Children & family
Electrolytes
for kids.
Kids heat up faster than adults, sweat less efficiently and forget to drink until they’re already running on empty. Here’s the gentle, low-sodium way to keep them ahead of it — how much, how often and which pack.
The basics
Smaller bodies, faster losses.
A child playing outside in a Gulf summer loses fluid and minerals far quicker than an adult would in the same conditions — and the signs (tiredness, irritability, a headache at bedtime) usually arrive before anyone thinks “dehydration”. Children carry more surface area for their weight, so they take on heat faster, and their sweat response is still developing, so they shed it more slowly. Add a pool, which hides sweat completely, and a school bottle that comes home full, and the afternoon is a slow drain nobody sees.
A gentle electrolyte serve replaces what sweat takes without the 20–35 g of sugar a standard sports drink or juice would add. Every Hydralyte format mixes to the same low-sodium, potassium-led serve described on the science page — a daily-prevention ratio, not a hospital-strength one — and children from around four can have half a 250 ml serve. The four flavours (Orange Blast, Lemon Lime, Pineapple and Watermelon) differ in taste only, so a picky drinker still has a pick, and the jar and the 10 g mini stick cover the fridge jug and the school bag between them. The same logic applies to the grown-ups on training days and through a long fast; this page is the kids’ version.
A school day, dosed
Four moments that matter.
The serve is a tool for the sweaty hours, not a drink to sip all day. On an ordinary day water does the job; on a park, pitch or pool day, two small serves at the right moments keep them ahead.
Pack the bottle
Water · mini on sports daysPlain water for an ordinary day. On PE or sports-day mornings, half a 10 g mini in the 250 ml school bottle — mixed weak and cold, so it comes home empty.
Before the park
Half a 250 ml serveOne small serve before play starts, not mid-game. Dosing ahead of the sweat beats chasing it — and a cold glass gets finished where a warm one gets abandoned.
Out of the pool
Second small serve · heavy daysSwimming hides sweat, so pool days count double. A second small serve after a long, hot session is plenty for most children — that is the daily ceiling.
Dinner and done
WaterWater with the meal. Food closes the rest of the mineral gap; the electrolyte serve has done its job for the day.
The serve guide
How much, how often, which pack.
Every value below is the pack ratio from the formats page: 20 g per 500 ml, 10 g or one tablet per 250 ml. Children get half of a 250 ml serve; adults get the full one.
| Who | Water | Format and amount | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children from around four | 250 ml glassmixed weak and cold | Half a 250 ml serve — half a 10 g mini stick, or half an effervescent tablet | One to two small serves on heavy-play or pool dayswater on ordinary days |
| The family jug | 1 litre jugchilled, finished the same day | Two level 20 g scoops from the 200 g jar | A small glass for the kids, a 500 ml glass for adultsone jar makes ten 500 ml serves |
| Adults in the house | 500 ml bottle | One 20 g stick, one level scoop, or two tablets | One to three serves a day in heat, training or illnesswater is all you need otherwise |
A note on conditions. The serve is gentle and low in sodium and sugar, but if your child has a medical condition — or takes regular medication — check with your paediatrician before adding an electrolyte drink to their day. For your own number, the personal hydration calculator does the adult sums.
Formats for families
Two packs cover the household.
One for the fridge, one for the bag. Both come in all four flavours and mix to the same serve — the only difference is where you are when you need it.
The 200 g jar
Ten 500 ml serves under one resealable lid. Two scoops make a litre for the weekend — pool days, after-school sport, the picnic cooler.
Read about the jar
The 10 g mini stick
One 250 ml serve, sized for a school bottle or a small flask. Half a mini is the half serve that suits children from around four.
Read about the mini
The fridge jug routine
Mix a litre, keep it cold.
The jar earns its place because a jug in the fridge is the one hydration habit that runs itself: nobody has to remember to mix anything at five o’clock, and a cold pink glass is the drink children ask for. Mix it once, chill it, and pour small glasses through the sweaty hours.
- Water first, then two level 20 g scoops per litre — powder goes in second so it wets evenly.
- Stir until clear, then into the fridge. Clear means dissolved.
- A small glass for the kids, a 500 ml glass for you. Finish the jug the same day.
- Reseal the jar after every serve and keep it out of the sun — storage notes are on the formats page.
The playbook
Three habits that survive summer.
Half-serve rule
Half a 250 ml serve suits kids from around four years up. Mix it weak and cold — they’ll drink more of it, more often.
Anchor to play
A serve before park time and one after beats trying to dose mid-game. Pool days count double — swimming hides sweat.
Let them choose
Four flavours means a picky drinker still has a pick. Watermelon and Pineapple are the two children usually ask for by name.
Family FAQ
The questions every parent asks.
What age is it suitable from?
The formats mix to a gentle, low-sodium serve that suits kids from around four years up at half strength — half a 250 ml serve. If your child has a medical condition, check with your paediatrician first.
How does it compare to juice or sports drinks?
A mixed Hydralyte serve carries low sugar and a measured mineral profile — 105 mg of sodium and 180 mg of potassium per 500 ml, with 500 mg of vitamin C. Juice and sports drinks carry 20–35 g of sugar in the same glass without the balance. It’s the picnic answer that isn’t juice.
How many serves a day?
One to two small serves on heavy-play or pool days is plenty for most children; on ordinary days, water does the job. It’s a tool for the sweaty hours, not a drink to sip all day.
Which format works best for families?
The 200 g jar for the fridge jug on weekends — one jar makes ten 500 ml serves — and 10 g mini sticks for school bags and day trips, where one mini makes a 250 ml serve. Both come in all four flavours; the formats page has the full size guide.
Can I mix it weaker for a small child?
Yes. Mixing weaker is fine for a lighter taste or for children — half a 10 g mini in a 250 ml glass is the half serve that suits children from around four. Mixing stronger only concentrates the flavour and the minerals; it does not make the serve work harder. Cold water suits every flavour.
More on the numbers, the flavours and the packs: science · flavours · formats.
More guides
Also for you.
Build the family kit.
Jar for home, minis for the bag — start with the flavour they’ll actually finish.