Blog

Summer is just around the corner, which means lots of long hot days to enjoy with your children. While it’s great for children (and adults) to get some fresh air and sunlight, it’s easy for them to burn in the hot summer sun. Here are some simple ideas for sun-safe outdoor play to try this summer.

Backyard camping

If you have a simple tent for family camping trips or even a small pop-up beach tent, try setting it up in the backyard to inspire camping play. You can turn your backyard into an imaginary wilderness destination like the North Pole or the Sahara desert and pretend to explore your surroundings, then return to camp to “cook” some dinner (mudpies of course) and crawl into bed for a story and a snooze! Using the shade of the tent for a base is a great way to ensure your child is staying shaded most of the time, and you can make sure you put on all your sun-safe wilderness exploring clothes (hat, sunglasses, protective clothing, etc) before you head out of the tent. If you don’t have a tent you can simply drape a tarp or a blanket over some trees and let their imagination do the rest.

Shade tips

This is just a twist on a classic game of tips except in this version, the shade is a “safe zone”. Whoever is “in” has to try to tip the other players. Players must run away to try to avoid being tipped, but if they’re in the shade, they can’t be tipped. This is not only a great way to encourage high-intensity play while limiting sun exposure on hot days, but it also helps teach children to seek out shade, which is a great habit to encourage.

Outdoor chalk in the garage

If you want to encourage outdoor play but it’s simply too hot and sunny to play in the garden, make use of your garage or shaded driveway or pathways instead. Most children will happily draw with pavement chalk for quite a while, but if you want to keep the fun going even longer, here are some simple ideas:

• Create hopscotch squares, a long jump challenge, or a chalk obstacle course for them to follow
• Draw circles and challenge your child to throw a hacky-sack into them
• Make a maze and have them drive their cars through it
• Draw a pretend world with houses, roads, etc, and give them some figurines to play with
• Bring out water and paintbrushes and turn the chalk into washable paint by simply adding water

Water play

Of course, there’s nothing quite as refreshing as getting wet on a hot summer’s day. In order to stay sun-safe, try buying a small paddling pool with inbuilt shade, or set up a beach umbrella over a small pool or water-play tray. You can also set up the sprinkler or hose in a shady area for hours of fun. If you don’t have any way to create shade outside, a cool bath is always a winner on stinking hot days.

Ice cube play

This is a great little activity to teach children about the power of the sun. The night before, grab a few simple plastic figurines and place them in small containers or an ice cube tray, then fill with water and pop them in the freezer. The next day you’ll have some intriguing ice cubes with figurines “trapped” inside the ice. Head to a shady outdoor area and have your child leave one figurine in the shade, and place another in the spot that they think is the hottest in the garden. Ask them to guess which figurine will be free first and sit back and watch them melt. This is a great way to start a conversation about the heat of the sun and the difference between sitting in direct sunlight and sitting in the shade. Once you’ve done the experiment your child can have fun trying to free the rest of the figurines in different ways. You can provide them with some tools to try to break them out, or some warm water they can drop onto the ice cubes to help them melt.

Relaxation corner

Most toddlers and young children benefit from some kind of relaxation time in the afternoon, even if they are no longer napping. Instead of curling up with a book in bed, why not take relaxation time outside by spreading a blanket out under a tree in the shade? You can bring a portable speaker with some relaxing music, or a pile of books and simply lay back and relax for a few minutes. You may find your child enjoys simply staring up at the branches of a tree or closely inspecting the grass and plants around them.

Sun safety tips

The Australian sun can be incredibly strong, but just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you should avoid the outdoors altogether. Here are some simple tips to enjoy the outdoors safely with young children during the hotter months:
Always slip, slop, slap, seek and slide (wear protective clothing, a hat, sunscreen, seek shade, and slide on sunglasses).
Avoid the sun during the middle of the day.
Stay hydrated! Remember children can become dehydrated very quickly, so offer lots of water if you’re playing outside.
Teach sun safety to your child by helping them understand the power of the sun and practising skills like putting on their own sunscreen and hat.

At Heritage House, we incorporate sun safety education into our curriculum, making sure children understand the importance of staying safe in the sun. Our daily routine of putting on a hat and sunscreen before heading outside to play helps build healthy habits and develop self-sufficiency, as children work towards being able to do these things independently (depending on their age). We also have plenty of shaded outdoor areas so that children can continue to enjoy the outdoors safely, even during the hottest months. Contact us to learn more, or to enquire about booking a tour of one of our centres.