Running around the garden or hopping on bikes with friends is an essential part of summertime. All that activity builds memories that will last a lifetime. It also builds quite a thirst you’ll need to deal with when they come back inside.
The trick is to avoid the high sugar and added preservatives in traditional fizzy drinks. Most kids get around 13 cubes of sugar per day when they should only be consuming 4-5. Cutting back on sugary drinks is a solid strategy for helping them stay healthy and active.
Why Kids Need More Refreshing Ways to Stay Hydrated in Summer
Children don’t want to sit still. There is always an impromptu football game going on or friends to meet up with. It doesn’t take much for those same children to get absorbed in play and forget to stay properly hydrated. Those fluid needs increase greatly in the summertime when you combine higher temperatures with more activity.
For some kids, plain water isn’t enough. It may satisfy thirst, but it doesn’t have the colorful packaging or sweeter flavor of most novelty beverages. That doesn’t mean you should never allow your kids to drink lemonade or sugar squash. You just need to balance hydration with sugar intake.
Fun Drinks Can Make Hydration More Appealing
Most parents will try the “fruit trick.” This is putting cucumbers, strawberries, blueberries, mint, and other items in plain water. The goal is to entice kids to choose water instead of soda. In some cases, this works, especially if you combine those ingredients with sparkling water.
A better strategy is to design the day around hydration. Before kids go out, work with them to pick out the bottles they want to use and prepare their drinks accordingly. Make them part of the process so they understand the power of fresh herbs, plenty of ice, and proper hydration. They’ll still get the sensory experience of sparkling water, but without the heaviness of too much sugar.
What Makes a Kid-Friendly Sugar-Free Sparkling Drink?
Keep Your Sparkling Drinks Naturally Free from Added Sugar
The average apple has about 19g of sugar. This is natural sugar, not overly processed glucose from other sources. It’s much easier to avoid sugar in drinks when you consider where the sweetener comes from.
Sugar soft drinks are not great thirst quenchers. A drink with watermelon or peaches isn’t 100% free of sugar, but it is free of added sugar. That’s a significant difference.
Use Fresh Fruits for Flavor
Fresh fruit and herbs also enhance flavor. They break up the look of the water and add visual interest. Plus, there are so many combinations to experiment with. A little lemon added to strawberries in water goes a long way toward making the drink more interesting for kids, adults, and seniors.
Keep the Ingredients Simple with Filtered Water
Another trick is to keep all your ingredients simple. Start with filtered water from the Hydrofast C300, then move on to fresher ingredients and introduce carbonation. A proper reverse osmosis system gives you the filtered-water base. Then you just add a sparkling-water system to keep the bottle ready.
The only thing is to keep your portion sizes age-appropriate. Some younger children can choke on berries and other fruits. If you let your kids cut up the fruit, stay with them. Supervise the situation so little fingers avoid big pains.
5 Homemade Sparkling Drinks for Summer That Kids Will Love
Strawberry and lemon are the winners. It is colorful and tasty. All you need to do is slice up two to three strawberries and put them at the bottom of the glass/bottle. Press the fruit to release some flavor, then pour in the prepared sparkling water. A quick squeeze of lemon at the end adds the zest needed to turn this drink into a masterpiece.
If your kiddos don't like a lot of lemon, use a slice instead of squeezing a bunch at once. That will give the flavor more space to infuse into the water.
Watermelon and mint are a winning combination. It brings together the summer BBQ and the fresh garden in the backyard. Take a small amount of seedless watermelon and crush it until juicy. Add about a spoonful to a glass and top with cold sparkling water. Then twist in some mint for that surprisingly fresh aroma and taste.
Start with a modest watermelon portion. You can always add more later, but removing any will be a real challenge. You can also turn this into a science experiment together by growing mint in a controlled indoor setting.
Peaches and oranges are known as a popular ice cream flavor. You get the natural sweetness of peaches using only about two to three pieces. Use the back of a spoon to press them together before adding sparkling water. Finish the drink with a light squeeze of fresh orange for even better flavor.
Let the drink sit for a bit before enjoying. This is a great countertop water filter experiment you can leave in the fridge the day before so it’s ready for the kids whenever they head out tomorrow.
Kids like strong visuals. You can get some of that using a berry storm. Take any combination of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries you’d like. Muddle them a little to release more flavor, then fill the bottle to the top with sparkling water. The mix of different colors gives it the name “berry storm.”
Frozen berries are a good alternative. You won’t be able to muddle them as much, but they last longer and act like ice, keeping the water even cooler for longer.
Not every kid wants an overly sweet drink. Go in another direction with cucumber slices and a bit of lime. Place several cucumber slices in the bottle, then add chilled sparkling water. Finish the beverage with a little fresh lime. Let the cucumber sit for a few minutes to infuse the water fully.
If your child says the drink is “too sharp,” reduce the lime a bit or leave it out altogether. The cucumber can easily stand on its own.
Hydrofast C300: A Reverse Osmosis Countertop Water Filter for Homemade Sparkling Drinks
When making refreshing summer drinks, pure and safe water is absolutely essential. The Hydrofast C300 is a countertop reverse osmosis water purifier that combines filtration, cold-water dispensing, hot-water dispensing and carbonation all in one compact unit. Its advanced 6-stage filtration system delivers pristine water before you make sparkling beverages — the very foundation for crafting great-tasting drinks.
The six-stage filtration consists of:
While removing sediments and harmful contaminants from water, the system replenishes beneficial minerals (Na⁺, Ca²⁺, K⁺ and Mg²⁺) to improve water taste, laying a premium foundation for all your homemade beverages.
Carbonation for Summer Drinking Options
The carbonation feature is what truly diversifies summer drinking options for both adults and kids. The unit not only dispenses instant 7°C chilled water, but also carbonates cold water directly to create crisp sparkling water. With three adjustable carbonation levels, you can freely pick your preferred fizz intensity.
With the Hydrofast C300, you get more than safe, healthy drinking water. It expands your range of hydration choices and elevates your everyday drinking experience. Help you and your family beat the summer heat in a safe, reliable and refreshing way.
Healthy Summer Drinks Can Still Be Fun
Every parent worries about their kids getting proper nutrition, but that doesn’t mean you have to remove everything but plain water from the equation. With the right combination of cold water, sparkling water, and fresh ingredients, you can help your kids stay hydrated longer this summer.
Start with the advanced water filter of the Hydrofast C300. It will simplify the drink-making process so you, your kids, and probably all the neighbors’ kids are happy.
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