How to Make Sun Safety Fun for Kids

Explaining sun safety to a child is almost as tricky as getting them to re-apply sunscreen. As a parent, you’re responsible for keeping them safe in the sun until they’re old enough to take care of themselves. Unfortunately, many teenagers immediately reverse their parent’s diligence with sun safety as soon as they’re old enough to make their own decisions.

The key is to educate kids from a young age and make sun safety fun. Here are ways to make sun safety fun for kids so they seek out sun safety for decades to come.

Sun Damage and Kids

There is a high likelihood nearly all of us have a painfully vivid memory of a sunburn from our childhood. These sunburns probably resulted from being outside all day surrounded by reflective surfaces like a pool, beach, or lake. According the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, “a bad sunburn in childhood doubles the risk of skin cancer later in life.” This is because young skin is thinner and more delicate than adult skin.

Teaching Sun Safety to Kids

Lead by Example
Children look to their parents to model what is considered appropriate behavior. Lead by example by wearing sun protective apparel, sunscreen, and hats. Allowing your children to see you take preventative steps helps them understand the importance of proactive sun protection.

Make Downtime
Constitute downtime during the peak hours of the day between 11am-3pm, when the UV rays are at their strongest. This downtime coincidentally coincides with lunchtime, anyways! Take time during the peak hours of the day to enjoy lunch, nap, read, and other indoor activities.

Seek Shade
Seeking shade is one of the easiest ways to teach kids sun safety. Sometimes it’s as simple as offering alternatives in high-UV index situations. For instance, if you’re at the beach, set up umbrellas, a canopy, and comfortable chairs for the entire family to enjoy. You can also teach children fun tactics to test how powerful the sun is. Growing up, a favorite was “if your shadow is shorter than you, seek shade.”

When Can You Apply Sunscreen to Children?

Infants (0-6 months)

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, you can introduce sunscreen once a baby is six months old. UCSF notes that, a “baby’s young skin doesn’t have the ability to metabolize and excrete chemicals often found in sunscreens.” Until they’re six months, it is advised to keep infants out of direct sun exposure altogether. If you’re outside with an infant in their first few months of life, be sure to cover them with an umbrella, sunglasses, wide-brimmed hat, and a UV sun wrap.

Babies (6-12 months)

Even once a baby is old enough to wear sunscreen, it is advised to still keep them protected with a hat, sunglasses, and sun-protective apparel. Select a broad-spectrum sunscreen and perform a patch test before applying a sunscreen to their entire body.

Toddlers (12+ months)

By the time your child is a toddler, it’s probably increasingly more difficult to re-apply sunscreen. With toddlers who are constantly on the go, opt for sun-protective apparel, and spray or stick sunscreens that make reapplication a breeze.

Developing Life-Long Habits

Making sun safety fun for kids is the first step in keeping them protected from harmful UV rays for years to come. The earlier you teach the importance of staying protected from the sun, the better.