Keeping Kids Cool When the Heat Is On
By Brisbane Blogger SquiggleMum
I love Brisbane summer. Sunshine, fresh air, swimming, bbq dinners, mango, cicadas, and balmy evenings. Bliss. But then there are those other summer days. You know the ones… days with temperatures over 35 degrees – resulting in little ones who can’t sleep, toddlers who are hot and cranky, cars that are unbearable to climb into, and air conditioners running on overdrive. Yick.
It’s tempting to just crank the aircon and put the tv on, but it won’t do you any favours in the long run. Kids have energy to burn, and they are happiest (and healthiest) when they are busy making, doing, playing and learning. And if you have a run of hot days, the tv will lose its charm pretty quickly! So before you reach for the remote, try some of these ideas to beat the heat.
Here are ten ways to keep your kids cool on those stinking hot days:
- Frozen fruit – prepare for hot days by freezing some fruit the night before. Bananas make great natural ice blocks. Peel, cut in half, insert a popstick and freeze. Frozen grapes are a great snack for older kids. Watermelon stars are a real treat too. Cut a slice of watermelon, then use biscuit cutters to press out stars (or other shapes).
- Early outdoor play - the temperature is usually coolest first thing in the morning, so head outside early for outdoor play. Let the kids have a good run around and burn off some energy before the heat becomes too sapping. Remember to slip, slop, slap as even at 8am the sun can burn.
- Washing – most young children actually love helping with ‘real’ jobs. Set up a bucket of water with a little detergent, and ask your child to wash the plasticware from the kitchen or the playdough toys. Some kids will enjoying washing doll or bear clothes too.
- Cold cooking – the last thing you want to do on a hot day is turn on the oven, so opt instead for no-bake recipes. Cups of jelly are fun to make too.
- Swimming – visit friends who have a backyard pool (and take some of that cold cooking with you!) Visitalocalpoolinyourarea. Paddle in a clam shell, inflatable paddle pool or large tub. Kids only need a few inches of water to splash in! If all else fails, run a cold bath.
- Midday air con - early afternoon is usually the hottest part of the day, so this is the time to make use of air con if you have it. Time for quiet indoorfun. Puzzles, cubby houses, dressups, box construction, lego, art… whatever best suits your child.
- Ice scapes – freeze bowls and containers of water to make blocks of ice. Set them up as ‘mountains’ in a tray or container. Add small plastic animals, dinosaurs or figurines for adventurous sensory play. (This is my kids’ favourite activity on really hot days!)
- Smoothies – Blend a half-half mix of ice cubes and fresh fruit, adding a little fruit juice as needed to make it smooth. Great for afternoon tea!
- Free water play – Kids are great at making their own fun, and it’s important that they do so for their developing independence. Let them do their own thing with containers of water outside in the late afternoon. Put out some kitchen items such as funnels, cups and whisks. Try punching a few holes into the bottom of empty plastic bottles for extra fun, or let them loose with spray bottles. Remind your kids of any household rules to do with water play, then step back and let them get wet.
- Cool sleep time – if there isn’t an afternoon storm, and the temperature doesn’t drop, you may find it hard to get your kids to sleep. It can be helpful to put them down straight after a cool (not cold) bath. Try letting your child take a cold or even frozen face washer to bed. Make sure they aren’t wearing synthetic materials, and ensure kids have a water bottle.
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Catherine Oehlman (aka SquiggleMum) is a Brisbane mother, teacher, writer, picture book lover, outdoor play advocate, and self confessed bird-nerd. You can find Cath squiggling about topics close to her heart online and in print, or catch her weekly on Brisbane family radio station 96Five. Drop by and say hi on her facebook page, twitter account or award winning blog.
