Sun safety
When scheduling activities outdoors, avoid the hottest part of the day and plan to spend the bulk of the time in the morning and evening hours.
Keeping kids safe in the sun through the hot summer months
Swimming, playground, sports, barbecues and endless hours spent outdoors—so much fun can be had and there is no time to let sickness slow us down! Keeping kids safe in the sun and heat is essential to making the most of summer.
Undeniably, the easiest way to stay cool and safe is to stay hydrated. Drinking water and sports drinks helps replenish fluids the body loses through sweating. Children participating in sports or vigorous activity ideally should drink in 20-minute intervals, as well as when the activity has ended. By the time the child feels thirst, dehydration already may have set in (KidsHealth.org).
Dress your children in lightweight, loose fitting, light colored clothing. Keep as much skin covered as possible while dressing for the temperature (srh.NOAA.gov). Wear a hat to keep the head and face shaded and out of the sun.
When scheduling activities outdoors, avoid the hottest part of the day and plan to spend the bulk of the time in the morning and evening hours. The sun is usually the strongest between 10:00 and 4:00 (KidsHealth.org).
Apply a minimum of SPF 15 every time you and your child go outdoors whether it is sunny, windy or overcast. Receiving too much sun and becoming sunburned on a cloudy day is still possible. Often children do not realize how hot their skin is becoming because of a cool breeze (KidsHealth.org). For best results apply the sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going into the sun and reapply every two hours.
Find shade whenever possible. While playing outdoors, take a break under the shade of a tree or umbrella.
Never leave a child or pet in a car. No amount of time is considered safe when the heat index is pushing triple digits, even if the windows are rolled down some. Temperature inside a car can reach 140 degrees in 30 minutes on a hot, sunny day (srh.NOAA.gov).
Finally, cool off before bedtime with a shower or bath. Use this time to check yourself and your children for ticks. Ticks like to embed themselves in dark places if at all possible and are not always obvious at a quick glance. They like to hide in skin creases and joints and on the head, camouflaged by hair. While some ticks are harmless, others may carry diseases such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus (CDC.gov).
Jessica Heine is a labor and delivery nurse who lives in Olathe with her husband and three young children. She plans to spend many hours outdoors at the baseball field and swimming pool.