Kids love the sun in the summertime; they can get outside, run around, use the pool and generally get up to all sort of mischief. But it’s important that they don’t overheat or get dehydrated. To keep your kids healthy in the summer heat, follow my tips below.
Cold Drinks
Of course in the summer, one thing that you should do is provide plenty of drinks for your little ones in the hot weather. They will need to drink more than normal as sweating dehydrates the body.
There is some debate about the sort of drink that are suitable for kids. While some moms will only allow the littles ones bottled water. Others believe it’s fine to give them natural fruit juices too. Don’t give them soda every time as it so full of sugar and other chemicals. Having said that the occasional sugary drink could help with energy levels if your kids do get a bit dehydrated. But it’s best to try and avoid this in the first place.
Recipe:
Check out this healthy sugar-free kompot recipe for kids inspired by Eastern European countries. Kompot is usually made by cooking one or several different kinds of fruits and berries together with sugar in a large amount of water, but this sugar-free version is a win for parents.
Water Filled Food
Another good way of sneaking some hydration into them and cooling them down on hot summer days is to provide snack food with a high liquid content. Home made ice lollies or yogurt pops work well. You can also try cucumber and carrot sticks kept in the fridge for a refreshing and healthy snack.
Sunshades
It’s imperative that your little ones have shaded areas to retreat to when they are playing outside. Make sure that they know to come and spend some time in the shade when they feel too hot or the sun is high in the sky. They should also be wearing a high factor sunscreen. Try the once a day brands to save you the time and hassle of putting in on every time they get out of the pool.
Keeping Cool Indoors
Hot days can still get to the kids, even if you stay indoors. Tinted windows can help reduce some of the sun’s glare and stop you house getting too warm in the height of summer. You can also read tips on how to cool a room with no windows.
It’s also vital to make sure your air conditioning system is working properly. Get a trusted air conditioning company to service your system at the beginning of summer so you know you’ll be good to go for the whole season.
Beach Days
Whether you take a quick trip to a local river, lake or the ocean, a beach day is always a good time. My girls love to build sand castles and splash around, no matter how cold the water might be. Pack a picnic lunch, a cooler full of drinks and a couple of beach blankets. It doesn’t need to be fancy, but get out and enjoy some family time.
Swimming Pools and Water Toys
Lastly, but certainly not least. Swimming or paddling pools are a great way of keeping the kids cool in the summer. Throw some fun water toys in the mix and your kids will forget there were ever hot. The water is refreshing, and kids can have endless hours of fun swimming, jumping and playing. If you are not lucky enough to have a sunken swimming pool, you can buy inflatable above ground ones that will fit the whole family. Or you could go for a child sized paddling pool to splash about in.
Make sure that your kids are always supervised around water. For those that are too little to swim independently use a pool float with a shade so that they can enjoy the water, without the risk of sunburn.
Excellent tips. I love swimming and think all kids should be taught to swim at an early age.
slehan at juno dot com
I do like all of these ideas! Sometimes it is not easy keeping cool in the 90 degree heat! The photos are wonderful.
twinkle at optonline dot net