Surviving the heat on holiday with DC - tips please!

[4fingerKitKat]

Against my better judgement DH convinced me to book somewhere hot this summer so we are going to Croatia. Forecast max temperatures currently look to be between 33 and 42 (!!) degrees for different areas we are staying.

For most of the trip we have a villa with a pool so we could just chill and splash about but I also want to do some sightseeing, visit beaches etc and we have a big of travelling around.

We normally stick to Northern Europe for holidays and I’m feeling unprepared for how to make the trip enjoyable for primary age DC.

Top tips please on what I should pack, how to plan our days to make it enjoyable and not torture!

Yes we do the same re cooler trips but it still seems a shame to travel so far and be unable to leave the hotel !!

Ugh I am starting to regret this! We normally have very active holidays. The idea of having to spend a large chunk of the day indoors with iPads defeats the object - might as well be at home!

My DC are not morning types so I would have to drag them out of bed to make an early start. All sounds a bit miserable!

KitKat maybe if you feel more prepared for the hear mentally you might be better ?
And just look on it as a total break - just being in the pool all the time . I estimated I spent about 8 hours a day in the pools when we were away !!!

Take some brollies for the kids to use as sunshades when sightseeing (even early in the morning) or even for walking about between the pool / room. Upf sunsuits for the pool and if you can make them keep it on hat. Ultrasun factor 50. A wet sarong wrung out and draped over can help a hot child cool down.

To make them have afternoon down time take some colouring, sticker books, stories, travel game. Make it a treat let them have a drink and a snack at the same time.

I holidayed every year for 6 weeks with two young children. Temps of 30+

I learnt to:
~Go to the beach, often cooler than inland
~Freeze each child a water bottle, every night, for their water next day. Helped to keep drinking water cold
~Wear cotton clothing
~Sit in the shade. For very young children we bought a cheap paddling pool that they could sit in/ play in, with a few bottles and spoons. The pool was easy to move to the shade or keep under an umbrella.
~Strict habit of sun cream on before getting dressed everyday. This made full coverage easier and the kids accepted it as part of the routine of the day.
~Siesta in the afternoon. Clear expectation of laying on your bed with a book ( all of us) Quiet reading/ looking at a book mist often meant sleep!
~A regular bedtime even if it was late. Setting sleep patterns changed due to the siesta. This prevented grouchy kids.
~ Not doing too much.

Can you not change the datES.? My GDs love chilling in room for a few hours in the afternoon…it suits them fine…but if your kids not suited to this then you need to go away when it going to be I. The 20s not 30s or 40s

Advice from continental here:
go out and about between 8am and be back by 11am the latest, then again out after 7pm. While out, cover all skin with very loose linen (1 or 2 sizes up if possible). Linen should be light but not seathrough - blue colour is better at keeping you cool. Have silk scarf with you, to wet in the fountain and apply behind neck - works wonders! Always wear a wide brim hat. Have a very light straw bag with you with icepack (they have those for postpartum, you know the ones I mean?) and bottled water. Sunscreen and mosquito sprays are essential. Flip flops - also a size bigger. Trust me with sizes - you’ll bloat!

for the mother of god, do not go out between 11am and 5pm unless you’re going snorkelling and hiding under air on straight after.

my little hack is also to carry lemon with me (I actually eat them, help me cool down) or a cucumber to chew on.

I think forget about doing anything, don't make plans take each day as it comes. Was in Rhodes in June when it was high thitrues low 40s. There was nothing you could do but loll about and swim in the sea. Lots of time in room. I was up at 4am every morning and in bed by 9pm. Lots of netflix I loved it.

We were in Croatia last year with those temperatures. We had all sorts of plans for sightseeing but, by and large, postponed them for when the DC are older and DH and I can holiday outside of term time! We mainly chilled in the villa by the pool and then headed out to the beach about 4pm for a couple of hours before going out for dinner

Is there any way you can change the dates or change the destination- assuming you’ve booked though a travel company? I agree with you, a holiday where you basically have to stay inside for large parts of the day really wouldn’t appeal to me either.

Not being able to go outside between 11am and 5pm because it’s that hot sounds like some sort of punishment!

