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The Toddle About Show · Bill Clapson
Is it safe to cover a pram or pushchair with a blanket to provide shade in hot weather?
No — covering a pram or pushchair with a thick blanket is strongly advised against. Rather than protecting a baby from the heat, it stops airflow entirely, causing the temperature inside the pram to rise to dangerous levels. The risk is real and the advice is clear: don't improvise shade with a regular blanket or jacket.
The safe alternatives are clip-on parasols or shade covers specifically designed and tested for use with prams. These products block direct sunlight while still allowing air to circulate around your child — which is exactly what a draped blanket cannot do. If a shade product has been purpose-built and tested for pram use, it is safe. If it hasn't — whether it's a muslin, a hoodie, or a fleece blanket — it shouldn't be used as improvised shade.
"Put something cold on your wrists because the blood vessels are much closer to the skin and then you're almost cooling yourself on the inside."
— Bill Clapson, The Toddle About ShowThis episode of The Toddle About Show was recorded during an early-July heatwave — one of four the UK had already experienced before August even arrived. Bill Clapson and Emily Clapson spoke frankly about how difficult it is to manage heat with young children, describing how one family ended up with five thermometers at home at the same time in their efforts to monitor their children's temperature. That context makes the pram blanket warning especially pointed: when parents are already overwhelmed and reaching for whatever is at hand, the instinct to drape something over a pushchair for shade can feel like a sensible shortcut. It isn't.
See also
Getting children to drink plain water can be very difficult; adding a small amount of squash to make it more appealing is suggested, since drinking is more important than what is drunk during hot weather.
Signs of dehydration in children include going to the toilet less often, fewer wet nappies than expected, being visibly upset but unable to cry, and being unusually lethargic or unresponsive.
The most reliable way to check if a child is too hot is to touch their chest or their back, as this reflects their core body temperature. Checking hands and feet alone can be misleading.