Keeping kids cool in a heatwave

Since last week the temperatures have been rising with summer well and truly on its way! This weekend temperatures hit 30 degrees here in Bristol! It seems all across the country temperatures have been soaring and it can be unbearable when it gets too hot, especially for kids!

With that in mind I have joined up with some great bloggers to share some of our top tips for keeping kids cool in a heat wave -

Bedtime can be a real pain at the best of times but in the heat and bedtime becomes impossible. I really can't blame the kids for struggling to sleep in the heat as I do too but I have found that using ice packs can help a little. I use the ice packs you can buy for picnic bags etc (the thin blue ones) and freeze as many as I can during the day. I then place each one inside a sandwich bag and place them inside the bed about 45-60 minutes before the kids are going up to bed. The sandwich bags stop them from getting the sheets wet but it leaves the pillows and sheets lovely and cold when they get into bed, making it a little easier to settle.

Sophie from Sophie and Lily and Elizabeth from Where roots and wings entwine are both big fans of making ice lollies to keep their little ones cool. Sophie suggested using fruit to keep the ice lollies healthy which is a fab idea. Elizabeth also had a great idea of freezing breast milk and making them into little lollies if you are breastfeeding which is such a sweet idea.

Lianne from Anklebiters Adventures suggested using the water spray bottles filled with cold water and letting the kids spray themselves to keep cool. Which sounds like a great idea to me, James also likes the handheld fans you can buy which are handy especially in a hot car. I found these funky fans which combine the water spray bottle and a handheld fan in one in Argos, they look like they would do a great job at keeping you cool!

Vikki from Family Travel with Ellie suggested hanging a damp cloth a safe distance from the fan if you have one in the room, this ensures all the air circulated is nice and cool which definitely would help keep the room nice and cool.

Emma from Me and B make tea has a super fun suggestion of freezing toys into blocks ice, not only keeping them cool when handling the ice but keeping them entertained trying to break their toys out too. I love this idea and will definitely be giving it a try with James and Evelyn.

During the summer months my fridge is usually packed with more non edibles that food! Keeping things such as baby wipes, after sun, moisturisers, even t-shirts and shorts can make them really refreshing to use especially when its boiling outside. The kids love finding their cold pjs in the fridge to slip on before they for to bed!

I also love Donna from Bobsy's Mum suggestion of frozen Frubes! I best these taste delicious, would cool you down and very little mess as they are in the tubes! Will definitely be giving these a try.

Finally... you can't go wrong with a paddling pool! My son loves it when he comes home from a hot day at school and finds the paddling pool up in the garden ready for him to dive in to! It instantly cools him off and is lots of fun too, just don't forget the sun cream.

Do you have any top tips for keeping the kids (or even us grown ups) cool during these hot summer months and unbearable heat waves? I would love to hear them in the comments below!

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