How To Keep Children Safe In Hot Weather

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How To Keep Children Safe In Hot Weather

The summer term is almost half-way through and the recent May Bank Holiday has proven to be one of the hottest. With this in mind, there are warnings about staying out in the sun for too long and the dangers associated with too much sun.

The problem is, that there’s a lot of evidence to demonstrate that outdoor play is beneficial for children’s development. So what can you do? How can you manage the risks and also allow children time outside? Here are few quick tips:

Keep Outside Time To When The Sun Is Less Intense

There are times when the sun is most dangerous. This is usually between midday and 3 pm. If you reserve these times for indoor play only, you can limit exposure to dangerous UV rays. This can be quite easy as you can have lunch inside and do reading time, etc.

Protective Clothing

It isn’t always possible to limit outdoor time during the day. And there are reasons why you might want to have time outside during high sun periods. If you need to go outside, you should ensure children are wearing protective clothing like long sleeves, hats and if possible sunglasses.

Shaded Areas

Another way to protect children in your setting is to have outdoor play in a shaded area. There are numerous ways you can accommodate this. Firstly, you can use a natural shade like that from trees and other foliage. Another option is for children to play under a canopy. The advantage of a canopy is that you can determine the size of the shaded area and keep it constant.

Sun Cream

You can also help protect children by asking parents to apply sun cream to children before they are dropped off in the morning. This can provide some protection to the skin, but it doesn’t protect against high heat, nor does it protect the skin under the hair or the eyes.

Conclusion

A hot summer is on the way and children will want to play outside. However, they need to be protected from the harmful UV rays. Use our quick tips above to minimise the risks to your children so all can enjoy the great outdoors.

Do you have any ideas for keeping safe in the sun? Do you have cover at your setting?

Let us know in the comments below.

Able Canopies Ltd. design, manufacture and install canopies and shade structures
at schools, nurseries and educational settings to enable year-round
Free Flow Outdoor Play and Outdoor Learning.
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How To Keep Children Safe In Hot Weather

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