If the recent heat wave is anything to go by, this summer is going to be a hot one! Just ignore the rain right now, we have been promised sunshine this year! And so with the expected increase in temperatures and the fact that so many of us will be spending more time outdoors, we thought it was a good idea to offer a little refresher in sun safety and some easy ways to protect kids from the sun.

Sun protection is VERY important

We write about this a lot! Keeping little ones safe from the sun is so important; experts say that it only takes one incidence of sunburn in childhood to significantly increase the risk of developing skin cancer later in life. That's scary! And not only that, but sunburn itself is pretty miserable too. Not only does it hurt, but it can lead to premature ageing too. Avoid, avoid, avoid! For more information on sunburn read the NHS guidance here. Read also our posts on what to do if your child has heat exhaustion, three things you need to know about babies and sun care, and why sun care for babies and toddlers is so important. Do get in touch if you have any questions at all- tweet us @SnoozeShade or get in touch via Facebook.

Protecting kids from the sun

For younger babies (aged under 6 months) experts agree that sun cream cannot be used, so finding that shade or staying inside is probably the best idea- it's when they get older we need to be clever. It's never quite so straight forward as ' staying indoors' or 'sticking to the shade' at all times is it? Kids are kids! They like to roam, they like to play. And so they should! So keeping them protected isn't always as easy as you might think. Here are three easy ways to keep them safe this summer.

Apply sun screen as soon as you get up... and keep re-applying!

Sun screen is recommended from the months of April through to October and should be applied even on over cast days. Young skin is delicate and more susceptible to burning, so it's vital that it's protected as much as possible throughout the whole of summer- even the British summer!

Applying sun screen can, however, be easier said than done! Older babies aren't so bad, but you might need to convince your toddler and older child that it's a good idea if my own past experiences are anything to go by! Here at SnoozeShade HQ we love Solar Buddies, the child friendly way to apply sunscreen, and a fantastic solution for independent little things who like to take control. These applicators can be filled with the sun screen of your choice and are especially great for kids to take to school, where teachers aren't always allowed to apply cream.

We also love the fact that Boots have launched the Sun Ready Challenge app to help kids to learn about the importance of staying protected from the sun. You can find out more here, and there are lots of resources intended for school use so let your child's teacher know about it and hopefully the message can spread a little wider this summer. Looking forward to the launch of this app!

Choose clothing with added sun protection

There is so much choice these days when it comes to shopping smart for summer! We love the fact that you can now buy swim suits with UV protection built into the fabric. We couldn't possibly choose our favourites, but check out the stuff from Splash About, Sunuva, Konfidence (but be quick with these!) and of course not forgetting the amazing SPF50+ poncho towel from Cuddledry- a fantastic choice for getting dry (and staying protected) in between applications of sun screen.

UV clothing's not intended to replace sun screen and should be worn alongside for added protection.

Find shade or make it

If you can't keep the kids indoors (at least try to go inside when the sun is at it's hottest, around noon) then try and find as much shade as possible- even on over cast days. Of course, the SnoozeShade is our go to product for this so babies and toddlers are covered! We've even heard from customers who have taken their travel cots out to the garden and used the SnoozeShade for cots to keep them protected. But how to convince older kids?

What kid doesn't want a den? Sometimes just a few sticks and an old sheet will make an ideal shady hideaway! Or you can buy little UV tents like this one from Babymoov. And if you can't convince your child that staying in the shade is a good idea (even after moving ALL the toys to the lady part of the garden!) then at the very least invest in a good hat that covers the neck and ears and shades the face, and maybe even some sun glasses too!