When hot weather strikes it signals fun, longer days and pretty summer outfits. But as parents heatwaves are also tricky because keeping babies and toddlers cool can be a worry.
During the daytime, you need to protect their delicate, sensitive skin from the sun, then at night you want to keep them cool so that they can sleep well, and safely.
Of course in the summer you want to make the most of all that gorgeous sunshine with your child, so it’s good to be aware of all the things you can do to keep your little one safe and cool in a heatwave so that you can just enjoy the fine weather.
It’s a delicate balancing act during the summer. I remember being worried to take my first baby out at all during the hottest days of the year when it hit 30C.
I worried her pale skin would burn or that the heat would be too uncomfortable for her.
Now a few years on, I’m much more relaxed about going out in summer, and I know it’s just a matter of being prepared and avoiding direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day.
When it comes to more extreme weather – which in the UK is anything around the mid 30sC – there are some additional precautions to take.
We are seeing an increasing number of unusually hot days in the UK, the type of heat our homes are not equipped for and we generally are not used to.
So during the summer it’s important to keep an eye on forecasts, and plan accordingly. Keeping a baby or toddler cool in a heatwave is a little more challenging.
I just make sure I think ahead and pick where we go to enjoy the sun very carefully, so that we always have shady spots to cool down. If it’s going to be extremely hot (over mid 30s), I avoid going out at all.
One of the toughest things about summer for me is the hot nights. In the UK we have no air conditioning as standard in our homes, so we often have bedrooms that are in the mid 20s in the night.
Not only does this make the kids restless, and hard to settle in the heat, but when my children were babies I worried about the risk of them overheating.
But please don’t panic, as there are lots of things you can do to keep your child cool, both in the daytime and at night so that they get a good night’s sleep.
Here are my top tips for keeping babies and toddlers cool in the hot summer months, including one thing you should never do with your baby in the heat.
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Keeping babies and toddlers cool during the day
Look at the forecast
First of all look at the weather forecast. What is the high temperature for the day ahead, is a heatwave forecast?
An average summer temperature of 24C to 25C will be much easier to cope with outside, and especially inside, compared to highs in the 30s.
If there is an extreme heat warning then consider sticking to indoor activities for the day. A soft play centre that has air conditioning could be a good option!
Strip them down to their nappy
You might have lots of great summer clothes, but sometimes just stripping them off can be the best thing. Be careful if you’re outside and make sure they have plenty of suncream on and are in the shade.
I would often strip my kids down to their nappies when they are playing indoors.
If they have gotten really warm then try giving them a damp lukewarm or cool washcloth to play with. Dab them gently on the tummy and forehead to give them a little relief.
But keep their skin covered in sunlight
Stripping down to nappy has huge advantages for keeping babies cool, but this also exposes a lot more skin.
In general, the best defence against sunburn is to cover the skin, so if you are abroad in a very intense climate or at home during a heatwave, light clothing that covers them up is best.
So if you’re in direct sunlight stick to light layers that cover areas that are particularly prone to burning. This may include their scalp, shoulders and back of the neck.
For playing in paddling pools or in the sea you can get swimsuits that provide extra coverage over the shoulders, arms and legs to protect their skin from the sun.
Buy a sun hat with wide brim that covers their neck too. If you’re taking your child swimming outdoors you can buy waterproof hats that go with swimwear.
Light clothing is best to help keep their temperature comfortable.
Keep bath temperatures warm but not hot
A stone cold bath is not the answer, but keeping baths a degree or two cooler than normal can help to make your little one more comfortable.
A cold bath will just lead to tears. Also, really cold water encourages the body to warm itself, so it’s actually counter-productive.
You may find it easier to avoid the bath altogether, and just give your child a wash with a flannel before bedtime. This may prove to be much more cooling for them.
You may find a warm shower for your baby or toddler is easier for rinsing them off on hot days.
Make ice lollies
Buy or make ice lollies for your child to eat. This can be a fun summer activities. All you need is either a cheap lolly mould from somewhere like Lakeland or Tesco and some fruit juice.
You could also make flavoured ice cubes and pop them into a small or large tray then let your child play with them.
Make your own frozen breastmilk popsicles
Making breastmilk popsicles is a great way to help keep your breastfed baby hydrated and cool.
Express some breastmilk, pop it in an ice cube tray or lolly mould, freeze, then serve.
NEVER cover the buggy with a blanket
You do want shade for your baby during the summer and the hoods of buggies never quite seem to create enough of it.
But don’t be tempted to cover the buggy with a blanket to create more shade. This can actually trap heat where your baby is sitting and be quite dangerous.
A test where a buggy was covered had the following results:
Without a cover: The temperature inside a buggy left out in the heat was 22C.
With a thin cover: In 30 minutes, the temperature rose to 34C. And after an hour, it was at 37C.
Invest in a parasol for your buggy, or avoid going away from shady spots between midday and 2pm on very hot days.
Offer extra water
Babies get all of the hydration they need from breast or formula milk. Offer extra breastfeeds if your baby needs it – follow their cues and take the lead from them.
However at six months if you think they need a little extra water then offer them some water – you can use water straight from the tap at six months according to NHS advice.
For toddlers always have water with you and offer it frequently when you’re out and about. Remind them to have a sip of water every now and then, because in the fun of playtime they often forget.
Add ice to help them cool down!
Stay safe at the beach with a UV tent
Day trips to the beach are one of the best bits of summer! But beaches don’t have much shade. Create your own by taking a parasol or windbreaker or better yet try a UV baby tent.
These are brilliant for having somewhere to put down your baby for a nap where you know they will be safe from the sun’s rays.
