How to Keep Your Kids Cool as Classes are Cancelled in Extreme Heat

The Met Office has issued its first ever ‘red-warning’ for the extreme heat early this week, reaching record highs of 40C degrees, causing some schools throughout the UK to shut down to protect students and staff. With the heat posing a real threat to people’s safety, especially children who pose a higher risk for heatstroke than adults according to the NHS, parents are charged with the task of making sure their children are not only sticking to their studies – but keeping cool and collected in record breaking heat. MyTutor, the UK’s most trusted tutoring platform, are experts in keeping comfortable while remote studying, and share their tips on creative ways to beat the heat while pushing through the last week of school.

Make sure they always have water with them
While they’re studying, make sure your child always has water with them. Keeping hydrated in the heat is crucial to fight heatstroke, heat exhaustion, and dehydration. It’s all too easy to feel as though we’re drinking litres of water whilst takings small sips but in reality, sometimes this only equates to a glass or so a day. According to research from MyTutor, 45% of brits only drink about one glass of water a day, which is nowhere near enough in the soaring temperatures the UK is experiencing. Carrying a water bottle and setting a goal of how many of these you are drinking throughout the day ensures that this does not happen. Remember, in the extreme heat kids are losing more water through sweat, so it’s a good idea to monitor how much they are drinking and throw in an ice cube or two to cool them down.

Use water in creative ways
Water can be used to stay cool in the heat apart from just consuming it. The WHO suggests hanging up damp towels around the room as your child is studying. Though they may increase the humidity, wet towels will help cool the air as the water evaporates from them. You can also throw some tea towels in the freezer and hang them around your shoulders, this also works for clothes. Another useful tip is taking a cold shower or bath during a study break – or filling the tub with cold water while flipping through textbooks.

Regulate that temperature
There are key points on the body that act as temperature regulators to keep you cool throughout the day. Applying cold water or ice to places where the veins are close to the surface – such as the wrists, neck, chest, feet, and temples – can lower the temperature of the blood running through the body, making you feel cooler! Freezing an ice pack and applying it to these strategic points will work wonders while sitting at a desk, or why not fill a bucket with cool water and have your child study while having their feet cool off in an ice bath.

Watch TV while cooling off and learn if classes are cancelled
If your child is too hot to sit at a desk and study – turn on the TV! This may seem counterproductive, but in all seriousness, watching shows and films that relate back to what they’re studying in school can help keep your teen’s brain engaged this summer – without them feeling as if they’re spending all holiday studying. This can include documentaries like BBC’s Our Planet for those studying Geography, Netflix’s The World Within for teens interested in Biology or The Mind: Explained if you’re a Psychology student. Wondering what to watch? We have a list of films and documentaries that fit GCSE and A Level curriculums to get you started. Make sure they have a fan nearby and a glass of water always filled to keep them cool while they chill.