Sneaky Ways to Keep Your Kids Learning This Summer

1. Ask kids to create their own board games. Let them choose something they love (i.e. dogs, cooking, Disney, soccer, etc.), and challenge them to design a board game around their passion. From creating the game board and researching their topic to figuring out the rules and writing simple directions for others to follow, this hands-on activity truly puts the fun in learning.

2. Plan "surprise adventures." Think outside the typical tourist spots for these family field trips. Look for Civil War re-enactments, factory tours, Renaissance festivals, historic home tours, jazz concerts, ethnic festivals, botanical gardens, county fairs, living history farms, planetariums, animal sanctuaries, historic battlefields, lighthouses, and working ranches.

3. Teach your kids how to play chess. Don't know how? Learn together! (A simple Google search will turn up some great starting points.) Once your kids master the basics, sign them up for a chess club. "Chess trains your brain to think critically—to discover like a scientist, create like a technician, innovate like an engineer, and problem solve like a mathematician," explains Wendi Fischer, the Scholastic Director of America's Foundation for Chess, a nonprofit organization that brings chess into schools. "In fact, a third-grade student once told me, 'I like chess because it's sneaky learning.'"

Ways to Get Your Child Comfortable in the Water

1. Make the most of bathtime.

Begin by using this time as an opportunity to familiarize babies with water. “When he’s in the bathtub, get him wet and let the water go over his head and get into his ears,” Garcia suggests. “Having water in the ears is a very strange feeling, and he might not like it, but you have to keep doing it.” By age 1, kids should feel comfortable having water on their face.

2. Enroll in a mommy-and-me swimming class.

These programs, for kids ages 6 to 36 months, introduce swimming in a small and comfortable setting and help toddlers develop the motor skills needed to swim. “Parents don’t have to be swimmers to participate—the pool is very shallow so they just need to stand in the water,” Garcia says. During classes, parents do exercises such as positioning kids atop the water’s surface on their tummy and slowly rolling them onto their back, while letting them kick their feet and splash. 

3. Sign up kids for lessons at age 3.

It’s time to progress to private or group swimming lessons without parental involvement. “If kids aren’t comfortable in water by age 4, learning how to swim will become harder with every additional year that you wait,” Garcia warns.

10 Natural Remedies for Sunburns

 If your child gets sunburned, make sure she drinks plenty of fluids since sunburns are dehydrating, and keep her out of the sun until she's healed. Contact your pediatrician immediately if your child is under age 1 or if she has blisters, severe pain, lethargy, or a fever higher than 101 degrees. For mild sunburns, try these all-natural skin soothers.

 

 

 

 

Ice

Wrap an ice pack or a bag of frozen veggies in a soft towel and apply to the burn. Never place ice directly on skin as it can cause frostbite and more damage.

Cool Water

A cool (but not too cold) bath, shower, or moist compress takes away heat and pain. Don't scrub skin or use products like bath oils, soap, or bubble bath.

Aloe Vera

The gel from inside this cactus plant eases discomfort, speeds healing, and moisturizes skin. Either split a plant leaf and apply the sap directly to skin, or buy pure aloe vera gel at your local drugstore.

Honey

The sticky stuff's been used as a topical burn salve since Egyptian days. "Studies suggest it may work better than some antibiotic creams at speeding up healing, reducing infection, and minimizing pain," says Kathi Kemper, M.D., author of The Holistic Pediatrician.

Oatmeal

Finely ground oatmeal (sold as colloidal oatmeal in drug stores) works as an anti-inflammatory when mixed with bath water. Make your own by pulverizing a cup of instant or slow-cooking oatmeal in a blender or food processor until it has a smooth, fine consistency. Pour into tepid bath water and soak.

Witch Hazel

Wet a washcloth or cotton gauze with this anti-inflammatory astringent and apply to the skin three or four times a day for 20 minutes to minimize pain and itching.

Milk

Place a washcloth or cotton gauze soaked in cool milk on the reddened area to create a protein film that eases discomfort and reduces heat.

Baking Soda or Cornstarch

Soaking in bathwater mixed with baking soda or cornstarch can relieve inflammation and itching.

Cider Vinegar

Acetic acid in vinegar alleviates pain, itching, and inflammation. Pour one cup of white cider vinegar into tepid bath water and soak.

Coriander Oil

Studies suggest rubbing this essential oil onto sunburned skin may reduce inflammation.

