The Monkey Tree

Keep Your Kids Safe Splashing About In The Sun This Summer

Hot weather and holidays are exciting but bring potential hazards for kids... water and sun! We all worry about our children around pools and in the sea so as parents we should encourage them to learn to swim and develop water safety skill as early as possible in their life – it is an essential life skill. But what if your child is afraid of the water & can’t swim? Don’t panic! You could check out swimming lessons at your local leisure centre. Often the best value. At Everyone Active they recognise that it is important to develop water confidence and safety skills from as young as 5 months so that kids can enjoy swimming for the rest of their lives as a fun, healthy and enjoyable activity.  Here are some top tips of what to look for when choosing swimming lessons: Waiting lists - choose a centre that can accommodate your children when you want!   Start your kids as young as possible, ask about mother & toddler sessions. Busy parents need flexibility - so pick a pool with plenty on offer. Quality standards count - teachers should be ASA qualified, as a minimum. It’s great if there are badges and certificates to collect. Are there other water based sports to try like snorkeling, diving etc Ask your friends with kids to recommend a good local lesson programme. Also important is protection from the harmful rays of the sun.  Ultraviolet radiation, or UV, is present in sunlight. Sunburn is a sign that your skin has received too much UV. Some harmful sun facts: 90% off all skin cancer can be attributed to the sun Less than one third of UK children are adequately protected against the sun Most people receive 50-80% of their lifetime exposure by the age of 18. Most skin cancer appears in adulthood, yet most of the damage occurs in childhood. Just one bad blistering sunburn during childhood can double the risk of skin cancer later in life. UV rays bounce off sand, concrete and water - and the reflecting rays can cause skin damage. A white cotton T-shirt blocks out only about 5% of the rays, and even less when wet In addition to wearing the highest factor sun screen at all times children should also wear clothes that offer protection from the sun’s harmful rays. The Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) shows how well a fabric protects your skin from solar UV - ratings range from 15 to 50.  Fabrics higher than 50 are labeled as UPF 50+.  Interestingly a T-shirt may only give a UPF factor of 5 to 15 and if this garment is submerged in water then the UPF rating could be reduced. Zoggs have designed a fantastic range of sun protection clothes with vibrant prints and great comfort that will most importantly protect your child when in the sun. All Zoggs sun protection garments offer a rating of UPF 50+ which classifies as excellent so you can buy with confidence.