Sesame Workshop online offers a free storybook, Summer Sips, accessible online, offering creative ways to encourage children to enjoy drinking more water, as opposed to sweetened drinks, to stay hydrated during warm weather.

Noting that drinks such as soda and juice with added sugar are implicated in weight gain, obesity, cavities, and rapid changes in blood sugar leading to mood changes, and can lead to unhealthy cravings as children grow, Sesame Workshop online offer a storybook on creative ways to drink more water.

They suggest first sharing the story, Summer Sips, with children then trying one of the “fruity water” recipes together, or letting the children create their own drinks.

The ideas are a good way to use homegrown/community garden/food pantry fruits as a cost-effective way of accessing healthy food sources.

Suggestions include:

• When unsweetened, frozen or canned fruit is as nutritious as fresh!

• Preschoolers need extra water to drink when they are physically active or when it is hot outside.

• Drinking water between meals and snacks helps oral health because it helps rinse food from children’s teeth.

• Provide water breaks before and during active play.

• Let your child see you drinking water!

• Keep children’s cups within reach by the sink so older kids can help themselves.

• For safety, cut fruit into bite-size pieces (children can eat them from the bottom of their cup with a spoon). Mash up smaller fruits such as blueberries and blackberries (or chop into pea-size pieces).

• Cherries and grapes should be cut in half.

• Cherries, peaches, plums, apricots should be pitted, and watermelon pieces and slices shouldn’t have seeds.

• For fruit with skin such as apples and peaches, remove skin and slice.