Spring Safety Tips for Children

Spring is here, and with good reason, children want to be outside as much as they possibly can.  Along with all the benefits of outdoor play, it’s important that your child plays safe. Here are some tips and helpful reminders for safe and fun spring play.

Sun Safety

 Some sunshine is good, but too much sun exposure can be harmful to our skin. Children should be protected as much as possible with sun barriers such as hats and sunglasses. Due to their naturally chubby cheeks, children can catch sun on the tops of their cheeks where sunscreen would be difficult to apply without risking getting it in their eyes. That's where sunglasses and a hat come in handy.

When sun exposure to the skin can't be avoided, a sunscreen with at least an SPF value of thirty is recommended. Remember to reapply it if your child is in the sun for more than three hours or going in and out of the water.

Park Play

Parks are great places for children to play outside and meet with their friends. I always warn parents to be extra careful with small children on the swings or slides on hot days. Always touch a swing or slide before your child does to make sure it's not too hot for them.

Street Safety

It’s never too early to teach your children street safety, for example not running after balls into the street unassisted. Teach them to look for cars by looking both ways. When they get older, children will share the street while riding their bicycles with cars. I always explain to children how important it is to protect their brains by wearing a bicycle helmet. Parents can set a good example by wearing their helmets too.

Insect Smarts

Warmer weather and more time outside means more exposure to insects, particularly ticks and mosquitoes. Spraying insect repellent containing DEET is very helpful in repelling mosquitoes and ticks. DEET containing products should always be washed off at the end of the day so that over exposure to DEET cannot occur. There are permethrine containing sprays available at sporting and outdoors stores that are meant to be sprayed on clothing to repel insects. These sprays can last up to six washings.

Warm weather is an invitation to spend more time outside for our children and us. Keep some of these tips in mind and have a fun safe spring.

David Saltzman,MD is a practicing pediatrician at Lake Shore Pediatrics since 1989.  For more information, please go to www.lakeshorepediatrics.com.