Published: 28 June 2024
Spending time outdoors is a great way for children to get some fresh air, exercise and valuable Vitamin D. No more so than over the summer when the sun is shining and the days are longer! However, exposing children to too much sun can have a harmful effect on their health and wellbeing and so, we are here to help you with guidance on how to keep your children safe in the sun.
Vitamin D helps to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These two nutrients are essential for keeping bones, teeth and muscles healthy. For young children aged 1-4, the NHS recommends taking a daily supplement throughout the year to avoid becoming Vitamin D-deficient.
It is important to say that UV radiation from the sun can happen all year round, and not just in the summer. Over-exposure to UV rays can cause sunburn, skin damage and increased risk of skin cancer.
Children are at risk of sunburn within 10-15 minutes of being exposed to strong UV rays and so it is very important that measures are taken to protect them and to encourage sun-safe practices from a young age.
We know how much children love to be outside in the summer - those endless afternoons spent darting through the sprinkler, splashing in a paddling pool or making sandcastles on the beach. There are some practical ways to protect a child from the sun and as with everyone, the amount of time a child spends in the sun should be closely monitored.
There are some fantastic games and activities that children can do outside in the shade, fuelling their bodies with Vitamin D and furthering their education and development!
This is a great game for a warm, sunny day and can involve the whole family! Positional language and hand-eye coordination will be tested here.
Why not have a picnic with all your teddies in the garden? This is a great activity to broaden your child’s communication skills and encourage sentence construction.
A messy but fun activity that encourages children to mark-make as well as strengthen their fine and gross motor skills.
Tracing around shadows in the shade of the garden is a brilliant way for children to develop their knowledge of shapes and colours.
We all know how much children love eating ice cream so why not engage their curious minds with making it too!
Recreating scenes from the home is an essential part of role play. Children can exercise their fine and gross motor skills in caring for the dolls, and done outside, means a spill-free house!
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