Beach & Sun Safety

Scin has teamed up with the Pre-School Learning Alliance, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), and Aardman with Timmy Time to help promote some lifesaving beach and sun safety messages for young children, their families and carers.

Most early years settings are pro-active about sun safety. With skin cancer being the most common and fastest rising cancer in young adults, it is important that children are adequately protected against the sun’s harmful rays and grow up with sufficient knowledge to keep themselves safe.

Likewise, there are some simple lessons that children can learn which will make any trip to the seaside safer. These range from knowing your flags to being able identify the lifeguards and knowing what to do if you become lost.

Resources for practitioners and parents

Timmy’s guide to Beach and Sun Safety is a downloadable pack containing information and tips to help early years workers and parents protect children from the sun and prepare for a safe trip to the seaside.
This fun downloadable resource feature Timmy and his friends to help children learn these important messages.
Timmy Time Guide to Beach and Sun Safety

Become a Sun Safe Nursery

Skcin have just launched a Sun Safe Nurseries accreditation scheme, available exclusively for Alliance member settings. Register your setting and follow the 3 simple steps to gain your Sun Safe Nursery status.
Log on to www.sunsafenurseries.co.uk

Top tips for parents

Summer means lots of outdoor play and maybe even the odd trip to the seaside! But before we all rush outside and start having fun, there are dangers that everyone should be aware of, no matter how young or old they are.

• Keep young children in the shade as much as possible - particularly between 11am and 3pm which is the hottest part of the day.
• Slip on a t-shirt to keep shoulders and upper arms covered - if possible wear clothing with UV protection.
• Apply a good quality sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30+ and a 4 - 5 star UVA rating. Reapply generously every couple of hours. Don’t forget the ears, nose, cheeks and tops of feet!
• A legionnaire sun hat is perfect for shading your child’s face, neck and ears.
• Make sure your child has some good quality sunglasses with UV protection.
• If you are going to the seaside, try to choose a lifeguarded beach.
• Lifeguards wear bright red and yellow clothing so they are easy to find. Make sure your child knows where the lifeguards are so if they become lost they will know where to go.
• The red and yellow flags mark the place on the beach that is safest to swim.
• Never let young children go into the sea alone.
• If you see someone in trouble in the water, don’t try to rescue them yourself. Alert a lifeguard or call 999 or 112 and
  ask for the Coastguard.
• Skcin have just launched a Sun Safe Nurseries accreditation scheme. Find out how your child’s setting can register at www.sunsafenurseries.co.uk

Campaign partners