Children are very sensitive to dehydration, even in the absence of illness their body surface area to body mass ratio is higher than in adults, which means they lose more water than adults under normal healthy conditions. The fact that children are also not yet proficient in or vigilant about good hydration and the problems with dehydration means the risk is increased substantially more than any other age groups.
In recent research it was proven that 60-70% of children start their school day dehydrated and those that are dehydrated show decreased performance than their fellow students. Several water studies showed that children who drank water prior to a task performed at a higher standard showing increased performance, improved cognitive function and mood.
In further surveys, 32% of children go through an entire school day having just one glass of water (five glasses are recommended) and parents have shown concern about water only school policies, meaning children won’t drink at all between 9am and 3pm – water with low sugar drop of squash is very popular but now banned in many schools. Children have been noted as complaining of headaches, dizziness and fatigue – all symptoms of dehydration.
Results from these studies showed that well hydrated children benefit from improved and sustained visual attention, better short-term memory and a greater sense of wellbeing. One of the best ways of ensuring the right kind of hydration is to ensure easy access to drinking water.
To give you a guide to the correct amount of water which should be available, check out the simple guide below:
- Boys and girls aged 4-8 years old – 1.1 – 1.3 litres per day
- Girls aged 9-13 years old – 1.3 – 1.5 litres per day
- Boys aged 9-13 years old – 1.5 – 1.7 litres per day
Ideas to encourage your students to drink water:
- Collect used water bottles to create a water model
- Create a water drunk score board for the classroom
- Create your own drink water campaign around school
- Collect empty water bottles and make them in to grow pots, linking fresh food to good hydration
At Refresh Water we can advise on the all the latest ways to ensure your students have a clean, refreshing water supply on hand every day. Give us a call for the best service to ensure you have bright, healthy, hydrated students keen to learn and happy to be there.