All this means more outdoor time for children and their families. Keep these outdoor safety tips in mind to ensure your summer is safe and pleasant.

Follow these simple rules to protect your family from sunburns now and from skin cancer later in life.

• The first, and best, line of defense against the sun is covering up.
• Hat—Wear a hat or cap with a brim that faces forward to shield the face.
• Sunglasses—Wear sunglasses with at least 99% UV protection
• Clothing—Dress yourself and your kids in cool, comfortable lightweight clothing.
• Stay in the shade whenever possible, and limit your sun exposure between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm, when UV rays are strongest.
• Use sunscreen!  Sunscreen can help protect the skin from sunburn and some skin cancers, but only if used correctly. Keep in mind that sunscreen should be used for sun protection, not as a reason to stay in the sun longer. Remember that you can get sunburn even on cloudy days. Also, UV rays can bounce back from water, sand, snow, and concrete so make sure you’re protected.
• Use a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. The higher the SPF, the more UVB protection the sunscreen has.
• Put sunscreen on 30 minutes before going outdoors. It needs time to absorb into the skin.
• Use enough sunscreen to cover all exposed areas, especially the face, nose, ears, feet, and hands and even the backs of the knees. Rub it in well.
• Reapply sunscreen every 1 to 2 hours. Sunscreen wears off after swimming, sweating, or just from soaking into the skin.

Last Updated
5/12/2013

Sources

Fun in the Sun: Keep Your Family Safe (2008, American Academy of Pediatrics)