Australian summers can get seriously hot, and when a heatwave hits, keeping kids cool, comfortable and entertained can feel like a full-time job.
A single scorching day can be challenging enough, but several days of extreme heat especially when temperatures stay high overnight can be exhausting for the whole family.
Whether you have air conditioning or you’re relying on fans and other ways to keep cool, a little preparation can make hot weather much easier to manage.
From keeping kids hydrated and cooling down the house to easy heatwave dinners, homemade icy treats and surviving those long hot afternoons, here are some practical ways to keep your family cool during an Australian heatwave.
Prepare Before the Heatwave Arrives
If extreme heat is forecast, getting organised before temperatures climb can make a big difference.
Check the Bureau of Meteorology forecast and heatwave warnings so you know what’s coming and how long the hot weather is expected to last.
Before the heat arrives:
- Fill water bottles and chill them in the fridge.
- Freeze a few bottles of water.
- Fill ice cube trays.
- Make some homemade icy poles.
- Stock the fridge with cold drinks, fruit and easy-to-prepare food.
- Check that fans and air conditioning are working.
- Make sure you have sunscreen and hats ready.
- Charge phones and portable power banks.
- Have some indoor activities ready for the kids.
- Think about air-conditioned places you could visit if your home becomes too hot.
It can also help to work out which room in your home stays coolest so you know where everyone can retreat if temperatures become uncomfortable.
Keep Everyone Hydrated
Staying hydrated is especially important during hot weather.
Keep cold water easily accessible and encourage kids to drink regularly throughout the day rather than waiting until they’re thirsty.
One of our favourite summer tricks is to keep several bottles of water in the freezer. They’re great for beach, pool or day trips because they work like ice packs in your cooler and provide icy-cold drinking water as they gradually melt.
At home, you could set up a simple hydration station in the fridge with cold water bottles that kids can grab themselves.
If plain water isn’t particularly exciting, try adding slices of lemon, lime, orange, cucumber or berries.
Remember that babies and very young children have different hydration needs, so follow current Australian health advice for their age.
Stock the Fridge With Cool Snacks
Hot weather is a great excuse to fill the fridge with easy-to-grab fruit and vegetables.
Prepare some in advance so hungry kids can help themselves:
- Washed and cut strawberries
- Blueberries
- Grapes
- Watermelon chunks
- Rockmelon
- Cucumber slices
- Baby carrots
- Cherry tomatoes
- Orange segments
Try chilling fruit in the freezer for about 30 minutes before serving it. Partially frozen berries and other suitable fruit can be especially refreshing on a hot afternoon.
Just remember to prepare foods appropriately for your child’s age, particularly foods such as grapes and cherry tomatoes that can present a choking risk for young children.
Easy Meals for Hot Days
When it’s scorching outside, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven and heat up the kitchen even more.
Keep meals simple and choose foods that require little or no cooking. Heatwave dinners don’t need to be elaborate — a platter of cold food that everyone can help themselves to is perfectly fine.
Easy lunch ideas:
- Cucumber sandwiches
- Cold pasta salads
- Garden salads with protein
- Wraps and rolls
- Cheese and crackers with fruit
- Cold quiche or frittata prepared earlier
Easy dinner ideas:
- Greek salad with feta and olives
- Vietnamese rice paper rolls
- Cold noodle salads
- Cold pasta salads
- Gazpacho or other cold soups
- Barbecue outside with salads
- Sandwich or wrap platters
- Cold chicken with salad
- Grazing platters with cheese, crackers, dips, vegetables and fruit
Cool desserts and snacks:
- Yoghurt parfaits
- Smoothies
- Fresh fruit platters
- Watermelon slices
- Frozen fruit kebabs
- Homemade icy poles
- Frozen yoghurt
If several extremely hot days are forecast, plan a few meals before the heatwave arrives. It means one less thing to think about when everyone is hot and tired.
Make Homemade Icy Treats
Have homemade icy poles waiting in the freezer for an instant cool treat.
You can fill icy pole moulds with:
- Fruit juice
- Diluted cordial
- Smoothie mixture
- Yoghurt blends
- Coconut water
- Puréed fruit
You can also blend watermelon, berries, mango, pineapple or other fruit with a little water before freezing.
