{"id":883,"date":"2026-06-25T16:45:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/06\/25\/how-the-heat-affects-children-as-they-learn-play-and-do-sport-and-how-parents-can-help\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T16:45:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:45:17","slug":"how-the-heat-affects-children-as-they-learn-play-and-do-sport-and-how-parents-can-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/06\/25\/how-the-heat-affects-children-as-they-learn-play-and-do-sport-and-how-parents-can-help\/","title":{"rendered":"How the heat affects children as they learn, play and do sport \u2013 and how parents can help"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/span> Raja GamerXTC\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Schools in the UK are closing as temperatures soar. If you\u2019re a parent, you might be wondering what effect the heat has on your child. If they\u2019re at school, will they be able to learn properly? If they\u2019re at home, should they be playing or attending their normal clubs? How can you help keep them cool?<\/p>\n

Understanding how high temperatures not only influence physical health, but also thinking and learning is critical. <\/p>\n

Our research group investigates how heat influences the body and brain, and how targeted interventions can improve performance and safety. We research how heat affects cognitive and exercise performance as well as mitigation strategies to improve cognitive and exercise performance in the heat, and how exercise influences young people\u2019s learning. <\/p>\n

You have probably noticed that, on very hot days, it is harder to concentrate and stay motivated.<\/p>\n

The heat can slow our ability<\/a> to process information, make quick and accurate decisions and tends to make us feel more tired, distracted and irritable. Together, these changes mean our cognitive function is reduced. We don\u2019t think, remember and focus as well as we normally would. <\/p>\n

Research suggests that these high levels of exhaustion, irritability and thermal discomfort that come from being hot pose a particular risk to children\u2019s learning and cognitive ability<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Children\u2019s thermoregulatory systems are still developing, therefore they may struggle more than adults to manage the heat<\/a>. On top of this, children often don\u2019t drink enough fluids to replace the sweat they lose, putting them at greater risk during hot weather<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Children also tend to spend more time outdoors playing, running around and generating more body heat. This adds to the heat strain<\/a> already experienced in hot weather, making it harder for them to focus and learn. With children spending more time outdoors and having less developed cooling systems, children\u2019s cognitive function is affected by the heat more noticeably and quicker than it is adults. <\/p>\n

Social and sporting activities<\/h2>\n

An important consideration is also how the heat affects day-to-day school activities that are essential to children\u2019s physical and social development, such as after school clubs. <\/p>\n

Previous research shows that exercising in a hot environment, in particular team sports, leads to declines in performance because of increased core and muscle temperatures<\/a>. <\/p>\n

With children more vulnerable to heat-related strain, it can be safer for children to sit out of activities when temperatures become very high. However, cooling strategies can also help counteract the negative effects of the heat for both cognitive and exercise performance. <\/p>\n

Simple methods<\/a> such as providing cold and icy drinks and fans are effective at lowering body temperature, heart rate and negative subjective feelings towards the heat, such as feeling uncomfortable because you\u2019re too hot. These methods can be a simple yet practical tool to help manage children\u2019s exposure to the heat, keeping them safe and more comfortable. <\/p>\n

You can also choose lightweight, more breathable clothing for your children when it is hot to help keep their skin temperature down. Encourage fluid intake with electrolytes to maintain hydration, as well as prompting them to take breaks inside or in shaded areas to minimise heat exposure. <\/p>\n

Alongside these practical cooling strategies and easily implemented changes to their children\u2019s day, it is important for parents to keep an eye out for signs of heat stress. These can include changes in mood, headaches or unusual tiredness, which often point to the early signs that the heat is becoming unmanageable. <\/p>\n

Spotting this early will help parents step in with cool, rest or shade and help their children be more comfortable and safer in the heat.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Simon Cooper has received funding from the Waterloo Foundation, Rosetrees Trust, Stoneygate Trust, Education Endowment Foundation and Sport England.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Caroline Sunderland and Stacey Cowe do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Raja GamerXTC\/Shutterstock Schools in the UK are closing as temperatures soar. If you\u2019re a parent, you might be wondering what effect the heat has on your child. If they\u2019re at school, will they be able to learn properly? If they\u2019re at home, should they be playing or attending their normal clubs? How can you help […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}