Milwaukee is under a dangerous heat advisory, and child care centers and families are taking steps to keep young children safe as temperatures climb into the high 80s and low 90s this week.
The American Academy of Pediatrics found that a child's core body temperature can rise up to 5 times faster than adults when playing outside, increasing the risk for heat-related illness.
At the Ebenezer Child Care Center's location in Bayview, staff have protocols in place to protect children during extreme heat, including applying sunscreen, requiring protective coverings like hats, and scheduling water play days when possible.
Program Director Soua Lor said children may spend most of their time indoors this week given the forecast.
“So with weather where it’s hitting like 90 and over, we would probably start maximizing our muscle room. If there are parts throughout the day where teachers could potentially take kids outside for a small period of time, that’s OK. We would really have to just watch to see where the temperature truly falls,” Lor said.
For families looking to beat the heat, Milwaukee city and county splash pads and wading pools are open and free to the public. They operate from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. when temperatures reach 72 degrees or higher.
Some families are already taking advantage of the splash pads. Penny and Laila, two sisters whose grandmother brought them to a splash pad, shared how they like to spend hot days.
“Usually I go swimming, and usually I just go to like splash pads a lot, so it’s like a usual thing I’m used to,” Penny said.
“I like to slip and slide,” Laila said.
Penny also had another hot-weather staple in mind.
"I usually like to have ice cream because it makes me so hyper," Penny said.
"I like to have ice cream cone with a vanilla swirl," Laila said.
Milwaukee County Parks has a working document available online update constantly where residents can check the status of local pools and splash pads and review any updates before visiting.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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