Making icy poles together on a cooler evening can be an activity in itself and gives kids something to look forward to the following afternoon.
Change Your Routine to Work Around the Heat
During extreme heat, forget the normal routine and plan your day around the temperature.
If conditions are suitable for outdoor activities, early morning is generally a much more comfortable time to get outside. Save the hottest part of the day for indoor activities and head outside again later if conditions cool down.
Hot afternoons are perfect for quieter activities such as:
- Movies
- Board games
- LEGO
- Craft
- Puzzles
- Reading
- Audiobooks
- Video games
- Indoor treasure hunts
If the kids are getting bored, here’s a list of family fun you can have at home.
Extreme heat can make everyone tired and irritable. This isn’t necessarily the time for a packed schedule or ambitious family activities.
And if your usual screen-time rules go out the window for a few days, don’t stress about it. Sometimes a movie marathon in the coolest room in the house is exactly what’s needed. Here’s our list of best family movies.
Keep Your Home as Cool as Possible
Try to stop your house heating up in the first place rather than waiting until it becomes unbearably hot.
Close curtains and blinds before direct sunlight reaches the windows. If the temperature outside is hotter than inside, keeping windows closed can help keep hotter air out. Open the house again when outdoor temperatures drop and conditions allow.
Use fans or air conditioning if you have them and spend most of the day in the coolest part of your home.
Avoid creating unnecessary heat indoors. Save baking and long sessions with the oven for cooler weather, or prepare food early in the morning before the house heats up.
If one room stays significantly cooler than the rest of the house, there’s nothing wrong with temporarily relocating family life there.
Easy Ways to Cool Kids Down
Sometimes the simplest ideas work best.
Try:
- A cool or lukewarm bath or shower
- A cool damp facecloth
- Wet towels or appropriately wrapped cold packs on the neck or arms
- Soaking feet in cool water
- A spray bottle filled with cool water for a quick spritz
- Water play when outdoor conditions are appropriate
Avoid using extremely cold water or ice directly on the skin.
Cool Down With Water Play
If conditions are suitable for being outside, water play can keep kids entertained while helping them cool down.
Try:
- Running through the sprinkler
- Water balloon games
- Water guns
- Sponge races
- Painting with water
- Washing toy cars or bikes
- Buckets, cups and funnels
- A supervised paddling pool
We’ve rounded up 25 Water Play Activities to Do With Kids if you need more ideas.
Remember that young children require active supervision whenever they’re around water, including paddling pools, buckets and other containers.
Dress for the Weather
Choose loose, lightweight clothing on hot days.
Light, breathable clothing can help kids feel more comfortable, while hats and appropriate sun protection are important when heading outdoors.
For beach and pool days, consider sun-protective swimwear or clothing as well as sunscreen, hats and shade.
Babies and toddlers need particular care during extreme heat, so follow current Australian guidance about appropriate clothing and sun protection for their age.
Make Naptime and Bedtime More Comfortable
Hot nights can be one of the hardest parts of a heatwave, particularly when bedrooms don’t cool down overnight.
Try to keep bedrooms from heating up during the day by closing curtains or blinds before direct sun reaches the windows.
Use lightweight bedding and sleepwear, and use fans or air conditioning appropriately if available.
A cool bath before bed can also help kids feel more comfortable.
If another room in your home is significantly cooler, you might decide to temporarily change sleeping arrangements.
Sometimes everyone camping out in the coolest room of the house is the easiest solution during a heatwave.
For babies, follow current safe-sleep advice about clothing, bedding, room temperature and the use of fans or air conditioning.
Get Out of the House
If your home is becoming uncomfortably hot, you don’t have to stay there.
Look for somewhere air-conditioned where you can spend a few hours.
Depending on where you live, options might include:
- Libraries
- Shopping centres
- Museums and art galleries
- Cinemas
- Indoor play centres
- Swimming pools
- Community centres or designated cool spaces
Libraries are one of our favourite options. They’re generally free, air-conditioned and give kids somewhere to read, play or relax.
Some councils and communities also provide designated cool spaces during extreme weather, so check what’s available in your local area.
Live in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie or the Hunter? Check out our guide to What to Do With Kids When It’s Hot in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & Hunter for local pools, beaches and air-conditioned activities.
