Ain’t no cure for the summertime blues

Eddie Cochran clearly didn’t know South Florida.

There are plenty of ways to beat the summertime blahs at the peak of summer, post-Independence Day as the heat is on and The Heat is done for the season. Some of the simple pleasures in the summer months include making homemade ice cream at home, visiting the public library or heading to Books & Books for an author’s reading. The Pinecrest Green Market is now a year-round event and a cornucopia of fruits, vegetables and crafts abound even in the summer months at the shaded Pinecrest Gardens location. There is also the old standby: hitting the air-conditioned mall.

We came up with a bucket list of summer must-dos. Most of the items are inexpensive, too. All you have to do is get out there, grab some friends and have fun!

MiChiMu’s summer games

The Summer Olympics are once again upon us and we couldn’t be more excited to catch the Lochte-Phelps showdown in the swimming pool, the world-class divers, track and field stars and gymnastic wonders on our televisions. But the Miami Children’s Museum has come up with way to turn the Olympics into a teaching game. The MiChiMu’s Summer Games is an interactive exhibit that focuses on teamwork, fitness and cultural diversity.

The Fantastic Gymnastic exhibit, for instance, encourages kids to test their skills on a balance beam while Leap Across America and Reach for the Gold use Olympic-themed games to teach geography, distance scales and conversions. Kids can also piece together the Olympic Ring Puzzle.

“The Olympics’ opening in London later this month allows the museum to create an exhibit that focuses on physical fitness to help combat the obesity epidemic among the young,’’ says museum CEO Deborah Spiegelman. “Everyone comes out a winner and children learn at their own pace.”

•   MiChiMu’s Summer Games at Miami Children’s Museum, 980 MacArthur Cswy., Miami. Cost: $16 adults, children; $12 Florida residents, free for members. Call 305-373-5437 or visit www.miamichildrensmuseum.org.

Bottoms up

Wine, Walk & Shop on the Mile, one of Coral Gables’ newer signature events, kicks off Tuesday with a sampling of light and refreshing wines for the hot summer days along Miracle Mile at its shops and select restaurants. Seasons 52, Hip E. Boutique and Wolfe’s Wine Shoppe are among the participants. Wine lovers can chill with Chartogne-Taillet Champagne, Honig Sauvignon Blanc, Coquena Torrontes and Lunta Malbec among others, served with light bites, goody bags and discount rates.

•   Wine, Walk & Shop on the Mile at 6 p.m. Tuesday along Miracle Mile, starting at Seasons 52 in Coral Gables. Tickets: $35. Information: http://miamiwinefestival.org/event/wine-walk-shop

Speaking of wine, you can’t beat the picturesque tropical grounds of Schnebly Winery and Brewery in Homestead. The winery crafts exotic wines and beers using fruits like lychee, guava, carambola, mango. Sample a handful of their coolest new brews for a fee and you get to keep the glass.

Got kids? The little ones can have fun, too, at Schnebly. No, they can’t drink, but they can belt out new and old favorites at the brewery’s Friday Karaoke Nights and BBQ. DJs spin the tunes for dancing and the brave souls — or perhaps those who enjoyed the wine sampling — gather the liquid courage to get up on stage for a chorus or two of I Want to Know What Love Is and Pour Some Sugar on Me.