Most viral encephalitis in children is self-limiting. It is an acute intracranial inflammation caused by a variety of viruses, and the lesions mainly affect the brain parenchyma. Most viruses that cause viral encephalitis are enteroviruses, while others are herpes simplex virus, adenovirus, mumps virus, and others. The severity of viral encephalitis varies widely, and severe viral encephalitis is prone to death or sequelae in the acute phase. There is no specific treatment for viral encephalitis and the entire course of the disease is self-limiting, so proper supportive and symptomatic treatment during the acute phase is the key to ensuring a smooth recovery and reducing mortality and disability. The main treatment for encephalitis is to control cerebral edema and intracranial hypertension, to control the child’s convulsive episodes, to give support and monitoring of respiratory and cardiovascular function, to consider antiviral drugs if necessary, and, of course, to maintain water-electrolyte balance and proper nutrition, which is also very important. After the above-mentioned active treatment, the course of viral encephalitis is about 2 to 3 weeks, and most children are able to recover completely. For children under two years of age who are infected with herpes simplex virus, the prognosis may be poor if they have more severe brain lesions. For those children with particularly severe disease and diffuse lesions throughout the brain, the prognosis tends to be poor, with varying degrees of sequelae remaining. Common sequelae include convulsions, intellectual, motor, psychological-behavioral, visual or hearing disabilities. Viral encephalitis has a rapid onset, and once a child has a fever and brain symptoms, it is important to seek medical attention and early diagnosis and treatment, and most prognosis is still satisfactory.