Summer vacation is an awesome opportunity for your kids to have healthy and nurturing experiences outside of the confines of school. There are countless benefits to letting your kids run around outside and even play in the dirt.
The hottest season of the year also comes with some unique concerns when it comes to the health of your children. Dehydration, ticks, poison ivy, and sunburn are all potential threats lurking on the sidelines of your summer vacation.
Do you want to make sure your kids have a great time and stay healthy and safe this summer?
Let’s take a look at ten healthy summer tips.
1. Stay Hydrated
Your kids should be drinking at least eight 8 oz glasses of water every single day. Staying hydrated is an essential piece of your kids’ overall health and an important component of how to prevent infection when your kid is running around with friends.
While they may beg to drink soda and only soda on those scorchers, make sure that they have plenty of healthy drink options to choose from. When healthier choices are right there in front of them, like coconut water, herbal ice tea, and naturally flavored water, they’ll be more likely to go for something less sugary!
2. Schedule Your Check-Ups and Vaccinations
While school is out, it’s a great time to schedule routine preventative services like check-ups, eye exams, and dental exams. You’ll beat the crowd before the school year when you get on top of this towards the beginning of the summer. You and your family will be lounging by the pool while other families will be engaging in a hectic last-minute rush!
3. Keep the Ticks and Mosquitoes Away
Summer is incredible: the feeling of the sun on your skin, the smell of fresh-cut grass, and the temptation of spending the day throwing water balloons at each other. One of the less awesome aspects of summer, though, are those pesky critters.
There are a number of repellents and sprays you can use to try and keep mosquitoes at bay. As far as ticks go, you’ll want to check your kids for ticks when they come back inside and remove them properly if you find any. You’ll want to check extra thoroughly if your kid has been playing in wooded areas, tall grasses, or places where it’s heavily leafed.
4. Get Moving!
Getting up and doing some physical activity for at least sixty minutes every day can help your kids improve their heart health, balance, bone health, immune system, mood, and so much more!
While there’s something to be said for taking a lazy summer day every once in a while, there’s no reason everyone should be sitting inside looking at screens all day.
Summer is great because there are so many fun outdoor summer activities kids can do where they’ll have a blast and they’ll get exercise. Whether you head to the local sports fields, public swimming pool, playgrounds, or just go right out in your own backyard, get a game going and let the fun begin!
5. Provide Healthy Snacks and Meals
Don’t let summer meals be made up of junky snacks! Consider meal planning and prepping healthy, delicious summer meals that keep the whole family healthier.
6. Keep a Set Schedule
It’s really easy for schedules to disappear during the summer, with the whole season becoming a series of formless days that melt into one another.
It’s important to make sure that your childrens’ days still have some structure during the summer. Plus, if you have a set time every day that the family runs around outside and gets some exercise, you’ll probably experience a lot less kicking and screaming along the way since everyone will have become comfortable with the pattern.
On top of that, kids’ sleep schedules can start to get pretty crazy during the summer. It’s best for their health (and your health!) to keep set sleep and wake-up times. Getting enough sleep is one of the most important things that we, children and adults alike, can do for our overall health.
7. Plan Outings
One of the best things about summer is how open your kids’ schedule is. However, rather than letting the summer slowly fade away, plan some fun outings for the whole family to share experiences together!
Even with the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, there are plenty of fun summer activities that you and your family can do together.
Whether you decide you’re going to check out all of the local parks over the course of the summer, head to the beach, explore regional museums, or take some road trips, take advantage of the time your kids are out of school to spend some quality time exploring together!
Giving your kids a wide variety of experiences can help them mature and grow in positive directions. Gifts of experiences and memories are often remembered long after physical presents are forgotten.
8. Limit Screen Time
No need to beat a dead horse, but don’t let your family spend the whole summer staring at a screen. Consider tracking the amount of time your family spends outside versus their screen time.
9. Master Water Safety
Swimming is one of the great joys of summer, plus it’s a super fun way for the whole family to get exercise. However, you’ll want to make sure there is always a parent or caregiver supervising them whenever kids are anywhere near the water.
10. Plan Activities That Keep Everyone Cool
Getting some vitamin D can be great, but it’s easy to overdo it. In the heat of the summer, consider doing outdoor summer activities in the morning or late afternoon rather than midday. Keep a running list of cooling activities when you just can’t beat the heat, such as swimming, water balloons, or a hike in a shady forest.
Check out this article to learn more about protecting your kids from the intense heat of the sun.
These Healthy Summer Tips Help You Balance Health, Safety, and Fun!
There’s no reason this summer can’t be your family’s most fun summer to date. When you have an arsenal of healthy summer tips up your sleeve, you can feel confident that you’re prioritizing the health and safety of your children while also letting them run around like the little rascals they are.
If your child is in need of urgent pediatric care, we’re eager to help. El Paso Family & Pediatric Clinic walk-in clinic is here to tend to the immediate needs of your kid, so they can get back to playing outside as soon as possible!
It is time for your kids to have a check-up before summer starts? Contact our office today!