Adequate hydration is essential for growing babies, toddlers and kids. As with adults, water is necessary for their body’s daily activities. Because of their smaller size, though, children are more vulnerable than adults to losing water through their skin. Kids also often forget to drink and don’t always recognize when they are thirsty, so parents need to be vigilant about making sure they stay hydrated.
Children should aim to have six to eight beverages — ideally water or milk — per day (total ounces needed vary with a child’s age). Kids playing sports, spending a lot of time outdoors during the summer or who are sick with a fever often need more.