1.  Ice, Ice, Baby at the Absolut IceBar
Nothing cools you down on a hot day like a chilled drink. And venues don’t come much more chilled than the Absolut IceBar! Everything in the bar – the walls, tables, chairs and even the cocktail glasses ­- is made of ice. (Don’t worry – you get given a thermal cape thingy so you don’t get hypothermia!) And to keep things fresh, the bar is redesigned with a completely new theme every six months. Cool!

2.  Stroke of Genius at The Berkeley
Acrophobic (scared of heights)? Aquaphobic (afraid of water)? It’s probably best you don’t read on: the two are combined to spectacular effect at the rooftop pool at The Berkeley. Between doggy-paddles, you can take in gob-smacking views over Knightsbridge and Hyde Park as part of a half-day or full-day package at the hotel’s Health Club & Spa. And when the sun’s out, they even retract the roof so you can top up your tan.

3.  Speed Boat on the Thames: Sorted for Breeze and Whizz
LondonEyeStPaul’sCathedralTateModernTowerBridge…! Yes, a voyage on a high-speed RIB (rigid inflatable boat) is without a doubt the fastest, most exhilarating tour of London’s sights! If you have false teeth, make sure they’re securely fastened as you whizz up the Thames, James Bond-style, with the cool breeze whistling through your hair. The fully guided tours – you can choose between the Canary Wharf Experience and the Thames Barrier Experience – last around 50 minutes. That’s your lunch hour sorted, then!

4.  Fortnum & Mason: Sundae Service
Back in the day, summer just wasn’t summer without a Screwball from the ice-cream van! But things have moved on since then, and now London’s eateries are serving up all manner of weird and wonderful ice creams and sorbets. Take the Parlour Restaurant at Fortnum & Mason, where you can cool down with treats such as the Lazy Sundae Afternoon (see what they did there?). It’s basically fresh strawberries with vanilla bean, crushed meringue, frosted strawberry and shortbread ice creams, strawberry coulis and – wait for it – 12-year-old balsamic vinegar. It shouldn’t work but it definitely does!

5.  It’s Great to Skate at Queens in Bayswater
It baffles me why ice-skating is a winter sport. The last thing you want on a freezing cold day is to end up pirouetting on your rear. In the summer, however, nothing could be more welcome! So head down to Queens London Ice Skating and Bowling in Bayswater, where you can attempt Torvill & Dean’s Bolero to the accompaniment of a state-of-the-art sound and light system. If you don’t quite pull it off, the venue offers classes to turn you into a pro!

Let us know if you have any other inventive ways to keep cool in London…

Dance under the stars!
Being that I dance like a turkey with stomach ache, I find solace in the obscurity of a dark dancefloor. But London’s more confident clubbers are shedding their skins and hitting the great outdoors. Yes, superclubs such as Egg and Ministry of Sound are celebrating the summer with huge sun terraces where night owls can sip mojitos, jig among tropical plants and generally imagine they’re in Ibiza (well, there is a credit crunch, you know). I just hope airline pilots don’t mistake those glow sticks for landing lights…

Broadwalk bonanza!
The Drifters once sang about having some fun under the boardwalk (ask your mum and dad). Well, it turns out you can have just as much fun at The Broadwalk! That particular corner of Regent’s Park plays host to two brilliant outdoor dance gatherings over the summer - Broadwalk Ballroom and Tango Al Fresco. The drill is simple: learn the moves, absorb the finesse of the guest demonstrators (more often than not former Strictly Come Dancing stars), then pretend you’re from the cast of Dirty Dancing. Corny ‘Nobody puts Baby in the corner’ lines optional.

Fantastic Four!
With such dinosaurs as Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Crosby, Stills & Nash on the bill, Glastonbury 2009 could be renamed Jurassic Park 4. Promising to be slightly less arthritic (and certainly closer) is August Bank Holiday’s South West Four dance extravaganza on Clapham Common. With the likes of Sasha, John Digweed, David Guetta and Eric Prydz (yes, the one with the pervy aerobics video) on the bill, you’ll be swaying in time with the trees.

A different class!
What could be more aspirational for a wannabe dancer than taking classes across the road from the Royal Albert Hall? That’s the prospect on offer at Summer of Dance Outdoors - a group that meets every Wednesday evening (6.30pm) next to the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park. Expect jazzy funk with some Caribbean modern – and to get beeped by plenty of passing motorists!

Become a flasher!
You’ve seen the T-Mobile TV ad. You know, the one where hundreds of commuters at Liverpool Street station, without warning and exactly the same time, make like they have ants in their pants. These synchronised acts of tomfoolery are called flashmobs have become mainstream and are open to anyone with a sense of fun (and possibly too much time on their hands). They can involve anything from standing completely still to performing a victory dance at Wimbledon to encourage the British tennis players (a miracle dance might be more appropriate).

Do you know of other outdoor strutting arenas?