Keeping Babies and Young Children Cool
Babies and young children can be particularly vulnerable during extreme heat and need extra attention.
Keep them in the coolest part of your home and avoid unnecessary outings during extreme conditions.
Dress them appropriately for the conditions and regularly check that they’re comfortable.
Never leave a baby or child alone in a parked car even for a very short time.
Advice about hydration, feeding and safe sleeping varies according to a child’s age, so check current advice from Australian health and safe-sleep organisations when caring for babies during extreme heat.
Don’t Forget Your Pets
Pets feel the heat too. Make sure they always have access to fresh water and somewhere cool and shaded to rest. Avoid walking dogs during the hottest part of the day, particularly when roads and footpaths may be extremely hot. And never leave an animal in a parked car. If your pet appears unwell during hot weather, contact your veterinarian for advice.
Getting Through a Multi-Day Heatwave
One extremely hot day is hard enough with kids. When the heat continues for several days and the house doesn’t get a chance to cool down overnight, it can become exhausting.
A little planning can make a prolonged heatwave easier.
Plan your days around the temperature. Get outside early if conditions are comfortable, then plan to be indoors during the hottest part of the day. Alternate paid activities such as movies and indoor play centres with free options such as libraries, museums and shopping centres.
Prepare food early. If you’re cooking, do it in the morning before the house heats up. Save no-cook meals for the hottest days and keep the fridge stocked with cold drinks, fruit and easy snacks.
Have indoor activities ready. Books, craft supplies, puzzles, LEGO, board games and movies can help break up long afternoons inside.
Lower your expectations. This isn’t the week for an ambitious family schedule.
If the kids have more screen time than usual, dinner is a sandwich platter and everyone ends up sleeping in the coolest room in the house, that’s okay. During extreme heat, keeping everyone safe, cool and reasonably happy is the priority.
Be Prepared for a Power Outage
Extreme weather can sometimes cause power disruptions, so it makes sense to have a basic plan.
Keep phones charged and consider having a portable power bank available.
Have torches somewhere easy to find and know where you could go if your home loses air conditioning and becomes too hot.
If someone in your household relies on electrically powered medical equipment or refrigerated medication, make sure you have an appropriate emergency plan in place.
Check on Family, Friends and Neighbours
Some people are more vulnerable to extreme heat than others.
During a prolonged heatwave, check in on older family members, friends or neighbours and anyone else who might have difficulty keeping cool.
A quick phone call or visit can make sure they’re coping, have access to water and have somewhere cool to spend the day.
Create a Family Heatwave Plan
If you live somewhere that regularly experiences extreme heat, it’s worth having a simple plan before the next heatwave arrives.
Ask yourself:
- Which room in our home stays coolest?
- Where could we go if the house becomes too hot?
- Do we have plenty of drinking water?
- What easy meals and snacks can we prepare?
- Are our fans and air conditioning working?
- Do we have sunscreen and hats?
- Are phones and power banks charged?
- Do we have indoor activities ready for the kids?
- Who among our family, friends or neighbours might need checking on?
- What would we do during a power outage?
- How will we keep our pets cool?
You don’t need an elaborate emergency plan. Having thought about these things beforehand simply means fewer decisions to make when everyone is already hot and tired.
Watch for Heat-Related Illness
Extreme heat can cause serious illness, and children can be particularly vulnerable.
Signs of heat-related illness can include symptoms such as headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, faintness or confusion.
If someone becomes unwell during extreme heat, move them somewhere cooler and seek appropriate medical advice.
Heatstroke is a medical emergency. If someone is seriously unwell or you think they may have heatstroke, call Triple Zero (000).
For current information about heat-related illness, dehydration and caring for children during extreme heat, follow advice from Healthdirect and your state or territory health department.
Keep an Eye on Heatwave Warnings
A heatwave isn’t simply one hot summer afternoon. Several unusually hot days and nights in a row can put additional stress on the body because there’s less opportunity to recover overnight.
During summer, check forecasts and heatwave warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology and follow current advice from Australian health authorities. Here is the NSW Health page about heatwaves.
Most importantly, don’t feel as though you have to keep the kids entertained every minute.
Sometimes the best heatwave plan really is to close the blinds, fill the fridge with cold drinks, put on a movie and wait for the cool change.
Stay cool!