With temperatures soaring above 35°C and the Met Office issuing rare Red "Danger to Life" weather warnings, dozens of schools across England have closed their doors, leaving parents scrambling to manage childcare, work, and restless children.
Professor Laura Chamberlain, a University of Warwick academic and mother of two children aged two and six, has shared practical strategies for surviving unexpected school shutdowns during extreme heat.
Make Water Your Best Friend
Water-based play is a lifesaver during cooler morning and evening hours. "Paddling pools, buckets, plastic kitchen bowls – it genuinely doesn't matter what – water will occupy children for ages," Professor Chamberlain explains. If going outside isn't an option, a cool (not freezing) bath filled with toys provides both entertainment and relief by safely lowering body temperature.
Create an Indoor Refuge
Instead of attempting energetic activities during peak heat, transform the coolest room into a sanctuary. "I try to plan the day around the heat rather than against it," she says. Drawing curtains early blocks out the midday sun. Lay cushions on the floor and build a den using chairs and sheets to block light, keep the area cooler, and turn a stifling afternoon into a novel adventure.
Structure Beats Chaos
Children thrive on routine, and unexpected closures can make days feel endless. "I make a plan rather than improvising into the long hot hours," Professor Chamberlain says. She suggests writing low-energy activities on scraps of paper and placing them in a jar. When boredom strikes, children draw a slip to decide what happens next. "The picking is half the fun and it takes the decision off you," she notes, reducing the constant chorus of "What can we do now?"
Screen-Free Activities
Keeping children entertained without tablets or TVs is challenging when it's too hot to play outside. Audio entertainment is an excellent alternative. Podcasts and audiobooks like Football for Kids and Digger Rex work well for younger children, while older children enjoy story-based podcasts that inspire them to create their own tales. For a physical project, making and decorating paper fans gives children a focused task with a built-in reward: a tool to cool down.
Expect Shorter Tempers (and Hand Over Control)
Children become emotional, lethargic, and prone to meltdowns in extreme heat. "I try to have one focus at a time," says Professor Chamberlain. "Play, or eat, or drink, but not all three at once." Juggling too many demands when children are hot and tired is a fast track to tantrums. She recommends occasionally handing over control: "A trick that helps is random ten-minute intervals where the children make the rules."
When Work Still Has to Happen
For most working parents, school closures don't come with a day off. "It's really hard when children are at home and parents still have to work," Professor Chamberlain acknowledges. She suggests shifting work tasks to the evening when temperatures are cooler and children are asleep, though she recognises this isn't an option for everyone.
