Kids Sun Protective Coverups

One of the most important needs for a good kids cover-up is sun protection. Not only for when the children are swimming but just as importantly for the times before & after swimming when children are hanging out, playing games & running off for an ice-cream.

Sun protection for children is critically important. Please consider the following:

•  Kids skin is very delicate and sensitive AND is sun damaged far quicker than adult skin. It also carries the damage long term. Did you know that most of the skin damage we have as adults is a result of over exposure to sun as children. So the freckles, wrinkles and the skin cancers we see when we are older are most often traced back to our sun exposure as a child.

•  Is is also true that sunscreen washes off in water and with sweat. Some products are better than others in staying put when wet, but they all loose some protection after being in water and with sweat. That is why the directions always say 'reapply after swimming'. And we should, but often we don't. The other unfortunate fact is that it is very hard to apply sunscreen properly when skin is damp or wet. The cream just slides along but does not go in. For reapplication to be effective skin must be nice and dry - which it is not easy when kids are constantly climbing in and out of the water.

•  Lastly, skin and sun experts always advise us to stay out of the summer sun between 11 and 3 when the sun is hottest. This is the right advice for sure, but unless you live next to the beach or your kids happen to love early morning or late afternoon swimming then it can be hard to achieve. Most people having a day out to the pool or the beach usually arrive at about 11:00am and leave at about 3:00pm, exactly when we should be out of the sun!

The point here is that we need to plan for kids sun protection to get it right. If it's going to be hot and the kids are going to be swimming and playing out in the sun we need to keep them covered up. Draping them in a towel is not enough. Unfortunately young children find it a challenge to carry a towel. In most cases they drag towels along behind them and drop them somewhere. Kids won't put on clothes over wet swimmers either. What they do is run all about in their swimmers. And that's OK and for a short period of time but as their parents & guardians it is us that need to consider the sun and their skin.

It is for this reason we suggest that a well designed kids cover-up is a mandatory swim accessory for all young children. A cover-up that cover's their skin and that is made from a suitable fabric that offers protection from both UVA and UVB sun rays and radiation.

Please browse our selection of before, during and after swimming coverups for children that offer high levels of UVA & UVB sun protection.