On a sunny summer morning in St. George, the splash pad at Town Square Park is packed.
Some kids scream as they sprint through a fountain. Others lay across a manmade waterfall or hop between stepping stones.
Their caregivers brought them here for good reason — there aren’t many safe outdoor activity options when the high is 103 degrees. With a couple more months of extreme temperatures still in store for southern Utah, this is just the beginning.
“I’m not ready for the summer heat, but it happens,” said St. George resident Sayon Coburn as she watched her 4-year-old daughter romp through the park’s shallow stream.
Her daughter loves playing in water, so Coburn said taking her to a splash pad or pool is a great way to let out some energy and avoid boredom.
Spending time outdoors during summer break has big benefits for kids. But as climate change makes Utah summers hotter, it can be tricky for parents to balance getting kids outside and keeping them safe.
Children are particularly vulnerable to the health impacts of extreme heat. So, leaving the house requires some extra planning.
“I try to keep her hydrated as much as I can,” Coburn said. “Remind her to drink water, and we eat some fruits and stay in the shade as much as possible.”
Nearby, Briana Williams watched her kids play in the water. She’s visiting from Salt Lake County with her children, ages 12, 10 and 7, and she didn’t want to let southern Utah’s temperatures keep her family away.
“Sunscreen is a big thing. Wearing shirts you can get wet,” Williams said. “We have drinks that are always available for them.”
It also helps that their vacation rental has a pool, she said.
This June was one of the hottest in St. George’s recorded history, and it’s part of a warming trend. Seven of the city’s top 10 warmest Junes have happened since 2000.
Climate data shows younger Utahns are growing up with more extreme heat than previous generations. And scientists agree that climate change — driven by human-caused emissions — is making heat waves more intense and more likely.
Average June temperatures in Salt Lake City have increased by 5.7 degrees since 1970, according to analysis from research organization Climate Central, making it one of the fastest-warming cities in the country for that month.
The biggest key on hot days is keeping kids hydrated, said University of Utah Health pediatrician Lauren Ferguson. Taking breaks is also vital, whether it’s indoors or in the shade.
That means the old trope of sending kids outside for the day and telling them to be home by dinner may not be the best practice for keeping them safe in this warming world.
“If kids are outdoors for hours at a time, they're probably falling behind on the break time to keep their bodies at a reasonable temperature and the hydration,” Ferguson said, “so it's not quite like the good old days.”
But that doesn’t mean families should stay cooped up.
Children benefit from getting outside year-round, Ferguson said, and that’s especially true in the summer when kids have fewer scheduled activities. With big chunks of uninterrupted time indoors, children tend to spend more time on screens and less time using their imaginations.
“Outside, it's so much easier for them to flex those muscles,” Ferguson said, “as well as their actual musculoskeletal muscles.”
She recommends getting outside early in the day before the heat peaks. Places that offer shade can make for prime spots in the late morning when temperatures are starting to warm up. It’s also a good idea to have kids wear hats and loose-fitting clothes that cover their skin, especially for infants under 6 months who shouldn’t wear sunscreen.
Even if a child has a water bottle handy, they’ll likely need lots of reminders to actually drink enough. Despite widespread marketing for sugary electrolyte drinks, Ferguson said water is still the best hydration option. That’s because the downside of getting so much sugar outweighs the benefit of extra electrolytes.
Water activities, such as pools and splash pads, are a great option because being wet increases evaporative cooling. But it’s still vital to keep a close eye on kids, she said, especially babies and toddlers who can drown in as little as 2 inches of water.
“There's a lot on social media about infants going to swim classes, but there is data to suggest that swim lessons for kids younger than two doesn't necessarily reduce their risk of drowning,” Ferguson said. “You don't want to assume that your quote-unquote ‘swim trained’ younger child is safe and then pay less attention.”
When spending time outside on a hot day, she said caregivers should look for signs of dehydration, such as a child becoming irritable or sweating profusely. Symptoms of a more hazardous condition, heat exhaustion, include confusion, headache and fever. If a child starts feeling nauseous or vomiting, then it becomes an emergency, and you should seek medical help immediately.
