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Refreshing Hydration: Fun & Easy Ways to Encourage Kids to Drink More Water

As parents, we constantly strive to instill healthy habits in our children. From ensuring they eat their vegetables to encouraging physical activity, the list can feel endless. However, one crucial aspect of children’s health often presents a significant challenge: getting them to drink enough water. Especially here in Florida, where the sun shines bright and temperatures soar, keeping my five boys adequately hydrated is a top priority that requires constant attention and creative strategies. With the back-to-school season in full swing, our days are packed with after-school activities, sports practices, and countless car rides, making consistent hydration even more critical for their energy and focus.

A recent survey* conducted by Nestlé® Pure Life® highlights this universal struggle among parents. It revealed that encouraging kids to drink water is one of the biggest “healthy habit” challenges moms face (38%), surpassing other common concerns like “eat your fruit” (29%), “get enough exercise” (23%), and “eat your breakfast” (19%). This data resonates deeply with my own experience; consistently ensuring my children meet their recommended daily water intake isn’t always easy. Over the years, however, I’ve discovered several effective and enjoyable tricks to keep them hydrated without it feeling like a chore. These methods not only ensure they’re well-hydrated but also empower them to make healthy choices and integrate water consumption seamlessly into their daily routines.

Five Engaging Strategies to Boost Your Child’s Water Intake

Ensuring children stay properly hydrated is fundamental to their overall health, cognitive function, and energy levels. Dehydration, even mild, can lead to fatigue, reduced concentration, impaired physical performance, and even headaches. By making water accessible, appealing, and an enjoyable part of their routine, we can significantly impact their well-being and foster lifelong healthy habits. Here are some of the most effective strategies I’ve adopted to encourage my kids to embrace water:

1. The Power of Preparation: Hydration on Demand

One of the most valuable tips I’ve learned, echoed by nutrition experts like Robin Plotkin, is the importance of proactive preparation. Having water readily available eliminates excuses and makes it incredibly easy for kids to grab a drink whenever they feel thirsty. My go-to strategy involves prepping a week’s worth of bottled water, like Nestlé® Pure Life® Purified Water, for school lunches, after-school activities, and general on-the-go hydration.

My secret to keeping it fresh and appealing? I store these bottles in the freezer. In the morning, I simply grab a frozen bottle and tuck it into a lunchbox, backpack, or gym bag. By lunchtime or practice time, the water has thawed to a perfectly chilled, refreshing temperature. This method not only keeps the water cool for much longer but also acts as a convenient ice pack for other perishable items in their bags, keeping snacks and sandwiches fresh. This simple habit ensures that no matter how busy our schedule gets, my children always have access to clean, cold water. It’s about creating a system that supports healthy habits without adding extra stress to our already hectic mornings.

Beyond bottled water, consider establishing a designated “hydration station” in your refrigerator or pantry. This could be a clearly labeled shelf stocked with various reusable water bottles, clearly visible and easy for kids to reach. Encourage them to pick their preferred bottle for the day, fostering a sense of ownership over their hydration choices and making it a routine part of getting ready.

2. Empowering Choices: The “Hydration Bar” Approach

Children thrive when they feel a sense of control and independence. This principle applies just as much to their beverage choices as it does to other aspects of their lives. In our fridge, alongside the ready-to-go water bottles, you’ll always find a selection of healthy options. I firmly believe that allowing kids to make their own decisions regarding what they drink, and indeed in life, helps them feel empowered. This isn’t about letting them choose sugary drinks, but rather about subtly guiding them towards making the *right* healthy decision by presenting appealing, water-based options.

To make water even more enticing, I sometimes set up a mini “hydration bar.” This could involve offering a variety of fresh ingredients like slices of lemon, lime, cucumber, orange, mint leaves, or different types of berries that they can add to their water. These natural infusions add a subtle, refreshing flavor without relying on artificial sweeteners or colors, making plain water much more appealing. When kids participate in preparing their drinks and customizing them, they are far more likely to consume them with enthusiasm.

The Nestlé® Pure Life® survey reinforces this approach, showing a clear correlation: kids who consistently drink four or more glasses of water per day are significantly more likely to exhibit other healthy habits. These include proactively getting their own water when thirsty, eating fruits and vegetables without reminders, and even requesting healthy food and beverage options for school lunches. Empowering them with choices in hydration can truly create a ripple effect across their overall wellness and decision-making skills.

3. Seamless On-the-Go Hydration for Busy Schedules

Life with active kids often means spending a significant amount of time in the car, shuttling between school, sports practices, playdates, and various appointments. This “on-the-go” lifestyle can inadvertently lead to unhealthy snack and drink choices if we’re not adequately prepared. That’s why I always keep a cooler stocked in my trunk, filled with bottles of Nestlé® Pure Life® Purified Water – the ones we conveniently buy in multi-packs at Walmart – alongside healthy, kid-approved snacks or pre-packed meals. This mobile hydration and snack station ensures that even during our busiest days, a healthy option is always within immediate reach.

