School Holiday Health for Children: Top Tips to Keep Families Well This Summer
By Dr Daniel Gordon • 24, Jun 2026
The school holidays can be a brilliant time for children: more play, more time outdoors, more family moments and a welcome break from the usual school routine.
They can also be a period when healthy habits become harder to maintain. Bedtimes get later, snacks become more frequent, screen time can creep up, and warm weather brings its own issues - from dehydration and sunburn to insect bites, grazes and minor accidents.
That does not mean the holidays need to be rigid or over-planned. Children need rest, freedom and fun. But a few simple habits can make the summer easier, safer and healthier for the whole family.
In this article, we look at practical ways to support children’s health during the school holidays, including activity, food, hydration, sun protection, sleep, screen time and what to keep in a basic summer health kit.
Keep Children Active During the School Holidays
Physical activity is one of the best ways to support children’s physical and emotional health.
It helps with fitness, sleep, mood, appetite, confidence and stress. It also gives children a healthier outlet for energy, which many parents will recognise as very useful during a long summer break.
School-aged children should aim for around 60 minutes of physical activity a day on average. That does not need to mean formal sport, and it does not need to happen all at once. It can be spread across the day through play, walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, climbing, skipping, football, playground time or active days out.
The most important thing is to make movement feel normal and enjoyable.
Family activities can help. A bike ride, a walk in the park, a game of tag, a swim, a football kickabout or a scavenger hunt can all count. For younger children, even simple games such as obstacle courses in the garden or dancing in the living room can be valuable.
Not every day needs to be ambitious. Some days will be quiet. But if children are moving regularly, they are more likely to sleep better, regulate their mood and cope with changes in routine.
Balance Treats With Healthy Eating
The school holidays often come with more treats, and that is not automatically a problem.
Ice creams, BBQs, picnics, birthday parties and days out are part of summer for many families. The issue is not one treat. The issue is when the whole holiday quietly becomes six weeks of grazing, sugary drinks and irregular meals.
A useful approach is balance rather than restriction.
Try to keep regular meals in place most of the time, with a mix of fruit and vegetables, wholegrain carbohydrates, protein and dairy or suitable alternatives. The Eatwell approach does not need to be perfect at every meal. It is about the overall pattern across the day or week.
Children are often more willing to try healthier foods when they are involved in preparing them. This does not need to be complicated. They can help wash fruit, cut softer vegetables with supervision, build healthy pizzas, make wraps, choose picnic items, mix yoghurt with fruit, or prepare colourful snack plates.
Good summer snack options include:
sliced fruit with yoghurt
vegetable sticks with hummus
cheese and wholegrain crackers
boiled eggs
homemade smoothies
pitta bread with tuna, chicken or houmous
frozen fruit
yoghurt with berries
homemade popcorn without too much salt or sugar
The goal is not to remove all fun foods. It is to make nutritious food easy, visible and normal.
Keep Children Hydrated
Children can become dehydrated more quickly than adults, especially when they are running around, playing sports, travelling or spending time in warm weather.
They may not stop to drink unless they are reminded.
Signs of dehydration in children can include:
thirst
tiredness
headache
dizziness
dry lips or mouth
darker urine
passing urine less often
irritability
in babies, fewer wet nappies than usual
Water and milk are usually the best everyday drinks for children. Sugary fizzy drinks, juice drinks and squash can easily become a habit during the holidays, and they are not needed for routine hydration.
One simple tip is to give children their own water bottle and make drinking part of the day’s rhythm: before leaving the house, when arriving somewhere, during play breaks, with meals, and before bed.
Water-rich foods can also help. Melon, oranges, cucumber, tomatoes, strawberries and yoghurt can all contribute to fluid intake while also providing useful nutrients.
During hot weather, long car journeys, flights, outdoor sports and busy family days out, children may need more frequent reminders to drink.
Stay Sun Safe
Children’s skin is more vulnerable to sun damage than adult skin.
Sunburn is not just uncomfortable. It is a sign that the skin has been damaged by ultraviolet radiation. Repeated sunburn, particularly in childhood, increases the risk of skin cancer later in life.
In the UK, the sun is usually strongest between 11am and 3pm from March to October. During the summer holidays, it is sensible to plan shade, indoor breaks or lower-intensity activities during this part of the day.
Good sun protection means combining several measures:
spend time in the shade, especially between 11am and 3pm
use at least SPF 30 sunscreen
apply sunscreen generously and reapply regularly
reapply after swimming, sweating or towel drying
use a hat, ideally with a wide brim
choose sunglasses with UV protection
cover shoulders and sensitive areas with clothing
keep babies under six months out of direct strong sunlight
Sunscreen is important, but it should not be treated as permission to stay in direct sun for hours. It is one layer of protection, not the whole plan.
Cloudy days can still cause sunburn, and children can burn in the UK as well as abroad.
Prioritise Sleep, Even When Routines Relax
Sleep often becomes disrupted during the school holidays.
Later nights, travel, sleepovers, screens, warm bedrooms and looser routines can all affect children’s sleep.
