Power outages or your air conditioning is not consistently working, identify a safe place for your family to go during times when the temperatures are very high. If you live in a place where there are frequent Libraries and shopping malls can be great places for a cool retreat from the heat. If your home does not have air conditioning, find a nearby building that does. Find ways for kids to stay active by suggesting some easy yoga stretches or playing indoor hide and seek or making up fun physical challenges that aren't too strenuous. Plan ahead if you know there will be many consecutive days of high heat, so than you can anticipate the need to be creative and help children rotate and vary their activities (to avoid "cabin fever" or restless and irritable feelings). When it's very hot, going to the swimming pool or beach for a short time or staying inside and working on crafts or reading or playing board games makes the most sense. To protect your child from the heat as much as possible, watch for symptoms, and call your pediatrician if you see any develop. And with extreme heat increasing in areas of the United States due toĬlimate change, " eco-anxiety" can cause emotional distress. High heat can also contribute to irritability both for children and their caregivers. It can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. High temperatures and extreme heat can cause children to become sick very quickly in several ways. National Weather Service, poses a significant health risk. However, a heat index at or above 90☏, as identified by the
When weather conditions do not pose a health risk, playing and exercising outside boosts a child's physical and mental health in many ways.