Daycare in the Summer Heat
Fun Ways to Cool Off at Daycare This Summer
Daycares are required to take kids outside even on the hottest of summer days, and so must find creative ways to keep cool.
One of the first ideas that daycare providers might be assumed to put into use would be by splashing in a child's pool that might be purchased from a Meijer's or other store. However, because these pools may fill with as much as a foot or so of water, and the center that used this would need a lifeguard on duty or else be going against codes.
So what is a daycare to do? Because of their smaller bodies children have a greater tendency toward dehydration and are less likely than adults to recognize the symptoms. More creative means of keeping cool and hydrated.
A yearly favorite of the children at my center is called, "Splish, Splish, Splash." The game is fundamentally played like "Duck, Duck, Goose," but with one small variation. The "Ducker:" has a cup filled with water in their hand. With each child he or she passes the Ducker sticks a hand into the cup and dribbles a small amount of water on that child's head. When he or she gets to the child that is the "Goose." The Ducker dumps all of the remaining water on that child's head.
Another favorite involves the preparation of water balloons beforehand as well as a teacher who is willing to take the chance of getting wet. Preschool and early elementary school students run the risk of being physically and emotionally hurt in a traditional water-balloon fight, and I invented a simple way to let them still have the fun, but not the pain- and get cooled off myself in the process. The game goes simply like this- the teacher throws a water balloon into the air. If any of the kids can catch it, they may throw it at the teacher, who cannot run away. I could count on my fingers the times that I have had a balloon has been thrown at me. Invariably, all of the children race to catch the water-balloon and then run away from it when they see that it is about to impact the ground.
Both of these games are nice because the children get splashed with water and feel refreshed, but they do not get too wet while wearing clothes instead of swimsuits. Another popular option among daycare centers for cooling kids down does involve swimsuits. Many have weekly "Beach Days" where kids come in swimsuits and have fun in sprinklers, slip 'n slides, water balls, bubbles, beach balls and more. One creative addition is instead of a typical snack or ice cream from a freezer, your local ice cream truck may be able to arrange a weekly visit where students can purchase the frozen treat of their choice from either money brought from home, or from a designated amount by teachers. This provides guaranteed income for the truck and an opportunity for students to take part in this classic summer childhood event that on typical weekdays they are unable to experience. Instead of hearing the truck passing them by- it is making a special visit just for them. Just don't be surprised if some neighborhood kids wander over to participate!
If you liked this article, be sure to visit one of my other articles on daycare in the summer months--Summer School-Aged Care
Copyright © 2006, Carrie Henderson and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.