If your child is going to be splashing in the water, remember to keep applying suncream every couple of hours. Even the waterproof stuff needs topping up!
When packing the bag take a hat, a swimming outfit that covers their shoulders and arms for extra protection, baby-friendly suncream, lots of water and sunglasses.
Keep them in the shade
Keeping your child out of direct sunlight is one of the simplest ways of keeping them cool.
If you’re enjoying a day trip then take a parasol that you can fit to the buggy to keep baby in the shade as much as possible. Seek out shady spots in the hottest part of the day.
Play with ice
This is such a fun activity and great for keeping your child cool.
Simply get some ice cubes from your freezer and pop them into a large container (possibly a paddling pool if you have one, but a bucket is best for small kids as you don’t want them climbing in and getting too cold in the ice bath) and fill with a little water.
Then let your child play with the ice using their hands or a bucket to scoop it out.
You could add some food colouring to the ice cubes to make them different colours, which will be exciting for little ones as they can sort them out into different colour pots.
You can also try freezing child-friendly paint.
Be suncream aware
Not all suncreams are created equally! It’s not just SPF that you need to be looking at but the UVA star rating as well. Four out of five stars plus is the ideal that you want to be getting.
Buy child-specific suncream and make sure you cover every bit of bare skin. You may find it easier to put the cream on before you get them dressed.
If your child has eczema or particularly sensitive skin then look for a brand for kids that’s targeted at sensitive skin.
Open the loft hatch
During a heatwave my house heats up over the course of several days. This cumulative effect can make it very difficult to make the house cool, even in the evenings.
Opening the loft hatch gives the heat somewhere to escape, as it travels upwards. This can help to cool the house down.
Try a water spray bottle
Keep some water in a spray bottle and gently mist your child every now and then.
This is particularly useful when you cannot even escape the heat when indoors.
Chill some towels
Take a towel or washcloth, wet it and then wring it out thoroughly. Next pop it into a bag and place that in the freezer.
Give it to your child if they have become too hot and need to cool down. It will provide some temporary relief!
Keeping babies and toddlers cool at night
Know the room temperature
Knowing the temperature of the room where your child is sleeping will help you decide how to dress them.
In very high temperatures – more than 25C – then putting your baby down in just a nappy is fine. But when you are hovering between 19C and 23C you may be a little unsure about what will keep them most comfortable for the entire night.
The temperature of a room is likely to drop over the course of the night. So what a thermometer can help you do is decide how to dress your baby when they go to bed, and then when you come to go to sleep later you can check the thermometer and add a blanket for your baby if it has dropped.
I have a GroEgg in each of my children’s rooms and I thoroughly recommend it.
The Gro Company has a fab graphic telling you what your child could wear to keep them cool at night with sleeping bags depending on the temperature.
Try to keep the heat out of your child’s bedroom
To keep your child’s bedroom as cool as possible at night, start in the mornings by opening out the windows wide.
This will be the time of day when the heat is least intense.
Once the day heats up, by around midday, close the windows and shut curtains in the bedroom. This can help to keep the heat out of the room. By shutting the curtains you’re preventing the intensity of the sun from shining into the room and heating it up.
Once the evening begins to turn cooler, then open the windows up again.
Be sure to keep their bedroom door open too, to allow as much air to circulate as possible.
Don’t be afraid to put them down in just a nappy
When I put my kids down at night and it’s 25C plus, I tend to just put them in a nappy and cover them with a light blanket.
Otherwise I have used short pyjamas for both children and a one tog sleeping bag when my youngest was under 18 months which I used in temperatures of 20C plus.
Check on your child’s bedroom just before you go to bed, as you may find the temperature has dropped dramatically. Have light blankets on standby so that you can cover them up in case you’re worried they will get cold as the night goes on.
In really hot weather you could just use a giant muslin as a blanket to provide them some cover.
Mist them with water
With toddlers you can try either dabbing them with a damp wash cloth that leaves their skin just a little wet as they lay in bed. This helps to cool the skin immediately, especially if a small breeze is coming in through the window, and can help them feel more comfortable.
You could also try popping some water in a small spray bottle and setting it to a fine mist. This works great during the day too if your child is struggling to stay cool.
Damping the skin has an immediate cooling effect as the water evaporates.
Leave a window open
Remember to only leave it open a crack and if you do this with your toddler, get some window safety limiters that stop them from pushing the window open any wider and potentially having a nasty accident.
Get fans
Having a small fan in the room can really help. Don’t have it pointing directly at your child all night as you’ll find they will get chilly in the night in a direct breeze.
Some people also swear by putting large bottles of frozen water in front of the fan to cool the room.
I tried this a few times and to be honest, it didn’t do much for us. However it was nice to have the icy bottle of water to touch against my forehead when I was feeding my baby!
I personally favour tower fans if you have the space as these really cool you down when you’re in bed on a hot night.
Chill the bedding
Pop their bedding into a plastic bag and put that into the fridge for the day. Then make the bed just as you are about to put them down for sleep at night.
It won’t stay cold for long once it will feel nice for them in the first few minutes of being put down to sleep and may help them settle.
Move their bed
If downstairs is cooler, then consider moving their Moses basket or cot from their bedroom.
We find that our living room is often the coolest place in summer. Your kids may be excited to have a sleepover in another room!
I hope these tips were useful and give you lots of ideas for keeping your baby cool during the summer.
For me the most important tip is to be sunscreen aware. Pick the right product with a high UVA rating and apply it regularly. I have a whole post about sunscreen and how to pick the best product.
Related post: How to help your baby sleep in hot weather
Enjoy your summer!
