Sun Protective Camper - Slip, Slop Slap!

Not a minute too soon for the kids, summer break is finally here. The time is nigh for long hot days spent swimming, boating, fishing and canoeing in lakes, rivers and creeks all around the country. And ‘outdoors’ United States is primed for fun and frivolity with ten million kids champing at the bit to get out there and go for it! The bags are packed and it’s off to camp for the littlies as well as the teens. So it’s time for Mom and Dad to kiss their darlings goodbye and send them packing with three little words. And even though they amount to the same thing, they’re not I love you. SLIP! SLOP! SLAP is the most loving farewell you can give your children before they go out this summer.

Teaching kids to adopt sun safe practices at camp by adopting the slip! slop! slap! principle is the most effective way of ensuring that they do not bring home the most unwelcome of all souvenirs – a predisposition to melanoma. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer and is thought to be associated with severe sunburn that occurs in childhood or you adulthood. Statistics from the Mayo Clinic 2006 reveal that one episode of blistering sunburn in childhood will more than double a person’s risk of developing melanoma in later life. Skin cancer in general, which includes basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas as well as melanoma, are cited by The National Cancer Institute 2007 SEEK database as the most common form of cancer in the Unite States.

But the good news is that 90% of skin cancers are caused by sun exposure which means that there is a strong chance skin cancers can be prevented. And the time to act is during childhood. That means now and especially during times when children are most vulnerable to the effects of the harmful rays of the sun.

Sunlight contains three types of rays: UVA, UVB and UVC. UVA are responsible for damage to the skin, causing aging and wrinkling and potentially skin cancer. UVB rays can also cause sunburn as well as damage to the immune system and cataracts. Although UVC rays are reportedly the most dangerous, they do nott reach the earth’s surface.

So instruct you kids to practice sun safety, but keep it simple. Educate them to avoid exposure to the sun between the hours of 10am and 4pm and to seek out shady play areas under trees and other sheltered areas around the camp grounds. Remind them that sun burn can be particularly severe on cloudy days because cloud merely scatters, rather than blocks, the sun’s harmful rays. Also, because the sun’s rays are reflected off the water, children are not safe from sunburn whilst in or on the water. And finally, SLIP! SLOP! SLAP!

• SLIP on a 50+ UPF swim shirt when in or out of the water. Long sleeves are best and a high neck is fundamental. A regular shirt will not offer the same level of protection once it becomes wet.
• SLOP on a broad spectrum water resistant sunscreen with a rating of 30+ UPF and reapply after swimming. Apply to all parts of the body that are exposed to the sun.
• SLAP on a wide brimmed hat and make sure the back of the neck is covered. Slap on wrap around style sunglasses that offer 99% protection from the sun’s harmful rays.
• Last but not least, remind your kids that the sun is a friend whose warmth and light is there to be enjoyed. We have no need to fear the sun if we seek to live in harmony with it by respecting it’s natural power and brilliance.