19 Tips To Keep Kids Cool In Hot Weather On Their Travels

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I never realised the impact heat had upon our mental stability and tolerance until I travelled with kids.

As someone who hates the cold, I welcome the heat in like a long lost friend – even when it’s baking 40 degrees. But, when I’m travelling with my kids, I ask it to leave more often than I would travelling solo.

The heat can cause children to have meltdowns in many different ways. It dehydrates them, it makes them tired and exhausted, and if it’s too hot, it can make them really sick.

The heat also reduces tolerance levels for mom and dad, so you can get highly agitated and antsy quite quickly.

Basically; heat + travel = recipe for disaster.

Well, not quite. There are some steps you can take to help keep your kids cool in hot weather when you travel to avoid these meltdowns and negative emotions. Here’s what we found helped our kids…

Tips for Travelling in the Heat with Kids

1. Choose your destination wisely

Be very careful of where you travel to, but most importantly, when. The top end of Australia is an absolute no go during summer with kids. I’d consider that a waste of time and money. Likewise, Death Valley in California is a definite no-go in the summer!

Be careful of any tropical region. Be sure to research when the hottest time of year is and what the humidity levels are. Remember, humid environments can make dehydration happen faster, so even if it’s not super hot, the humidity needs to be factored in too.

Don’t assume that summer is the hottest time of year. In Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand, spring can be hotter than summer as the summer is also the wet season, and the rain washes the heat away.

April in Thailand is the hottest I’ve ever been. This is due to the burning season in March, which creates a cloud of pollution in the north and makes the whole country hotter.

It really depends on your children and their ages, but I’d carefully consider not just where to go but when.

2. Know your child’s limits

What is the temperament of your child? What sets them off? How do they manage heat in your own home town? Do they love being outdoors? Are they happy to have quiet moments inside?

It’s important to know how they tick, their limits, and where the meltdowns might happen, so you can put some preventative strategies in place. It will also help you see signs of heat illness such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke easier and step in.

This will help you decide the best destinations, the activities to do, and when you should bring them for a lie down and a movie.

3. Stay hydrated with cold water, popsicles, and fruit

Even if they don’t feel thirsty, make sure they get plenty of water and fluids in them. Of course, the best thing to do is drink cold water, and ensure your children are taking sips of water every ten minutes.

If your child is fussy about drinking, then try other ways of getting water in them. Have a few slices of watermelon, cucumber, strawberries, grapes, or other juicy fruits with a high water content. Or have a popsicle.

Forget juices and soft drinks, it will only dehydrate them further and make them more thirsty.

I find coconut water is the bomb for rehydration as it’s full of electrolytes. Breast milk is also a form of rehydration for babies and toddlers.

4. Time your activities well

Get up and out as early as you can to do your activities, particularly if it involves hiking.

Early morning before 10.00am is ideal, as from mid-morning the heat starts to kick in, although in the Top End of Aus it never goes away. We made sure we were hiking at 6am at Uluru so we’d be done by 10am. All the trails were closed at 11am because of extreme heat – I’m talking 45 degrees Celsius!! Even worse were the flies – it’s the first time in my Australian life I had to wear a fly net!

During the heat of the day, escape to your inside activities or just rest in your accommodation.

Evenings are best spent lapping up the cooler air outside with an amazing sunset and a barbie.

5. Stay in an apartment or hotel with A/C

If your kids have the wrong temperament, or are really suffering, stay in accommodation that has air conditioning (not a fan) and places for them to play.

Make sure you retreat to your room or apartment during peak heat hours, and be sure to close the curtains or blinds while you’re exploring to make sure the sun doesn’t heat the room up and your kids can retreat to somewhere cool.

6. Know your kids’ signs

Flushed faces, glazed and droopy eyes, curt replies, dizziness, headache, I can tell pretty quickly if we are going into heat-affected meltdown.

Once I see the signs, I spring into action. Water, food, sit down and rest. Move to the shade or cooler area.

Plan to wrap up the activity and go home and rest. If you can’t do that rest in the shade somewhere until they find their strength. Look for a sprinkler or water to cool themselves down.

If you start noticing symptoms such as muscle cramps, tiredness, nausea, vomiting – even an altered mental state, head to the AC as soon as you can and start cooling them down.

7. Head to the water

Find swimming water wherever you can. Stay in campsites, hotels, or apartments that have kiddie pools or a backyard with a hose so they can cool down with a spray of water.

Alternatively, look for nearby beaches, rivers, or swimming holes.

