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They might be pint-size, but their water needs are not. Kids, experts say, should be just as properly hydrated as adults, if not more so.

“The standard recommendations are for children to get six to eight glasses of water per day,” says Dr. Melina Jampolis, CNNHealth’s Diet and Fitness expert. “Mild dehydration can affect learning as well as mental and physical performance.”

Underscoring Jampolis’ assertion is a recent report out of Tufts University which found that children who are even mildly thirsty can become cranky. For school-age children, dehydration—even at low levels—can impair cognitive function, says lead reseacher Kristen D’Anci, Ph.D