All-time top 5 summer drinks for the outdoorsy child

Did you know that water accounts for more than half of a child’s body weight? Every cell in the human body needs to stay hydrated. Water aids in your kid’s overall growth, helps with the removal of waste, lubricates joints, maintains body temperature, etc. When children play outdoors in the summer, the heat makes water evaporate from their bodies in the form of sweat. The body can lose water even while breathing in the hot summer weather. Thus, they have a high risk of getting dehydrated.

Apart from water, you can keep your child hydrated by providing fresh juices and infused water. It is important to know that caffeinated drinks such as soda, tea or coffee do not contribute to hydration. Check out these 5 easy kid-friendly drink recipes that are perfect for the exhausting summer heat.

But first, a quick tip.

When it comes to fruit juices, it should always be diluted and then given to children. This helps with hydration and makes the juice easier to digest. Many recipes include ice but as far as possible, this should be avoided. Ice feels refreshing but it can also trigger an episode of cough or cold. For the same reason, do not dilute the juice with cold water directly from the fridge. Remember to mix the cold water with water at room temperature.

Now, here are the recipes!

Pudina lemonade

When you search for how to make homemade drinks for kids, lemonade is one of the first recipes that pop up. Here’s a cool spin on the original.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 6 cups of water
• 2 cups lemon juice
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves

Method

Boil the sugar with 2 cups of water to make simple syrup. Mix the lemon juice with the remaining water and 1 cup of sugar syrup. Stir in the mint leaves. Refrigerate, strain to remove the mint leaves and serve.

Cucumber coconut water

If you’re looking for homemade drinks for summer that are refreshing and cooling, this is what you need. You can use fresh coconut water or packaged coconut water for this recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled and chopped cucumber
• 1 ½ cup coconut water

Method

Blend the cucumber to make a puree and strain through a coffee filter into a bowl. 1 cup of cucumber generally releases around ¼ cup of juice. Combine this juice with the coconut water and serve. You can garnish with mint leaves if you want.

Mango masti with carrot

Vibrant and delicious, this is on the list of popular kid-friendly drinks for parties. All you need are 4 ingredients. It contains no sugar and thus is one of the healthiest kid-friendly drinks you can make.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 medium banana
• 1 cup mango chunks
• 1 ½ cups orange juice

Method

If you’re using frozen mangoes and carrots, you must first thaw them. To make the juice, blend all the ingredients together till smooth. Dilute with water and serve.

Watermelon twist

Does your child love to eat watermelon? Here’s a recipe that uses your child’s favourite fruit!

Ingredients

• 5 cups deseeded and chopped watermelon. You can use the tender white seeds
• 1 small piece ginger
• 1-2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sweet basil seeds/ sabja seeds/ chia seeds
• Few mint leaves

Method

If you are using chia seeds or sabja seeds, rinse them in water and strain through a coffee filter. Soak in water for at least half an hour. Blend the watermelon pieces till smooth. Add the seeds, mint leaves and other ingredients. Dilute with water and serve.

Tomato juice

This is one of the most popular healthy kid’s drink recipes. It’s tasty, nutritious and easy to make. You can make a jug of this juice for the whole family to enjoy as well.

Ingredients

• 6 ripe tomatoes
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• A pinch of salt
• Sugar to taste
• 5-6 glasses of cold water

Method

Boil the tomatoes in water. Once the water starts boiling, remove the tomatoes and soak in cold water. Peel the skin and blend to a puree. Strain the mixture to remove all the seeds. Add lemon juice, salt, sugar and water. Mix well and serve.

So, which of these easy fruit drinks for kids are you going to try at home?