How Much Water Should Children Drink? A Guide by Age

Every parent knows the battle. The water bottle comes home from school still full, there are tears over squash, and then at 9pm someone is suddenly “dying of thirst”. If you have ever wondered how much water should children drink, and whether yours are getting anywhere near it, you are not alone. As a coach and a regular at the school gate in Archway, I get asked this a lot. Here is the NHS guidance by age, what counts, and some practical ways to get more water into kids without a fight.

How much water should children drink? A guide by age

The NHS-run Healthier Together healthy drinking page gives this rough guide for daily fluid from drinks:

Age	Fluid from drinks per day	Roughly
1-3 years	900ml	about 5-6 small cups
4-8 years	1,000-1,400ml	about 5-7 cups
9-13 years	1,400-2,300ml	about 6-9 cups
14-18 years	1,400-2,500ml	about 6-10 cups

The cup counts in the last column are my rough conversions using small children’s cups of around 150-250ml, so treat them as a ballpark. The page is clear that these are a guide, not a target to hit to the millilitre. Active children, and children in hot weather, may need more.

For babies under one, follow the advice of your health visitor, as their needs are different and most of their fluid comes from milk.

What should children drink?

The NHS page on water, drinks and hydration says water and milk are the best drinks for children. From age 1, whole or semi-skimmed pasteurised cows’ milk can be a main drink.

Here is a simple way to think about it:

• Every day: water and plain milk.
• Now and then: fruit juice or smoothies, well diluted, with a meal and no more than once a day. Healthier Together suggests half juice, half water.
• Best avoided: sugary fizzy drinks, energy drinks and drinks with caffeine. The NHS says children should avoid sugary fizzy drinks, squash and juice drinks completely, because of the sugar and the effect on teeth.

If your child will only drink squash right now, Healthier Together suggests sugar-free squash diluted one part to ten parts water as an acceptable option. I would use that as a stepping stone and slowly make it weaker over a few weeks.

Signs your child may need more to drink

According to the NHS page on dehydration, signs in children include feeling thirsty, headaches, tiredness, a dry mouth, sunken eyes and dark yellow, strong-smelling pee, or peeing less often than usual.

The easy daily check is pee colour. Pale yellow is good. Darker means offer a drink. If a child seems unusually drowsy, has few or no tears when crying, or is peeing much less than normal, ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111. If they are hard to wake, confused or have blue or blotchy skin, call 999.

When kids need extra

• Sport and active play. Football training, PE, swimming lessons and an afternoon in the park all mean extra sweat.
• Hot days. Including warm classrooms and centrally heated homes in winter.
• Illness. Tummy bugs and fevers increase fluid loss. Follow your GP or pharmacist’s advice.

The NHS recommends children aged 5 to 18 average at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity a day. My post on how much exercise children need covers that in more depth. Active kids need to drink more, so build water into every activity.

Ten ways to get kids drinking more water

1. Let them choose the bottle. A bottle they picked themselves gets used more.
2. Water with every meal and snack. Put a cup on the table before food arrives.
3. A drink at fixed points. Breakfast, school pick-up, after any sport, dinner, before teeth. That is five already.
4. Make it cold. Most kids prefer water chilled. A bottle in the fridge overnight helps.
5. Add fruit. A few slices of orange, strawberry or cucumber in a jug looks fun and adds taste with very little sugar.
6. Use a “finish by” line. Draw a line on the bottle to finish by lunch, then refill.
7. Turn it into a game. Younger kids love a sticker chart or “cheers” before every gulp.
8. Copy you. Children copy what they see. If you carry water, they are more likely to.
9. Offer water-rich food. Watermelon, cucumber, soup, yoghurt and oranges all help.
10. Do not ban, swap. Gradually water down juice or squash so the change is barely noticeable.

Packing for school? My healthy lunchbox ideas for kids include drink swaps that do not cause a riot.

What about you?

It is very common for parents to make sure the kids have their bottles while forgetting their own. If that is you, have a read of my guide for adults on how much water a woman should drink a day in the UK. The advice for dads is the same 6 to 8 glasses.

Setting the example matters. In my classes, mums and dads bring a water bottle and drink between rounds. When kids see a parent exercising and drinking water as a normal part of the day, it sticks with them far more than any lecture.

Where SYP Bootcamp fits

Healthy habits at home are easier to keep when you have energy yourself. SYP Bootcamp is a 45-minute, small-group class for busy parents, indoors in Archway, so you can get a proper workout done and still make the school run. Kids learn from watching you look after yourself.

FAQs

How much water should a 7-year-old drink a day?

The Healthier Together guide for ages 4 to 8 is about 1,000-1,400ml of fluid from drinks a day, which is roughly 5 to 7 cups. More on hot days or after sport.

Does milk count towards a child’s water intake?

Yes. Milk counts as fluid and is one of the best drinks for children, alongside water.

Is it OK for kids to drink squash?

The NHS says children should avoid sugary squash. Sugar-free squash, well diluted, is a better option if your child struggles with plain water, but aim to move towards water over time.

How do I know if my child is dehydrated?

Look for thirst, tiredness, headaches, a dry mouth and dark yellow pee. If they seem drowsy or are peeing much less than normal, call NHS 111 or your GP.

Book your first class

Want to be the active role model your kids copy? SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute small-group classes in a weatherproof church hall in Archway N19, max 10 people, £15 a class, all fitness levels welcome. Book your £15 class here or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. If you would rather have sessions planned just for you around family life, find out about private personal training in Archway.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.