If school, after-school care, or holiday care continue on a hot day, good preparation at home is the most helpful thing. Children should not start the day with a heavy backpack, an empty water bottle, and dark clothing. Especially on very warm days, the morning often makes the difference: What is packed, how does the child get there, who picks them up, and where is there shade along the way?
The current occasion is the discussion about heat in schools and new heatwaves in Austria. For families, one practical question is particularly important: What can you do yourself without having to reschedule the whole day?
Prepare the night before
A heat day doesn't just start when you leave the house. It is best to pack the water bottle, sun hat, and snack the night before. Then it is easier to notice in the morning if something is missing or if the bottle is clean. A second small bottle can be useful if the child is out for a long time or has care in the afternoon.
- Fill the water bottle:Water or heavily diluted juice is usually enough. Sugary drinks often do not quench thirst better.
- Choose a light snack:Only pack fruit, vegetables, bread, cheese cubes, or nuts according to age and school rules. Do not leave perishable food in the heat for hours.
- Lay out light-colored clothing:Airy, light-colored clothing is more comfortable than tight, dark pieces.
- Place the sun hat where it is visible:What is within reach is more likely to be taken along.
- Clean out the backpack:On hot days, every bit of unnecessary weight counts.
Think through the school route and the way home
The route is often hotter than the classroom. If possible, choose the shadier route in the morning and afternoon, even if it takes a few minutes longer. For younger children, a clear rule helps: don't rush, wait in the shade before the zebra crossing, and speak to an adult if you feel dizzy or nauseous.
If the child walks home alone, they should know where they can stop for a moment: in front of a shop, at a known neighbor's house, in the shade of a bus stop, or in the school building if pickup is possible. For days in care, it is also worth asking whether excursions, sports, or playground times are adjusted on hot days.
What parents can clarify with the school or after-school care
Not every facility has the same rooms, shaded areas, or rules. Short, concrete questions are more useful than fundamental debates: Are children allowed to drink at any time? Are breaks moved to the shade? Are there quieter indoor rooms? Is sports adjusted during extreme heat? Can children be picked up earlier if necessary?
The Ministry of Social Affairs recommends, among other things, drinking enough, reducing physical exertion, and using cool or shaded places during heat. This can be translated into everyday school life: less running in the blazing sun, more drinking breaks, and a clear plan for the afternoon.
Take warning signs seriously
Children do not always say in time that they are too hot. After they come home, watch out for headaches, severe fatigue, dizziness, nausea, unusual irritability, or very hot, dry skin. In case of severe symptoms, confusion, impaired consciousness, or suspected heatstroke: seek medical help immediately.
For everyday life, a simple afternoon routine is often enough: arrive home, drink, take off shoes, stay quiet for ten minutes, and only then decide whether a playground, training, or further travel makes sense. Anyone who comes home exhausted anyway does not need a packed afternoon program.
What belongs in the bag
- A well-sealing water bottle, ideally freshly filled in the morning.
- Sun hat or cap if routes or breaks take place outside.
- Light snack that tolerates heat better.
- A thin spare shirt if the child stays in after-school care for a long time.
- Small note or clear agreement on who is reachable for early pickup.
Fittingly: our tips for a clean water bottle and lunch box in summer, for proper hydration in heat and for Nursery in the heat. If older relatives are affected, this overview on heat warnings for older relatives.
In short
also helps.
Sources and further information
- A heat day at school or after-school care becomes easier if the family consciously plans the day to be lean: water, light clothing, shaded route, less weight, less rushing. Not everything can be solved at home, but good preparation takes a lot of pressure off the day.
- ORF.at: Schools to take their own measures in future heat
- Ministry of Social Affairs: Heat
- Heute.at: New heatwave reaches Austria
- Gesundheit.gv.at: Healthy in the heat
- UV Measurement Network Austria: current UV index
