Holidays with family that sunburns easily

[WillIEverGoOnHoliday]

Hi everyone,

Young kids and OH sunburn very easily. Like in the UK on a remotely sunny day in may after an hour.

Anyone in this position what do you do for your holidays? We managed UK centerparcs (indoor activities and trees for shade) but just interested in the range of options and approaches. So many things like eurocamp, haven, hobourne, tui seem predominantly outdoors.

Thanks

I burn easily and don't really like it too hot. We usually holiday in the UK or northern Europe, or in cooler times of year if going elsewhere. We're a very outdoorsy family, so factor 50, long sleeves and legs, hat etc and where possible staying in the shade, particularly in the afternoon. We usually get up and out early before it gets too hot. Also spending times in museums to avoid the sun (or rain!).

Edit to add, we usually stay self catering and have our car for maximum flexibility.

Slather P20 on (factor 50) and let it sink in.
Sit in the shade when not in the pool.
Put a tshirt on if you’re feeling burny.
Wear a sun hat.
Go indoors in the middle of the day.
Drink plenty of water.
Top up suncream regularly.

Go anywhere you like. Good sunscreen, hats, rash vests and not going outdoors between 12 and 3pm is the answer.
Boots Soltan Once factor 50, has kept my pale redheads pale.

Thanks, if it's an outdoor pool do you just keep reapplying the suncream? Sorry daft question maybe, we always just did out if season citybreaks pre kids.

Literally all of this. I have two ginger children and DH has been known to get sunburnt playing football on a particularly sunny day in November.

P20 is a godsend and in my experience, much better than both standard ‘reapplication’ sunscreens and all the alternative once-a-day options. It does stain white clothes and need a little while to activate though, we used to grease the DC up as soon as they woke up, let them run around basically naked in our hotel room for a little while then put clothes on them and go to breakfast. By the time they were exposed to sun it had soaked in for long enough.

P20 or Boots Once will give you more water protection than most. But only if you don't towel dry it all off. Any sunscreen has advice about reapplying after swimming on the bottle.
I personally hate P20 after being coated in it for my childhood, so i prefer rash vests and spf protection clothing. But it's effective.

@WillIEverGoOnHoliday rash guards/UV protection swimsuits are your best friend here! Long sleeved, plus those legionnaire type hats with the long neck protection. If you're going somewhere hot then they'll dry fast on the body anyway, or take several and change when wet.

Rash vasts, leggings and P20.

Thanks everyone, some great tips. However DH got sunburn on his feet! He'd put suncream on that got washed off and unlike the rest of us wasn't in the sea, but from what you're saying he needs P20.

Thanks, what sorts of things do you do with young kids though. DD1 always wants to go to the pool or do sport type things but does enjoy interactive museums. I also have a toddler whose happy to bumble around.

Red head here burn immediately

I have lived in Spain for 10 years of life. And have NEVER ‘stayed out the sun’ while everyone else has fun. I slather on factor 50, keep reapplying.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/baby-kids-long-sleeve-uv-protection-swimming-suit-blue-print/_/R-p-328389

You need something like this for the kids, my almost 8 year old still wears one for days in the pool/water park.
Water shoes for pool/beach.
Big bucket/legionnaire type hat.
Then keep reapplying the factor 50 on the exposed bits.

I've just come back from a hot holiday abroad and honestly it was embarassing how many British families had very burned children with loads of exposed skin.

P20 is much better than it was years ago, less chemically. Worth a retry.

@WillIEverGoOnHoliday P20 is once a day but in reality we put it on morning and afternoon. We much prefer the liquid to the cream. The other thing I highly recommend is the Boots Soltan factor 50 stick for children. So easy to top up noses and shoulders (and your husbands feet!)

Antartic

All those saying P20, I would say the Calypso once a day, factor 30 is just as good, if not better from having used both. Plus Calypso is a fraction of the price.

The top tip is to apply and wait 20 minutes before any sun exposure. Apply in apartment and wait it out...have breakfast etc. It makes me wince when I see people arrive at the beach or pool and apply the suncream then for the first time that day then immediately expose themselves to the sun. It is not going to properly protect you.

I'll wear a rash vest if out snorkeling for a while for added protection and sir in the shade if very hot and I have olive skin.

My youngest burns very easily and also has eczema and reacts to a lot of sun creams so in order to not end up with either a burned child or one so itchy they gouge huge, bleeding, scratches down their legs we have perfected things.

UV rash vest and long swim shorts.
Altruist sun screen on all exposed bits.
Wide brimmed hat unless in the sea.
When not wearing swimming things wears trousers not shorts but loose and lightweight fabric and a long sleeved, loose shirt. Linen type.

They are 13 now and just get on with it. They understand that eczema is horrible and sunburn painful so are perfectly happy to take steps to avoid it.

We tend not to go to hot resort type places, so if we're somewhere with a pool it's an indoor one and we try to have a swim once a day. Other than that, walking, family park type places, interactive museums, galleries, cycling etc. Or just trying to find the best local playpark!

You really don't have to discount a beach holiday. Fair family here. My DC wore long sleeved rash vests and hats. Never without a top. Neither burned in spite of spending all day in the pool or at a water park.
They are grown up now but I still like a beach holiday. I never come home sun tanned or burnt because I sit in the shade or cover up.

🤣 yeah I think so!

Dd1 burns easily, it really annoys her as dd2 tans really well and rarely burns.

she still loves a sunny holiday but she just uses higher factor sun cream, wears a hat and makes sure she’s in the shade around the pool. We didn’t start doing sunny abroad holidays until she was 12 though (she’s now 20) so was old enough to be sensible about being in the shade and applying sun cream.

I’m allergic to the sun (not just uv, I bleed into my skin as a social joy though I’ve always burnt super easily) and we still have a very active life, just been on holiday to South Africa. I buy uv protective clothing from Solbari, Coolibar, Uniqlo or Decathlon which is available to cover all your skin, and uv protective hats with neck protection. Then spf 50 on my face with tinted mineral broad spectrum over the top of that. On the beach I’d use water shoes for my feet, swim leggings, high neck long sleeve rash vest, and hat and could enjoy myself only having to top up sun block on my face and hands.

Thanks would you might letting know where you recommend?

Centerparcs in Netherlands have lovely great pools Het Heijdebos has a jungle dome as well. They have lots of indoor activities as well.
Each park has different activities , some do indoor climbing, another has huge indoor ball pits. Kempervennen has indoor ski slope etc.

www.centerparcs.eu/in-en/co_holiday-park-netherlands

We've stayed in the Netherlands and Germany (driving from the ferry) in various places. Generally non touristy but close enough to cities with various museums, parks and things so there is enough to do, and also generally trying to be in or near nice countryside with national parks near by. On those holidays we've just used air bnbs, so no pools. Belgium/ France would also be straightforward.
In the UK there are various resorts with more things to do...e.g. crieff hydro (they also own others), Macdonald's resorts, as well as things like centre parks. Apparently centre parks in the Netherlands are cheaper than the UK but we've never tried those. I wouldnt say we've found the ideal holiday location or most amazing way to holiday, but they work for us!

They are cheaper last week of August because the schools in the Netherlands have already gone back, but generally i think they are cheaper anyway. Some of the activities were very cheap and the childrens clubs were either free or nominal price. We havent been for about 10 years but are going back in September for a week with DC who are now grown up.