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Discover: 20 Healthy and Refreshing Summer Drinks for Kids
The thermometer officially inched past 90 this week, so we decided it was high-time to share a few of our favorite healthy summer drinks for kids – and there’s something for every taste and occasion!
These icy refreshers are more than just a quick, delicious cool down…each drink offers its own supercharged health benefit (and they’d all make amazing popsicles too!). Another hidden advantage of DIY’ing your own summer drinks? It’s an easy way to get your kids involved in the kitchen!
Lemonades
Lemonades: the official drink of summer! You can’t beat a tall icy glass of lemonade on a hot day, but they’re often loaded with tons of unecessary sugar. Here are 4 of our favorite guaranteed kid-pleaser healthy versions.
10-Minute Healthy Lemonade from Amy’s Healthy Baking – your classic summer lemonade with zero added sugar.
Low-Sugar Lavendar Lemonade from barley & birch – this twist on the usual adds a fun flavor and is naturally calming.
Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade from Cook Nourish Bliss – a little bit of fizz makes this extra refreshing.
Mermaid Lemonade from The Glowing Fridge – this magical vibrant lemonade is secretly packed with superfoods!
Smoothies
These are the kinds of smoothies that you can eat for breakfast or enjoy as a dessert. They taste great and look fun and delicious!
Simple Rainbow Smoothie from Handmade Charlotte – the stuff kids’ dreams are made of – a rainbow in a glass!
Chocolate Banana Smoothies from Just One Cookbook – potassium is great for active growing bodies – and who doesn’t love the classic combo of chocolate and bananas.
Tropical Green Pineapple Smoothie from barley & birch – spinach, pineapple and greek yogurt make this 5-ingredient smoothie a summer kid drink winner.
Orange Dreamsicle Smoothie from SoFab Food – A super delicious way to get in your whole day’s worth of Vitamin C.
Milks
Almond, Rice, Soy, Flavored…there’s a milk here for every kid! Drink these ice cold for a yummy way to keep growing bones summer strong.
Healthy Homemade Chocolate Milk from Back to the Book Nutrition – everyone’s favorite, done healthier!
Homemade Cinnamon and Honey Soy Milk from KiranTaran – like a chilled, creamy horchata – I could start every summer morning this way.
Homemade Rice Milk with Fruit Cubes from SheKnow – a great alternative for kids who are lactose intolerant – and the fruit adds yummy flavor.
Homemade Strawberry Almond Milk from 101 Cookbooks – Heidi Swanson’s site is one of my absolute favorites for finding healthy seasonal recipes, and this one comes just in time for strawberry season.
Super hydration
Sports, swimming, playing outside or even just sweating while laying in the sun can leave kids parched, dragging and cranky in no-time flat on a hot summer day. These drinks provide great ways to rehydrate and re-energize your minis fast!
Sparkling Watermelon Sippers from Super Healthy Kids – absolutely packed with water, this is the perfect pick-me-up!
Healthy Homemade Electrolyte Drinks from Mommypotomus – healthier than store bought with all-natural flavor and color.
Chia Fresca Drink from Daily Burn – all day energy! If you’ve never tried chia seeds, start with this lemon-y summer drink.
Probiotic Sparkling Apple Juice from Fermented Food Labs – optimal hydration starts with great whole-body health and kids love this “fizzy” juice.
Water made fun!
When it comes to summer drinks, water rules. Here’s where I admit something shocking: its one of my least favorite things to drink. I know, I KNOW – believe me, I wish I loved it more. Drinking water isn’t just the best source of hydration for kids and adults – it is simply one of those things we HAVE to do as humans. That doesn’t mean we can’t try to make it more fun though – here are a few ways to try to take the blah out of of water.
Glitter Ice Cubes from A Subtle Revelry – Edible Glitter…in cubes…I mean, need I say more?!?
Fruit Cubes from Oh The Things We’ll Make – healthy, concentrated fruit cubes for kids and toddlers – and in water, the color magically changes as they melt!
Fruit Infused Water from I Heart Naptime – How refreshing do these infused waters look? I can totally see making small jars in different color combos for a festive kids party drink!
Striped Ice Cubes from The View from Great Island – I’m not sure I’ve ever called ice cubes “adorable,” but these ARE – and made only from healthy ingredients.
DIY drinks are the perfect kinds of recipes to make with kiddos who are beginning to explore cooking independently. For our BIG collection of more kitchen play activities, our favorite kids kitchen tools, and printable safety rule templates visit our hands-on kitchen learning list!
For some super fun easy kid-made drinks, be sure to check out our fresh-fruit-juice-packed Pop Rocks Punch and DIY Ecto-Cooler!
