Clever sun protection strategies at childcare.

Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world, and although all ages should stay on the down-low when it comes to Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, young families and early childhood educators need to be especially SunSmart.  

Baby, toddler and preschooler skin is particularly vulnerable to the sun’s cancer-causing UV rays, because it has lower levels of the skin pigment, melanin, and a thinner outer layer than us grown-ups.  

Littlies also love outdoor play, which ups their sun exposure, and any damage done early in life increases your tot’s risk of skin cancer later on.  

This puts a new perspective on family outings to the park, beach and beyond, where sun safety should be front of mind. And if you’re looking for the gold standard in sun protection, then your child’s early learning centre is a great place to start.  

Every approved early childhood service has a legal and regulatory duty of care to protect our cherubs from harmful UV exposure.  

Many are part of the National SunSmart Early Childhood Program, which makes it easy for them to create the comprehensive, evidence-informed sun protection policy they need, and there are procedures in place at services to protect littlies from high UV levels. 

How high is too high? 

Sun protection is needed whenever the UV level hits three or over, according to the free SunSmart app, MyUV or Bureau of Meteorology website.  

UV levels change, depending on what time it is, what season you’re in, and where you’re located.  

When the UV levels reach three, early learning services should respond with a ‘Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide’ approach.  

This five-step SunSmart strategy helps to keep kiddies safe from harmful UV, and each ‘S’ word plays out in a different way at childcare: 

1. ‘Slip’ is the cue to slip on sun-protective clothing 

The idea is to cover as much of the body as possible with cool, densely woven fabric that shields the sun.  

Light tops with elbow-length sleeves and higher necklines are encouraged to protect precious skin, and centres often suggest longer-style shorts, skirts and dresses that cover a good chunk of little legs.  

If a child is wearing less sun safe clothing, like a strappy singlet top, educators may give them a more protective layer to wear before heading outside, and grown-ups lead by example, wearing clothes made for learning and the UV level.  

2. ‘Slop’ means slopping on sunscreen 

Littlies may turn their nose up at sunscreen, but a kid-friendly SPF30 (or higher) sunscreen puts a good barrier between that nose and the sun.  

The Cancer Council recommends a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen, applied 15 to 20 minutes before groups galivant around outside, then re-applied every two hours.  

Baby soft skin is very sensitive, so the Cancer Council recommends that young bubs (under six months) steer clear of sunscreen, and older babies focus on other sun protection measures (like a hat, long-sleeves and shade cloth) before slopping on any SPF.  

It’s important to do a little sunscreen test before slathering it all over an under five, and Justine Osborne, Manager of the SunSmart Schools and Early Childhood Program encourages educators and kiddies to apply sunscreen together.  

The best technique is to dot sunscreen on the cheeks, nose and chin (avoiding the eye area), then add squiggles of it to any bare skin on the arms and legs, rubbing it in bit-by-bit. 

Ms Osborne says, “From three years of age, care-givers can encourage and supervise children to apply their own sunscreen to help them develop independent skills, so they’ll be all set for school.”  

And a sunscreen station, with a pump pack, mirror and adult supervision, is a fab place for pre-schoolers to practise.   

3. ‘Slap’ involves slapping on a hat  

Every fun day at childcare requires a sensible hat, and whether this is brought from home or supplied by the service, a legionnaire, broad-brimmed or bucket style is the biz.  

Ms Osborne says, “A hat should shade the face, neck and ears, and be proportional to the size of the child’s head, so it protects from UV, but doesn’t sit so low that their sight or hearing is hindered.” 

If there’s an underswell of hat resistance (or just plain forgetfulness), grown-ups can support hat-wearing by ensuring each one is easy to find, easy to identify, and easy to wear. 

A ‘Hat Buddy’ system encourages little mates to look out for one another, too. If a hat comes loose or never makes it on the head, it’s the Hat Buddy’s job to ensure head and hat join forces to fight UV! 

It’s also helpful to give kids a say in the hat style and colour they wear. A little bit of ‘hat bling,’ added with fabric paints or stickers, ups the ante, and a good old fashioned hat parade is always a hit, too.  

4. ‘Seek’ is the act of seeking shade 

Shelters, trees and awnings all provide outdoor shade at early learning services, and play activities should follow shade patterns, as the sun moves across the sky. For example, the swings might be shady early on, and the sandpit better later.  

Remember, too, that cloud cover isn’t the same as shade cover. Ms Osborne says, “You can get burnt on cloudy, windy and cool days, as UV radiation can penetrate clouds, and may even be more intense due to reflection off the clouds.”  

It’s the UV level that matters, not how hot or sunny it is.  

5. ‘Slide’ involves kids sliding on sunglasses   

It can be tricky to keep shades on tiny tots, even with a strap, but if practical, the Cancer Council encourages children to, “Wear close-fitting, wrap-around sunglasses that meet the Australian Standard 1067 (Sunglasses: Category 2, 3 or 4) and cover as much of the eye area as possible.” 

Sun safety is also ‘Sprinkled’ into the early learning program 

Although ‘Sprinkled’ isn’t part of the official SunSmart steps (we made that bit up), educators use different experiences to teach littlies how to be upbeat and conscientious around UV protection. 

Ms Osborne says outdoor discovery play, group games and songs are great ways to get children interested. They can also learn about numeracy by checking the daily UV levels via the SunSmart app, and literacy comes into play when groups explore sunscreen labels and use storytime to launch sun safety conversations.   

All in all, SunSmart-ness is spelt out in everyday actions and special learning experiences.   

Quality educators aren’t sloppy when it comes to UV levels, and us parents shouldn’t be either! The five SunSmart steps apply to family life as much as to the childcare day, and although most skin cancer is preventable, young skin needs love to stay lovely.