The Basics of Sun Safety for Kids - Part 2

At what age is it safe to put sunscreen on a baby? 

Your baby's skin is sensitive and can easily absorb too many chemicals, so avoid sunscreens before the baby is 6 months of age, except those with zinc oxide as the only active ingredient, and use on small areas of her body. Use clothing plus shade as the primary method of protection. Provide additional protection by keeping her out of the sun as much as possible: take walks before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m., when UVB rays aren't as intense; use a stroller canopy; dress her in lightweight clothing that covers her arms and legs; and choose a wide-brimmed hat or bonnet that covers her face, ears, and neck.

How much sunscreen should I use on my child? How often should I reapply it? 

The Skin Cancer Foundation (skincancer.org) recommends that adults use at least an ounce (that's a shot glass) of sunscreen, but there's no set amount for growing children. The important thing is to cover all exposed areas (especially easily overlooked places like ears, tops of feet, backs of knees, and hands) 30 minutes before your child heads outside so her skin has time to absorb it. Reapply at least every two hours, more frequently if she's swimming, playing in water, or sweating.

Do certain products work better on certain body parts? 

Sunscreen lotions, gels, creams, and sprays all provide good protection from the neck down. "It's really a matter of which one is easiest to put on your child," Dr. Leachman says. There's less chance of sunscreen sticks getting into a child's eyes, so they're great for foreheads, noses, cheeks, chins, and even ears, but use only sunscreen sticks with components that include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. A lip balm with an SPF is also recommended. Ultimately, though, Dr. Leachman says "the best sunscreen," is clothing (especially with SPF protection), followed by the lotions, gels, creams, and sticks.

The Basics of Sun Safety for Kids

What's the difference between UVA and UVB? 

Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays make the skin tan; ultraviolet B (UVB) rays cause skin to burn. But don't be fooled: A tan isn't healthier. "Both suntans and sunburns are signs that skin cells have been damaged by radiation from the sun," says Kavita Mariwalla, M.D., director of Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery at Continuum Health Partners in New York City. UVB used to get all of the blame for causing skin cancer, but new research shows UVA is equally damaging. This is particularly worrisome since UVA rays are 30 to 50 times more prevalent, and they penetrate deeper into skin cells.

What does SPF stand for? Is a higher number more effective? 

An SPF, or sun protection factor, indicates a sunscreen's effectiveness at preventing sunburn. "If your child's skin reddens in 10 minutes without sunscreen, SPF 15 multiplies that time (10 minutes) by 15, meaning she'd be protected from sunburn for approximately 150 minutes or 2 1/2 hours," says Sancy Leachman, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Melanoma and Cutaneous Oncology Program at the University of Utah's Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City. Of course, this depends on an adequate application of sunscreen and is based on SPF calculations with artificial instead of natural sunlight. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends using sunscreens with at least an SPF of 15, which blocks 93 percent of UVB rays. Higher SPFs provide even greater protection, but only to a certain point: SPF 30 blocks 97 percent of UVB and SPF 50+ (the maximum SPF you'll find on sunscreen labels due to new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules) blocks 98 percent.

What should I look for in a sunscreen? Are sunscreen sticks and sprays as effective as lotions? 

As long as you're using a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher that's broad-spectrum (meaning it blocks both UVA and UVB rays), it doesn't matter whether you use a lotion, cream, gel, stick, or spray. "The problem with some of the easiest and most cosmetically acceptable products is that they often do not adequately block both UVA and UVB. You must look at the ingredients, but the best sunscreen is the one your child agrees to wear," Dr. Leachman says. That said, sprays that contain the "right stuff" are great for on-the-go toddlers and preschoolers. Some young children are sensitive to certain sunscreen ingredients. To test for reactions, apply a small dab on the inside of your child's upper arm and check the area in 24 hours for signs of redness or rash. Sunscreens with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide are often less irritating because the ingredients aren't absorbed into skin. If your child is going to be in the water or getting sweaty, look for water-resistant sunscreens (the FDA has done away with waterproof and sweatproof claims). The new water-resistant labels state how long -- either 40 minutes or 80 minutes -- the sunscreen provides protection before you need to reapply it.

Summer Fun Guide

This Summer Fun Guide offers some awesome ideas to keep the whole family entertained. Get ready for an EPIC summer vacation!