Summer is a special season for children, a time to get outside and play without the worries of school and homework. However, these carefree days can be dangerous for your children. A minor sunburn might not seem like such a big deal now, but later in life, the damage caused by that burn could end up being deadly.

What Can a Sunburn Do?

Sun damage caused in the early years can come back to haunt us later on in the form of melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. Studies have shown that adults who spent a lot of time outdoors during their childhood are most likely to end up with skin cancer, whether melanoma or another form.

A bad sunburn can cause lasting problems, including scarring. While the sun's rays are necessary for our health, they can also be damaging. The best way to prevent problems for your children in adulthood is to protect them now while they are playing outdoors in that beautiful sunshine.

How to Protect Your Child

The sun is usually strongest during the middle of the day, so it is a good idea to keep your children indoors between 10-3. By letting them play outside while the sun is slightly weaker, their sunblock will last longer. Remember that water can enhance the power of the sun's rays, so being in the water during this time isn't much protection, in fact, your children are more likely to burn.

A good place to start is with a child-safe sunscreen with an SPF of at least 25, more if your child has fair skin or is sensitive to the sun. There are some great sunscreens out there that even include a vanishing tint so you can see where you have applied the sunscreen, which is awfully handy when you are trying to slather a squirming toddler.

For many years, the only way we could protect our skin and that of our children was with sunscreen or sunblock, but there are some innovative new ways to keep the UV rays from damaging your little one's sensitive skin. You can now buy UV protective clothing that have super high SPF protection built in.

Rash guards, a form of UV protective clothing, are speicially designed shirts that cover the entire torso and arms, providing high quality protection. By using these rash guard shirts, you eliminate the need to apply sunscreen to most of the body. You will only have to make your child stand still long enough to apply it to his face, legs and hands, a huge bonus for most moms.

Rash guard shirts are designed to be used in and around the water. Choose a bright color and you won't have any troubles spotting your children in the crowded water. The SPF doesn't wash out of rash guards, so you don't need to worry that the clothing will be less effective after a few hours in the water.

In addition to using rash guards, your child should use a baseball hat or other wide-brimmed hat that will shade his face. Since sunburns can happen even on cloudy days, it's a good idea to apply sunscreen even when the sun isn't brightly beaming.

You really can't go overboard with sun protection, since it is so important to a healthy future for your children. Using a combination of sunscreen with a high SPF, a hat and UV protective clothing is the best way to keep your children's skin in great, cancer-free condition. You can find rash guards for children at http://www.buy-rash-guards.com.