8. Carry water balloons

If you know you’re visiting a hot country, pack some balloons so you can have some water play when you need it.

9. Spray Bottle and Hand Held Fan Technique

Carry a spray water bottle so when it gets too hot, you can spray a bit of water on their face and then use a hand held fan to create a breeze. This is kind of an on-the-fly air conditioner.

You can also use fans with a water component, which are designed to spray a bit of water at you – it’s the same principal just more fancy.

Some people also wet a towel or tissue, and place the fan in front of it to create an A/C.

10. Retreat to shopping malls

Most places have a shopping mall with an ice cold A/C unit blasting all through the day.

There is no shame in taking a bit of time out and retreating to a shopping mall to make the most of the cool air.

11. Eat light, healthy meals

Stock up on fruits, nuts, yoghurts, vegetable sticks, and other light snacks. Indulge in a refreshing ice cream every now and then.

I rarely have them, but on a hot day, they can be a great way to cool your body down in extreme heat.

BBQ’s are really easy in the heat and goes well with salad.

If you do cook a meal, then make enough for left overs. I eat quinoa a lot so I cook up a big batch, and then I’ve got it ready for my meals through the week.

You can easily throw in some veggies for a quick salad. We also have a high speed blender to make smoothies for breakfast – frozen fruit is great to cool you down.

We also have a cold-pressed juicer, which substitutes for many lunches – full of greens, light, cool, and full of nutrients.

Oh and side note for mom and dad, caffeine is not good in the heat!

12. Let in the breeze when you sleep

There’s no doubt the heat can prevent you from having a good night’s sleep. There will be some nights when the fiery stickiness keeps you tossing and turning, but we’ve found them few and far between.

If you choose your travel right to time with the seasons, the nights will generally be cooler and manageable.

We leave all our windows open to let in the cool breeze. We also have a small fan above our beds and if need be, we have a larger fan in the living area of the fan that we will blast. That system works well.

You can always soak face cloths in water and put that over your face if the heat becomes too much.

Take thin blankets with you if you’re travelling to Asia. For some reason, even in the baking hot summer, the hotels insist on giving you these incredibly thick duvets!

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13. Use frozen face coolers

You can buy little face cooler packs that you can pop in the freezer and pop on your face when it gets too much. It’s great to cool down the kids.

14. Have your siestas

Take time out during the heat of the day if you can. Laze around, read books, have quiet time. I always like to take the girls to the movies on the really hot days if there are cinemas nearby.

15. Wear light, loose clothing

Cotton is best for breathing. Lightweight, light-colored clothing is best. Opt for loose-fitting garments that allow air to circulate against the skin.

Your clothes will need to suit where you are travelling too. I don’t find I burn in humid heat, but in dry heat, I do quickly. In that situation, wear clothes that cover most of your skin.

And of course, slip, slop, slap.

16. Drive in the heat of the day

It will use more fuel with your AC drain, but escape the blazing daytime heat by driving from one destination to another. Choose the hottest day of the week to do it. Just pack the car up early so you’re not doing that during the hottest part of the day.

17. Put ice on the pulse points

If you do see signs of heat exhaustion kicking in, then quickly get some ice and put it on the pulse points. There are on the wrists, inside of the elbows, ankles and behind the knees.

These parts of your body are where the blood flows closest to the surface, so when you add ice to those areas the blood vessels constrict and the blood flow is reduced, providing instant relief from the heat.

18. Wear SPF 50 sunscreen

It’s not just about keeping them sane and happy and avoiding tantrums, you also want to protect them from getting burned!

Wear SPF reef-safe sunscreen and keep applying it regularly. Every time they go in the water, reapply!

19. Don’t forget you’ll adapt

You will adapt to the heat, so give yourself the space to do that.

It will take some time, but pretty soon you’ll find yourself in places where it’s only 31 degrees and you are hesitant about swimming because it feels a little cold today!

Ease yourself into the change.

Final Thoughts

I think heat almost trumps being tired as the number one thing that will create meltdowns on your travels. You can read about the meltdown Kalyra had in the most important temple in Thailand here.

That was heat AND tired generated.

There are other things to contend with when the heat comes out as well: flies that tip you off the edge of sanity with their constant pestering to climb up your nose and in your mouth; biting mossies and midges; sunburn; stickiness; and stinky sweat.

The girls start whining like banshees, which only adds to the list of irritants, mostly because I want to lay down and whine like a banshee too.

But parents can’t do that sort of thing.

But we can make the situation better, and we hope this guide has given you some tips for travelling with kids in the heat!

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