses.
Here are some ideas that work beautifully for homesteading families:
- Fresh herbs on the windowsill. Basil, mint, rosemary — keeping living herbs inside isn’t just practical for cooking, it brings the smell and feel of the garden right into your kitchen.
- Cut flowers and foliage from your garden. If you’re growing flowers (zinnias, sunflowers, herbs in bloom), bring a bouquet inside. It’s a simple act that keeps you emotionally connected to what you’re growing.
- Open windows strategically. In the early morning before heat builds, open as many windows as possible to pull in fresh air, birdsong, and the smell of the garden. Close them up mid-morning to trap the cool air.
- Nature sounds. Whether it’s leaving a window cracked to hear the birds or playing nature ambiance while you work inside, sound is a powerful way to stay grounded when you can’t be outdoors.
- Indoor plants. Houseplants are more than decoration — tending them scratches the same itch as garden work and keeps your hands in the dirt even on the hottest days.
The goal is to create an indoor environment that feels like an extension of the outside world, not a retreat from it.
3. Make the Most of Water
Water is summer’s great equalizer. Whether you’re using it to cool down your body or cool down your garden, leaning into water as a tool is one of the smartest strategies for surviving summer heat — especially with kids.
For your family:
- Set up a simple water play area outdoors for the early morning or evening hours. Even a tub of water and a hose gives kids a reason to love summer.
- Keep a spray bottle in the fridge and mist your face and neck when you’re working in the heat.
- Drink water constantly — before you feel thirsty. Dehydration sneaks up fast in summer heat.
- Homemade popsicles and cold herbal teas (mint is incredible cold) make staying hydrated something to look forward to.
For your garden:
- Water deeply in the early morning so moisture reaches roots before heat evaporates it.
- Mulch heavily around your plants to lock in soil moisture and keep root zones cool.
- Consider a soaker hose or drip system so you’re not out hand-watering in the heat of the day.
Water keeps you cool, keeps your garden alive, and can turn a miserable summer afternoon into something the kids actually look forward to.
Bonus Tip: Embrace the Slowdown
Here’s something nobody in our fast-paced world says enough: summer is supposed to be slower.
Before electricity and air conditioning, people naturally slowed down in summer. They napped in the afternoon. They worked early and rested midday. They gathered in the shade. There’s wisdom in that rhythm.
If you’re a homesteader or a homeschooling family, summer is actually a beautiful opportunity to model a more seasonal way of living for your kids. Let the heat be a teacher. Read books in the afternoon. Cook low-and-slow. Do nature journaling from the window. Watch what the birds and insects do during the hottest part of the day (spoiler: they hide too).
Living seasonally isn’t just a homestead skill — it’s a life skill.
Watch the Full Video
I go deeper into all of this in the video — including how we personally handle summer heat on our homestead with kids. Come watch, leave a comment, and let me know how you survive the summer heat!
▶️ 3 Ways To Survive Summer Heat | Get In Nature Without Going Outside
The Traveling Homesteaders is a family documenting our city-to-homestead journey — covering gardening, homeschooling, from-scratch cooking, and intentional living. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for new videos every week!
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