The temperature is heating up, and your kids are spending more time outdoors. They’re sweating; they’re swimming. They need extra sun protection—and so do you! Show
The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays are at their strongest during the summer, and unprotected skin can be damaged in as little as 15 minutes. While applying a SPF (sun protection factor) 30 sunscreen is important throughout the year, taking extra sun-safety precautions during the summer is especially important. Try these tips on your next family trip to the beach, pool, playground, ballpark or amusement/water park. 1. Put on extra sunscreen Kids who are sweating or swimming need to reapply sunscreen more often. Reflective surfaces, like water and sand, can intensify the sun’s rays and cause a greater burn. A sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 protects the skin from the sun. Apply one ounce of sunscreen (about the size of a ping pong ball) to all sun-exposed areas of the body. Don’t forget the ears, feet and behind the neck. Because sunscreen can take up to 30 minutes to go into full effect, it’s a good idea to apply it at home before you drive to the pool or beach. Keep extra on hand to reapply throughout the day. 2. Protect lips and eyes Choosing the right sunglasses and lip balm also can provide added UV protection for parents and kids. Apply a lip balm that offers SPF protection and reapply throughout the day. Choose wrap-around sunglasses that absorb at least 99% of UV rays to protect your eyes and the skin around your eyes. 3. Wear sun-protective clothing While most people usually know to use sunscreen and sunglasses, few are aware of the availability of sun-protective clothing. Many companies offer a variety of sun-protective clothing with as much as ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) 50. UPF indicates how much UV radiation can penetrate the fabric in clothing. For example, a shirt with UPF 30 means that just 1/30th of the sun’s UV radiation can reach the skin. You can find swimsuits, hats, shirts, shorts and jackets that offer UPF protection in every color and size for both kids and adults. “Certain items in your closet also may do the job,” says Susan Chon, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Dermatology at MD Anderson. “Wear tightly woven, dark-colored fabrics.” “These colors and fabrics offer more protection than others,” Chon says. According to Chon, a long-sleeved shirt may offer sun protection; however, most light-weight cotton shirts used in the summer don’t offer more than UPF 10. “A simple way to test your tee’s UV level is to hold it up to a light bulb. If you can see the light coming through, it probably isn’t offering you maximum protection.” 4. Find or make shade It’s always a good idea to have a place where you and your family can
find shade from the sun. Plan ahead.“Seeking shade is especially important between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays are at their strongest,” Chon says. Depending on the activity or location, one of the options below may work for you.
5. Make a travel size sun-safety kit You never know what the day has in store. At the beginning of the summer, create a travel size kit with all the items you need to keep your family sun safe. Don’t leave home without it! Here are some basic, portable items to put in your kit.
“These are great items to keep handy in your bag to prepare for the sun as it intensifies throughout the day,” Chon says. Request an appointment at MD Anderson's Lyda Hill Cancer Prevention Center online or call 877-632-6789. It is important to protect children's skin from UVR exposure every day in Queensland, as the UV Index is three or higher year-round and is high to extreme for much of the year. Children and young people's skin is very susceptible to UVR damage and sustaining five or more severe sunburns in this critical period more than double melanoma risk. Reducing sun exposure in childhood is the most effective way of reducing the risk of developing skin cancer later in life. The early childhood education and care setting provides an appropriate opportunity to influence positive sun safe behaviour and establish the use of daily life long sun protection practices. Ensure your centre or school approaches sun safety in an integrated and multi-strategic way, with links between policy, curriculum, and environment. PoliciesAll Queensland early childhood education and care services should have a comprehensive sun protection policy which outlines the commitment to sun protection, and the responsibilities of teachers, parents and families, and children. The policy should:
Some examples of issues covered through policy include:
These resources can assist with policy development, including templates to adapt for your centre.
Legislative requirementsThe early childhood education and care sector is required to work within a combination of state and national legislative requirements for sun-safe procedures. State requirementsExisting early childhood education and care services are required to maintain compliance with the relevant version of the Queensland Development Code (QDC) including the particular provisions relating to shade. Approved providers should contact their local Early Childhood Officer within the Department of Education and Training for further information. National requirementsThe National Quality Standards are made up of 3 separate documents:
Together, these set out the requirements for most long day care, preschool, kindergarten, family day care, and outside school hours care services in Australia. The National Regulations incorporate a broad provision regarding shade that is intended to accommodate vast variations in climatic conditions between jurisdictions (for example between Queensland and Tasmania). Regulation 114 prescribes shade requirements for the physical environment in outdoor spaces and outlines that the approved provider of a centre-based service must ensure that outdoor spaces provided at the education and care service premises include adequate shaded areas to protect children from overexposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Under the National Regulations, services must have policy and procedures in relation to sun protection (Regulation 168 (2)(a)(ii)). Services are assessed against the National Quality Standard, and the Guide to the National Quality Framework includes reference to having shaded areas that meet the recommendations of relevant recognised authorities for protection from the sun. Designing shadeCreating effective shade should be considered as one strategy within a comprehensive sun safety policy. Well designed and effective shade not only provides sun protection, it will also help to cool the grounds and reduce heat. Natural shade in the form of well planted trees and shrubs can provide shade and help to improve the natural environment at the same time. Consider involving the educators as well as parents of an early childhood education and care service to ensure the whole facility is supportive of the shade development. This also provides a good opportunity to discuss overall sun protection within the early childhood education and care environment and to establish the importance of skin cancer prevention for children. Early childhood services should consider quality standards in all areas in relation to one another, to consider children's education, health, safety and wellbeing. It is also important to consider how health and safety objectives can be balanced against the need for young children to have appropriate opportunities to spend time in outdoor environments and be physically active in open spaces. When considering shade for your facility, you may need to conduct a Shade Needs Assessment, as part of a process to plan, cost and approve a shade project. Read about how to design for shade and sun safety in public facilities:
Kidsafe also has information about planning safe playgrounds. What are the five sun protection and child care essentials to protect children and staff at your service from the effects of UV radiation?just 5 simple sun safe measures: Slip, Slop, Slap, Slide, Shade... SPF, UVA protection, how much to apply, when to reapply... burning UV radiation!
What are the 5 principles of sun protection?For the best protection, use all five SunSmart steps:. Slip on covering clothing. Choose clothing that covers as much skin as possible, for example, collared shirts with long sleeves. ... . Slop on SPF 30 (or higher) broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen. ... . Slap on a hat. ... . Seek shade. ... . Slide on some sunglasses.. What are five things that can protect children from the sun when playing outside?Loose-fitting clothing is cooler.. Hats. A hat protects your child's face, neck and ears from the sun's UV. ... . Sunglasses. Wearing sunglasses as well as a hat can help protect your child's eyes. ... . Sunscreen and babies. ... . Sunscreen and older children or teenagers.. How can we protect children from UV rays?How to Protect Kids from the Sun. Use “broad spectrum” sunscreen. ... . Limit time in the sun. ... . Use extra protection for babies less than 6 months. ... . Dress yourself and your child in protective clothing. ... . Reapply sunscreen often! ... . Set a good example.. |
