Resources for Children and Families

This summer, Scotland is heading to the World Cup, and we want every young fan to enjoy the sunshine safely while cheering on our team! Whether you’re in Scotland or abroad, it’s important to stay sun safe.

Sun exposure can damage the skin, causing painful sunburn and increasing the risk of skin cancer later in life. Even one severe sunburn during childhood can increase these risks, which is why building sun safe habits early is so important.

To help make sun safety fun and easy, primary school children in Dundee are receiving their very own free fandana, a football-inspired bandana to protect heads and necks from the sun, along with free SPF 50 sunscreen. These tools help children build healthy sun safe habits from an early age.

Let’s look at how easy it is to be sun safe with the five S’s!

1. Slip on dark-coloured clothing to protect against UV rays.

2. Slop on SPF 50 sunscreen with 5 UVA stars.

3. Slap on your fandana and a wide-brimmed hat. You can even soak your fandana in water to keep cool!

4. Slide on UV-protective sunglasses.

5. Shade from the sun between 11am and 3pm, when UV rays are strongest.

We Can Ah Kick A Ba... we may speak a different language, we might look different, we can have different beliefs and we will live different lifestyles... but, We Can Ah Kick A Ba.

Remember, skin can burn in Scotland, even when it doesn’t feel hot. UV rays pass through clouds (and even glass!), so protection is always important.

Here are some top tips for families to keep everyone protected:

Don’t forget to apply SPF to ears, noses, shoulders and feet.
Encourage children to play in shaded areas where possible.
Keep babies and very young children out of direct sunlight.
Sun protection is important regardless of the temperature. You don’t have to feel hot to get sun damage.
Remember that every skin tone can be affected by sun damage.