How much water should children drink?

If you are wondering how much water children need to drink, you are in the right place! Most children do not drink enough fluids but water is very important for children to be healthy. The list below shows fluid needs for children. The total includes all kinds of fluids, including the water in food.

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Very young children need a higher proportion of liquid to their body weight than adults. Children should get just under 5 ounces of liquids for every 2 pounds. Remember that children who eat solids also get liquids from the foods they eat.

Babies weighing 2-22 pounds:

Always follow your doctor’s advice for nutrition information for babies. For a general reference, babies this age drink about 1 and a half times their weight in fluids. Take your baby’s weight and multiply it by 1.5. That number is the about the number of ounces your baby should drink. If your baby weighs 12 pounds, that’s 12 x 1.5= 18 so your baby needs about 18 ounces of milk or formula.

Children weighing over 20 pounds:

• 20-25 lbs: 30-36 ounces of fluids daily (a child gets some liquids from food)
• 25-30 lbs: 36-40 ounces of fluids daily (a child gets some liquids from food)
• 30-35 lbs: 40-43 ounces of fluids daily (a child gets some liquids from food)
• 35-40 lbs: 43-47 ounces of fluids daily (a child gets some liquids from food)
• 40-45 lbs: 47-51 ounces of fluids daily (a child gets some liquids from food)
• 45-50 lbs: 51-53 ounces of fluids daily (a child gets some liquids from food)
• 50-60 lbs: 53-56 ounces of fluids daily (a child gets some liquids from food)
• 60-70 lbs: 56-59 ounces of fluids daily (a child gets some liquids from food)
• 70-80 lbs: 59-62 ounces of fluids daily (a child gets some liquids from food)
• 80-90 lbs: 62-65 ounces of fluids daily (a child gets some liquids from food)
• 90-100 lbs: 65-68

This is a general chart for informational purposes only. You should always follow your doctor’s advice for your child’s needs.

Children and adults over 100 pounds

Once people are over 100 pounds, their fluids needs decrease in proportion to their weight. People over 100 pounds should drink about half an ounce of water per pound of weight. To calculate, people should take their weight and divide it in half and that’s about how many ounces of water they should drink, but be sure to get at least 70 ounces daily. People who are very active or who live in hot places should drink more – about two-thirds an ounce per pound of body weight. Adults also get some liquids from the foods they eat.

How to drink more water

To help you remember to increase your water intake, try these tips:

• Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and right before bed. Remind your kids to drink in the morning, but maybe not right before bed if they’ve recently potty trained.
• Drink a glass of water before each meal. This will help you digest better and fill your stomach so you less food, helping you lose weight.
• Drink water with your meals and encourage kids to do the same.
• Don’t purchase sugary drinks at the store. If you don’t have them in the house, you’re more likely to find a different source of fluids.
• Add some flavor to your water by splashing in some lemon or juice, brewing tea or buying little flavor packets from the store.
• Water down juice, especially for kids. When kids are exposed to very sweet or salty flavors when they are young, they’re more likely to crave items that are high in sugar and salt throughout their life.
• Keep bottled water in the fridge or keep a pitcher of cold water in the fridge so cold water is always available to drink.
• Bring a bottle of water with you when you leave the house. Encourage kids to bring a bottle with them when they are outside.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list of water intake amounts for children and that it will help you know how much water children and adults should drink. Remember to try our tips for drinking more water!

Please comment below and share your experience with us, or give us a feedback about this article. If you think some tips are not included here, please let us know so that we could share them with the rest.