The survey findings further confirm the importance of this habit: a staggering 88% of surveyed moms reported that water is the beverage their child most regularly drinks in the car. This insight offers a fantastic opportunity to reinforce healthy habits. Capitalize on this existing routine by making it a non-negotiable rule that each child leaves the house with a full bottle of water in hand. This simple, consistent habit forms a powerful foundation for continuous hydration throughout the day, whether they’re in the classroom, on the playing field, or riding home after a long day. Consider investing in durable, easy-to-clean reusable water bottles for each child, perhaps color-coded or personalized with stickers to encourage ownership and reduce waste. Keep a spare bottle in their backpack or gym bag as a backup.

4. Making Hydration Fun: Engage Their Imagination

Kids are naturally drawn to things that are fun, playful, and visually stimulating. Another excellent tip from Robin Plotkin emphasizes leveraging this innate curiosity by making water consumption an enjoyable experience rather than a mundane necessity. Ditch the boring, plain cups and introduce elements of excitement and novelty!

Consider investing in a collection of “crazy straws” – those colorful, twisty, or character-themed straws that make every sip an adventure. Special cups, perhaps featuring their favorite cartoon characters, vibrant colors, or unique designs, can also work wonders. For younger children, spill-proof cups with fun patterns or engaging textures can be particularly appealing. The key is to make the act of drinking water feel less like a chore and more like a treat.

Beyond just drinkware, get creative with the water itself. Use silicone molds to create fun-shaped ice cubes (stars, hearts, animals, or even LEGO bricks) that instantly make a glass of water more exciting. Let them choose a slice of fruit or vegetable to infuse their water, creating a “signature drink” that they’ll be proud to sip. You can even turn hydration into a game: create a “water bingo” chart where they check off a square for every glass they drink, or organize a “hydration scavenger hunt” where they find their water bottle in a fun, unexpected spot. The ultimate goal is to transform water from a plain drink into an engaging activity they look forward to throughout their day.

5. Friendly Competition and Positive Reinforcement

Sometimes, a little friendly competition is all it takes to get kids motivated and invested in a new habit. When all other strategies seem to fall short, I introduce a game into our hydration routine. For my five boys, this involves buying each of them their own multi-pack of Nestlé® Pure Life® Purified Water. The challenge is simple: whoever drinks the most bottles by the end of the week wins a coveted prize. In our house, that prize is getting to ride shotgun in the car for an entire week – a truly big deal and a source of much excitement!

You’d be amazed at how quickly this sparks their competitive spirit. They actively monitor each other’s intake, and the desire to win ensures they’re consistently reaching for their water bottles throughout the day. This strategy taps into their natural inclination for play and reward, effectively turning a healthy habit into an exciting contest they genuinely want to participate in.

Beyond shotgun privileges, consider other forms of positive reinforcement. This could be a sticker chart that leads to a small toy or book, extra screen time, choosing the family’s next movie night, or picking a dinner menu. The key is to find incentives that genuinely motivate your specific children and ensure the competition remains friendly and fun, fostering healthy habits rather than resentment. Celebrate every small victory, reinforcing the idea that drinking water is a positive and rewarding choice that contributes to their overall well-being.

Join the Pure Life Ripple Effect Movement

Beyond individual family efforts, Nestlé® Pure Life® is committed to making a broader impact on children’s health across the nation. Through their partnership with After-School All-Stars, they are providing nearly one million eight-ounce servings of water to kids this school year across over 20 participating schools in select markets nationwide. This impactful initiative underscores their dedication to addressing the childhood hydration challenge on a larger, community-based scale, promoting health where it’s most needed.

To amplify this crucial mission and inspire more families to prioritize hydration, Nestlé® Pure Life® has enlisted mom ambassadors across America to share their invaluable tips and real-life strategies for fostering healthy changes in their own lives and the lives of their children. This collective effort, known as the “Ripple Effect” movement, aims to create a widespread positive change in childhood hydration habits, illustrating how small changes can lead to significant impacts.

We invite you to join this crucial movement and become part of the Ripple Effect! To learn more about the initiative and contribute your own insights for promoting healthy hydration within families, visit pureliferippleeffect.com. Don’t forget to share your unique tips and strategies on social media using the hashtag #pureliferippleeffect. By sharing our experiences and knowledge, we can collectively empower more parents to prioritize and simplify hydration for their children, creating a healthier, more vibrant future for the next generation. For the latest updates, inspirational stories, and community engagement opportunities, be sure to follow Nestlé® Pure Life® on Facebook. Together, we can make a significant difference, one sip at a time.

Your Turn: How Do You Keep Your Kids Hydrated?

We’ve shared our best strategies and insights, but every family is unique, and fresh ideas are always welcome. What creative methods or simple routines have you found most effective in encouraging your kids to drink more hydrated water? Share your tips and experiences in the comments below – your input could inspire another parent!

*Online survey conducted in June 2015 of 1,077 moms of kids ages 6-12 overall, including 254 Hispanic moms of kids ages 6-12. 1,077 kids ages 6-12 from the same household were also surveyed, including 254 Hispanic kids ages 6-12. © 2015 Nestlé® Waters North America Inc.