Hydration Toddlers
Hydration Toddlers and preschool children cannot regulate their body temperatures well and need additional water when the weather is hot. Provide regularly scheduled water breaks to encourage all children to drink during active play, even if they don’t feel thirsty. Fluoridated water (bottled or from the faucet) can reduce the risk of early childhood caries, and is the best drink choice for young children in between meals. Each child should be provided their own cup or bottle. Staff may offer additional breast milk or formula to infants as water is not recommended, especially for infants younger than six months of age.
Weather Teachers should be aware of local weather conditions and monitor the temperature, humidity, and air quality. To stay up to date on current conditions:
Check the Air Quality Index and limit play outdoors when there is poor air quality.
Check the forecast for the UV Index to limit exposure to the sun on days when the Index is high.
Check current and forecasted weather to be aware of the temperature and other weather conditions that may make the outdoors hazardous to children’s health.
The charts in Figure 4.8 are from the Iowa Department of Public Health’s Child Care Weather Watch that will help you protect children from extreme temperatures.
