Five tips to keep your kids cool in a heatwave

Five tips to keep your kids cool in a heatwaveImage source, Getty ImagesByPhilippa RoxbyPublished19 June 2026It's hot, everyone's grumbling and nobody in your house can sleep - which means summer has officially arrived. Temperatures will increase significantly in the next few days and could hit 40C in places by Wednesday and Thursday.Whether you are staying at home or planning a holiday abroad, battling the heat can be hard - especially for babies and young children. Their bodies heat up more quickly than adults' and they sweat less, making it more difficult for them to cool down. So here are some hacks to keep your kids cool and safe - this summer and beyond.1. Boost water intake through foodGetting kids to drink water can be a thankless task - they would often rather do anything else. But the answer could be in foods that contain lots of water.From 12 months old, try frozen lollies made from plain water or very diluted fruit juice.For older kids, ramp up fruit intake - particularly juicy fruit, such as watermelon and oranges.Eating salad, ice cream, jelly and soup are all good sources of water too.Babies who breastfeed should get all the water they need from breast milk and don not need any extra, the NHS says - but they may want to feed more than normal.If feeding your baby formula, you can give them a little cooled boiled water as well as their usual feeds.2. Do not rely on once-a-day sunscreenOnce-a-day sunscreens overpromise and rarely last as long as they claim to, experts warn.And even if sunscreen is described as "water repellent" or "water resistant", it should still be reapplied after swimming. Towel drying and sweat may have rubbed it off.Look for two things when buying your sunscreen: the sun protection factor or SPF, ranging from 2 to 50+, and the star rating on the bottle.The advice is to smother your child with at least SPF 30 and four stars, about 30 minutes before you go outside. Then reapply every two hours while...