H20 to go: New water bottle encourages kids to hydrate

It can be a struggle to get kids to heed your constant refrain of “Drink more water! Stay hydrated!” during the dog days of summer. Your heatstroke worries can be laid to rest with the release of Bowhead Technology’s best water bottle yet — Gululu, an interactive container recommended for kids ages three and older.

The sturdy bottle features a screen that displays the antics of one of three encouraging, animated characters that your child chooses to be their virtual pet. When she drinks from the bottle, which holds 13.5 ounces, the pet gains new abilities, makes cooing sounds, and makes progress toward returning to its home planet, Ima.

When kids and their Gululu return home after an outing, the bottle uses their home’s WiFi to communicate to the app and let parents know how close their child came to glug-glug-glugging her hydration goals. (When kids return to school, you can set the bottle to school mode, so the screen isn’t a distraction.) If your child’s friend has a Gululu, both children can shake their bottles near each other and their pets become friends, too.

As kids use the bottle more frequently, they quickly intuit how to do more with the bottle’s touch sensor panels and button, and their pet becomes more fun to play with. Best of all, Gululu helps you help your child to create and maintain a healthy habit — getting enough water into their diet.

Each bottle — available in blue, pink, or yellow — comes with a charging dock, USB cable, two spouts, and a cap. (Parent’s supply the power adapter.) Also included are decorative decals and alphabet stickers your child can use to personalize their bottle and affix their name or monogram.

Bottoms up!

Gululu interactive water bottle, $129, Amazon.com.