Summer is an ideal time to make the most of the beautiful weather, explore new interests and connect with others in the community. And here at Helping Solutions, we’re eager for you to experience every opportunity that life has to offer.

Whether you want to spend every day at the beach, get more active and involved in your favourite sports, or enjoy beautiful sunsets and yummy food, here are six fun, summer activities to try that will inspire connection and create memorable experiences.

1) Picnic at King’s Park

Gather your friends, pack a refreshing picnic and head up to King’s Park for a sunny day of exploring, relaxing and taking in breathtaking views.

There’s so much to do at King’s Park, including a scenic stroll through the Botanic Gardens, visiting the State War Memorial, and enjoying the Fraser Avenue Lookout. Plus, there are plenty of easy-going walking tracks for any keen hikers, native plant lovers or aspiring bird watchers!

As for what to bring for your picnic, check out these quick and easy recipes (tip: why not ask your support worker to help you prepare a selection of delicious food before you head out for the day?)

Easy Salads

• Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint
• Super Green Salad with Avocado, Apple and Goat’s Cheese
• Greek Salad

Easy Sandwiches and Wraps

• Caprese Sandwich
• Spinach Hummus Wrap
• Fish Finger Sandwich

Easy Pastries:

• Quiche Lorraine
• Feta and Spinach Rolls
• Zucchini Roses

2) Visit the beach

Beat the summer heat with a trip to one of Perth’s beautiful beaches!

If you’re keen to arrive early and maximise your time, the closest beaches to Perth CBD (and accessible public transport routes) include City Beach, Scarborough Beach and Cottesloe Beach.

With wide pathways and wheelchair accessible bathrooms, you can enjoy your day out with minimal planning, and even enjoy swimming, surfing and beach volleyball! (P.S: if you’re looking for adaptable sports to try over the summer, check out ReboundWA.)

For a less active and more chilled day out, you could also bring a picnic blanket, grab some fish and chips from a nearby shop, and enjoy a beautiful Perth summer sunset (we do have the best sunsets in Australia!)

3) Grow a summer veggie garden

Summer is a wonderful time to start growing your own vegetables!

Your summer veggie garden can be a small or big as you like—raised garden beds or containers are recommended and easy to pick up from Bunnings, but for something simpler and more accessible, you could also grow herbs on your windowsill.

Some summer-friendly vegetable ideas include:

• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Capsicums
• Zucchini
• Rocket

As for herbs, consider these:

• Basil
• Coriander
• Mint
• Parsley

P.S: would you be interested in a Gardening workshop? Helping Solutions is looking at hosting a variety of workshops throughout 2025 for NDIS Participants. To get notified of our upcoming events follow us on Eventbrite.

4) Attend Fringe events

Fringe festival is back in Perth from 17^th January to 16^th February. Best of all, there are a range of accessible events that have been adapted to accommodate various needs—and you can even bring a support person along!

This year Fringe is offering:

• Auslan Interpreted Sessions (including The Laugh Resort 9 at 9 and Bubble Show in Space).
• Relaxed Performances (including The Amazing Human Adventure and Bubba-Licious).
• Audio Described Sessions and Tactile/Touch Tours (including Level Up and An Evening Without Kate Bush).
• Open and Closed Captioning (including Bogan Shakespeare Presents: Romeo & Juliet 10 Year Anniversary Special).

Information about all of Fringe’s accessible events (including how to access tickets, communicate your needs to staff, view individual venue accessibility and acquire a companion card for a carer or support worker) can be found here.

5) Join a local sports club

There are lots of local sports groups and programs around Perth that offer adjusted sports activities, allowing you to get active, meet new people and enjoy the summer weather.

Here are some programs that may interest you:

• Horse Riding – Riding for the Disabled Association of Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that caters to equestrian activities for individuals with disabilities.
• Fishing – Fishability helps individuals with disabilities enjoy recreation jetty and vessel-based fishing.
• Football – WAPFA is a community based, non-profit organisation that offers powerchair football (a modified version of soccer) to those in electric wheelchairs.
• Bowls – BowlAbility currently runs an inclusive bowls program for individuals with disabilities.
• Mountain Biking – Break the Boundary provides adapted, off-road cycling and hiking opportunities for individuals living with disabilities.
• Sailing – Sailability WA offers supported sailing for individuals living with disabilities.

You may also like: Learn to sail with SailAbility WA

Tell us which 2025 workshops you would like to get involved in!

Enjoying this article and want to participate in more activities this year?

Helping Solutions is looking at hosting a variety of workshops throughout 2025 for NDIS Participants. Click here to have your say and signup to be notified of upcoming events.

6) Visit a night market

Summer is one of the most popular times of the year for local markets to spring up all over Perth, giving you endless options to choose from. Plus, it’s a great way to spend time with friends, try new foods, and enjoy some live music!

A full list of both day and night markets can be found here. However, those wanting to escape the heat with a summer evening stroll may enjoy the following markets:

• Twilight Food Market – try a wide variety of affordable cuisines from different cultures. This market is highly accessible, with a wheelchair friendly venue, assistance available, and an accessible toilet provided. Rock up anytime from 4:30pm onwards on a Friday and enjoy!
• Subi Night Market – starting at 5pm on Saturdays, this market is close to public transport routes and offers food, fashion and artisan craft stalls. Accessible toilets are available at Subiaco Oval as well as Subiaco Square Road, which are both located near the market.
• Scarborough Sunset Markets – with a huge range of food and retail options, this vibrant market kicks off every Thursday from 5pm. Disability parking is located in the northern and southern carparks, offering direct wheelchair access to the markets. There are also accessible toilets across from the market.

Supporting you to achieve your goals in 2025

At Helping Solutions, we’re ready to support you to engage and connect with your community.

If your 2025 goals include increasing your independence, building your support network, and accessing the community with more ease, our Community Participation supports can help. Get in touch today to learn more and get started.