We’ve just returned from Croatia, average temp 33 ish

Yes it was hot but we actually didn’t need to retreat to the room for the middle of the day, except in Dubrovnik which seemed several degrees hotter than anywhere else. We just needed to be in and out of the water and have some shade.

Croatia has wonderful sea and so many opportunities to swim. Take swimmers and a small towel everywhere so you can just jump in after hot sightseeing or activity
. Best bit of Dubrovnik for the kids was the swimming spot just south of the harbour!

Just back from hols 35-43 degree.
Too hot to do anything except sit in the shade by the pool.
We stayed in our room for quiet time 1-3 after lunch every day. Kids used iPads, snoozed or played with toys/books.

I enjoyed it as needed a total break - but friend was sad it was too hot for daytrips. Did ponder it but the effort in that heat is just too much. Kids loved the pool and wore sunsuits & hats no problem 🙂

We were in France in 2019 in those types of temperatures (we actually travelled down by train on the day it was 42 degrees - that was a fun journey 😬).

You need to slow right down, do more early morning and in the evening. Midday and early afternoon you need to be indoors - either your apartmenr or a shaded bar/cafe.

Hats, sun screen, lots of water, loose breathable clothes are all good. Uniqlo airism undergarments are good for hot humid weather.

Make sure you learn to recognise the signs of heat stroke and how to treat it.

Work out how you react to temperatures and don't oush yoirself beyond your comfotable limots becuase you are on holiday. We are fine in weather up to about 33 - 35 degrees, hotter than that we slow right down and retreat indoors.

Not sure about other countries but France has a heatwave protocla so you could use air conditioned public buildings to sit in and public streets and squares had mist sprays

Heat has never bothered my daughter thankfully but if your concerned then i'd go with white umbrellas and a battery operated fan/a misting fan.
Insulated bottles to help keep water cooler for longer, i try and get some ice cubes put in them too.
We do just drag her out of bed early on days we have plans, partly to be out before it's too hot and partly to beat some of the crowds, she then falls asleep in the car later or if back in time will no doubt fall asleep on a sun lounger (even now aged 8)

Where are you going OP as all the Croatia forecasts I can see look like 30-33 degrees? Which is hot but manageable. 35+ is quite different.

Hi, is blue better than white? I'm off to Rhodes soon and will be out exploring for 3 days so interested in the cover ups.
Will be out around 7am so heading back to the car around lunchtime. We are used to the heat from other holidays.
We have big hats and fans

Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Wear lightweight, breathable clothing and a wide-brimmed hat. Apply sunscreen regularly and seek shade during peak sun hours. Consider using azelic acid cream to protect your skin. Enjoy indoor activities or cool off with a swim. Remember to rest and avoid strenuous activities during the hottest parts of the day.

We were in Mallorca last September, it was far too hot to sight see. We got up early but even by 9am it was ridiculously hot.

Take rock shoes if you are going to the beach - they are stony.

Hi, yes light blue is preferred in the desert too, it has thee reflective properties of the white colour, but the colouring in the fabric doesn't let the sun rays through reaching the skin. It's weird, but light blue is very comfy. That being said, white long and very loose trousers are absolute saviours for me when it's hot.

Fans are great when you are on the water, but do take small silk fabric to wet it and put around your back of the neck if it gets unbearable. It prevents heat strokes too!

Thanks so much @NotAlexa I'll go shopping! Appreciate the tips 😊

Oh yes a large thin cotton or silk scarf is great.

Forget about sight seeing. DH did the Dubrovnik city walls in the blazing sun whilst the DDs and I huddled in the shade with ice creams. We'd got up early and were there at 9am but it was still scorchio. The beaches are nice but we mainly hung out at the villa pool. You'll be fine if you just accept that this one will be a lazy holiday rather than a cornucopia of cultural delights.

We were just back from Greece. We managed one day out sightseeing all agreed it was a disaster and much too hot, didn't leave the hotel again. If you're going to do it then be up and out for 7 and back for 11 but don't get your heart set on too much. Even on pool days we went up to the room about 12-3 ish as it's all we could bear

Maybe it won't be so bad when you're there OP? It's hard to get accurate weather forecasts more than five days in advance. But we've totally given up on summer holidays in the Med. We go at other times of year and for the summer we choose cooler destinations.