As part of our general safety advice we have put together these tips and guidelines to ensure you take the best possible care of your children went out tin the sun.

General Sun Safety

• Teach your children the facts about sun safety; the earlier they learn the better chance they have to prevent damage to their skin.
• Whenever possible, keep out of the sun between 11am and 3pm.
• Cover up using sun protective clothing, including around the neck.  Wear a hat that ideally has a sun protective factor and which shades the head and neck.  Wear wrap around sunglasses with an EPF of 90% or above.  Where the skin is not covered, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen (minimum SPF 15).
• Children should be protected whenever they are exposed to the dangers of the sunwhether it is at the beach, the park or in the garden.
• Apply sunscreen liberally half and hour before going outside then re--apply every two hours even on cloudy days.  Apply to exposed skin (ears, neck, back of hands and feet).  Use a minimum of SPF 15 on adults and children.  Higher factors may be needed depending on skin type and the strength of the sun's rays.  Some climates in other parts of the world will also make higher factor sunscreens necessary.
• Babies under 12 months should be kept completely out of the sun.  Always use sun protective pram and shade covers.
• Avoid artificial sunlight from sunlamps and tanning equipment.
• Check the UV-Index to see what the levels of ultraviolet radiation are daily.  Check that any medication being taken will not affect sensitivity to  UV radiation.
• Report and mole changes or unusual skin growths promptly to your doctor.

School and Family Days out

It's important to be well prepared for a day trip in the summer. Generally on days out, a lot of time is spent directly out in the sun, Follow these few simple steps to enjoy the summer sun more safely.

• Queuing - while waiting in queues it's easy to forget that you're still being exposed to the sun's rays. Most importantly cover up first — don't wait until you can feel your skin burning, its too late then
• Swimming — when you're in and out of water at the beach or pool, you probably won't feel as hot. But the sun's harmful UV rays reflect off water making you burn faster. We recommend that you use a water-resistant sunscreen before you head into the water and re-apply regularly
• In the car — keep the temperature in the car cool. Babies can overheat in warm weather and may feel hot and uncomfortable. Give them frequent drinks to prevent them getting dehydrated and never leave them alone in the car.

Before heading off don't forget to pack these essentials:

• A wide-brimmed hat. Make sure it covers the back of the neck and where possible the ears and side of face, our hats and caps offer this protection as standard
• Clothing is an important way to protect yourself from the sun. Take a shirt with longer sleeves for added protection. Loose fitting clothing will keep you cool
• High factor sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Apply to exposed parts of the body, spread liberally and re-apply regularly
• Sunglasses will help protect your eyes from the sun - more expensive pairs may not be the most protective. Choose a pair with the British Standard BS2724:1987
• Water. Children, and babies in particular, can dehydrate very quickly in warm weather so take lots of water with you
• Shade. If you're visiting somewhere that might not have much shade, create your own with a beach umbrella, cabana or parasol.