Nursery World - Stay cool

Taking a balanced approach to sun safety will allow children to play and learn happily outdoors on hot days, as Jennie Lindon explains Hopefully we are now enjoying warmer days that raise the practical issue of taking care of children outdoors in the summertime. Sunshine is not in itself dangerous and enough sun is important for health. However, children are at risk, as are adults, from unprotected hours in strong sunlight. The two main types of skin cancer, malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, can both arise from excessive exposure to the sun.

Hopefully we are now enjoying warmer days that raise the practical issue of taking care of children outdoors in the summertime. Sunshine is not in itself dangerous and enough sun is important for health. However, children are at risk, as are adults, from unprotected hours in strong sunlight. The two main types of skin cancer, malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, can both arise from excessive exposure to the sun.

The key advice about sun safety is not to get sunburned, because of the risk of damage to the DNA in skin cells. Children's skin is especially vulnerable to sun damage. Fair-skinned children will be the first to burn, but darker skin protects children to only a limited extent. Sun-safety advice is straightforward: enjoy the outdoors but take the following precautions.

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