With many expat families on vacation, play dates and visits to friends’ houses have become increasingly sparse. In fact, many of my son’s friends will be gone for the entire summer, which has me wondering: how in the world am I to survive the next five weeks?

Since my son is still on the young side, regular treasure hunts in our nearby park have proved quite fun. Each time, I make a map containing pictures of items I think we might find as we walk. Taking into account the heat, we meandered at a leisurely pace while observing our surroundings and hunting for hidden treasures. We stop often to talk about the items we pass, making this a fantastic activity for increasing my son’s vocabulary while learning about the environment.

On super steamy days, my son and I like to get creative in the kitchen. I start by asking him to name a country—perhaps where his best friend is from—and then together, we search for dishes belonging to that country for us to make. Next, we’ll trawl the markets for ingredients, prepare the food and then invite whoever’s around over for a taste test. Sometimes we even dress up in the country’s national colors.

Recently, I’ve been considering taking my son to Thread Art Gallery to attend one of the art courses on offer. The age-appropriate courses aim to help kids develop their creative skills by employing various mediums like pastels and oil paints. Prices start from ¥180 for a one-hour class. For more information, contact threadgallery@vip.sina.com.

I’m also in the middle of planning a day trip to the outskirts of Beijing for a quasi-vacation. On my shortlist of places to go is the serene and picturesque village of Huangyankou, located about 90 minutes away by car. Here, you’ll find Shan Li Retreats, a new hotel offering simple and modern living against a backdrop of breathtaking valleys. I’ve been told that a small animal farm is currently in the works, so I may actually hold off a little while longer before heading out there.

So, for those of us left behind this summer, fear not: there are plenty of activities right here on our doorstep that will enable us to swap stories once our friends return.