Some flexibility is normal. The holidays do not need to run exactly like term time. But children still need enough sleep to support mood, concentration, growth, appetite, learning and behaviour.
When children become overtired, it often does not look like tiredness. It can look like irritability, emotional outbursts, hyperactivity, poor appetite or difficulty settling.
A few routine anchors can help:
keep bedtime and wake-up time broadly consistent
maintain a calming bedtime routine
reduce screens before bed
keep the bedroom cool, dark and quiet where possible
encourage daylight and physical activity earlier in the day
avoid very late nights becoming the new normal
Being active during the day can help children sleep better at night. But overstimulation, screens and heat close to bedtime can make settling harder.
If the routine slips during holidays, it is often worth gently bringing it back in the final week before school starts rather than waiting until the night before.
Be Prepared for Bites, Stings and Minor Injuries
Summer usually means more time outdoors, and that often means more bites, stings, grazes and bumps.
Most insect bites and stings are not serious. They usually cause a small area of redness, swelling, itching or discomfort and settle within a few days.
You can help by washing the area, applying a cold compress and discouraging scratching. Scratching can break the skin and increase the risk of infection.
A basic summer health kit is useful, especially for days out or travel. It might include:
plasters
antiseptic wipes
a digital thermometer
insect repellent
age-appropriate pain relief
any regular medicines your child needs
antihistamine advice or treatment if recommended by a pharmacist
sun cream
hand sanitiser
oral rehydration sachets
tweezers or a tick removal tool
You should seek medical advice if a bite becomes increasingly painful, swollen, hot, or starts to produce pus, or if redness is spreading. Urgent help is needed if there are signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as breathing difficulty, swelling of the lips or face, dizziness, collapse or a widespread rash.
Watch for Ticks After Outdoor Play
Ticks are found in grassy and wooded areas and can attach to the skin after walking, camping, playing in long grass or spending time in parks and woodland.
Most tick bites do not cause serious illness, but some ticks can carry infections such as Lyme disease.
After outdoor play in higher-risk areas, check your child’s skin, especially:
behind the knees
around the waist
under the arms
behind the ears
along the hairline
around sock lines
If you find a tick, remove it carefully using a tick removal tool or fine-tipped tweezers, gripping close to the skin and pulling steadily.
Seek medical advice if your child develops a spreading circular rash after a tick bite, or becomes unwell with flu-like symptoms.
Keep Outdoor Play Safe Without Removing the Fun
Children need outdoor play.
They need to run, climb, explore, test themselves and build confidence in their bodies. The goal is not to remove all risk. It is to reduce the avoidable risks.
A few safety habits make a big difference:
supervise children closely around water
use helmets for cycling and scooters
check playground equipment is not too hot in direct sun
keep children away from BBQs, fire pits and garden tools
use suitable footwear outdoors
keep medicines and chemicals out of reach
teach children to stop and drink during active play
make sure they know where to find you in busy places
Water safety deserves particular attention. Children can get into difficulty quickly, even in shallow water. Paddling pools, ponds, rivers, lakes, swimming pools and the sea all need active adult supervision.
Open water can be especially dangerous because of cold shock, currents, hidden objects and sudden changes in depth.
Manage Screen Time Without Turning It Into a Battle
For many families, screen time increases during the holidays.
That is understandable. Parents may be working, routines are looser, and screens can be useful for downtime. The problem is when screens start to replace sleep, movement, face-to-face connection and outdoor play.
A practical approach is to create some simple boundaries rather than constant negotiation.
For example:
no screens during meals
no screens in the hour before bed
active play before gaming or TV
screen breaks during long sessions
shared family viewing rather than endless scrolling alone
The goal is not perfection. It is balance.
Children often cope better when expectations are clear and consistent, rather than changing every day depending on how exhausted everyone is.
When to Seek Medical Advice During the School Holidays
Most summer health issues in children are minor and settle with simple care.
But you should seek medical advice if your child has:
signs of dehydration
persistent vomiting or diarrhoea
symptoms of heat exhaustion that are not improving
a high fever with concerning symptoms
breathing difficulty
a spreading rash after a tick bite
signs of an infected bite or wound
unusual drowsiness, confusion or collapse
pain or symptoms that are worsening rather than improving
Trust your judgement. Parents often know when something is not right.
A Healthy School Holiday Does Not Need to Be Perfect
A healthy summer holiday is not about strict routines, perfect meals or constant organised activities.
It is about rhythm.
Enough movement. Enough sleep. Regular drinks. Mostly balanced meals. Sensible sun protection. Time outside. Time together. A little preparation for the predictable bumps along the way.
Children need fun and freedom. But they also benefit from the quiet structure that helps their bodies and minds feel safe.
With a few simple habits, the school holidays can be enjoyable, active and healthy - without losing the relaxed feeling that makes summer special.
Disclaimer
This blog post provides general information only. It is not intended to provide instruction and you should not rely on this information to determine a diagnosis, prognosis or course of treatment. It should not be used in place of a professional consultation with a doctor.
The medical information is the personal opinion of the stated author(s). It is based on available evidence or, where no published evidence is available, on current medical opinion and practice.
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