Share your tips for staying safe in the sun - £200 voucher to be won

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Created for NIVEA

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Whether it’s turning sun cream application into a fun game, buying your child a hat that they love too much to take off, or taking a pop-up beach tent big enough for everyone to squeeze into for days at the seaside, share with us below your top tips for protecting your family from the sun.

· Post your tips on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw
· One lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice

Here’s what NIVEA Sun has to say:

“NIVEA Sun is the UK’s number 1 suncare brand and partner with Cancer Research UK to share important sun safety information with the public. Together we ask everyone to 1) Seek Shade 2) Cover Up 3) Apply Sunscreen.”

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

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Freeze orange squash or other squash drinks ( just fill to 90 per cent of the bottle to allow for ice expansion). Pull out if the freezer the next morning and the kids have a lolly drink, slush as the day goes on and if very hot and melted the drink is still chilled.

I think a UV all in one is the best thing for your little one, and cream on the exposed areas (careful around the eyes though) We have a UV tent for the midday sun, and a paddling pool for keeping temperatures down. We have lots of summer fruits for hydration, and a cooling bath before bed time

I always use once a day factor 50 sunscreen. We put it on every day just after breakfast so it's a routine. It can be reapplied late afternoon if necessary. I've always encouraged wearing hats - again, it becomes a routine/habit.

Always remember the SLIP SLAP SLOP adverts - slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat. That's all folks

I always put my little ones in those legionnaire's caps to protect their necks and rash vest & shorts or a wetsuit. We go inside/ find shade from 11am-2pm ish to avoid the worst of the sun.

Wear a rash vest.

Before school everyday I check the UV rating online and if it's medium or high I put SPF 50 on my child. I send a cool hat in for him to wear in the playground

Homemade icelollies, frozen drinks cartons if out and about, and plan the day to be inside /in a shady area at the peak of the day.

The best thing for us is to take a beach tent so there is always some shade for the little ones.

I wear makeup with SPF 20 everyday and have recently started paying more attention to using lip balms with SPF. I'll also be wearing sunglasses now. My mum who's always been very careful in the sun never used lipbalm and had B cells removed twice. It's easy to forget about lips and eyelids.

Apply a high factor sun cream - reapply regularly
White t-shirt on direct sun, or sit in the shades
Stay inside during the midday hours
Lots of water

A hat is a essential item to wear to protect you from the sun also to remember the sun is at its hottest from 12 till 3 so I would recommend after 3 it would be safer also using a high factor sunscreen is a safe bet

Most important for me is to find some shade for a day by the beach or in the sun for prolonged amounts of time. If we are abroad then I always make sure we go for a restaurant with shade for lunch over the hottest part of the day and relax over some cocktails or ice cream to drag it out longer before I let the kids loose back in the sun.

Factor 50 sunock on first thing in the morning when dressing and then top up during the day. Cover ups, hats, we have a beach shelter and where available rent a beach hut so we can sit in the shade in peak sun hours

I've always started with a lower factor sunscreen when the weather is just wam, not hot as I've found a very slight colour has always stopped our skin from burning. I increase the SPF the hotter it gets but don't like total sun block unless it's a scorcher or we're overseas as vitamin D is also important.

When my children were babies, I kept them out of hot sun completely, either with a sunshade or muslin covering the pram. We buy them swimwear with an SPF and matching sun hats with the neck covering. We all wear sunglasses to protect our eyes and I make sure there is plenty of shade wherever the children are playing so the're never in direct sunlight for long.

We try to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day.
My hair is quite fine so I try to keep my head covered or in the shade where I can.
Staying hydrated is also very important so I top the children up with fruity ice lollies as well as lots of drinks.

Don't forget ears. They need extra attention with suncream.

Long sleeve tops, hats, regularly top up sun screen. I've had 3 early melanomas removed and take no chances in the sun

First time taking my DS to a tropical island holiday and these tips worked for us to keep him cool amd comfortable.

A light cotton white bucket hat with ties under the chin. We could adjust the coverage.
Elbow length sleeved and knee length organic cotton Rompers in light colours. Less layers making it much more comfortable for DS with some good coverage.
Spf factor 50 applied before leaving the house - arriving at the beach - after a feed. These points helped me remember to apply.
Breathable Baby carrier with small visor attached & stroller with visor.
Staying hydrated - my DS drinks water from a vacuumed double walked steal bottle when he is thirsty. Helps cool him down.
When nursing a white organic cotton muslin swaddle was nice, breathable and cool than traditional nursing covers. I just tied 2 corners together to create a loop to put around my neck then my hands are free to maneuver DS.
Stay in the shade all the time when sitting / picnic etc. So DS could play safely.

Getting plenty of water, ice lollies and squash into little ones.

Stay out of the sun between 11 and 4 between May and October in the U.K.
wear factor 50 sunscreen
wear sunscreen on your face all year round
wear a hat with a wide brim
wear sunglasses that are ce marked and dark lenses
wear protective lip sun screen
cover up when you can
drink plenty of water

Avoid midday sun when it's hottest. Seek out shade, wear a hat. and loose cotton clothes. Wear suncream and drink plenty of water.

Load up on sunscreen, wear a hat and stick to the shade where possible

Turning suncream application into a game of chase always works well I find. I can get an arm or leg done every time I catch my toddler!

I usually wear Nivea Factor 20 as I sit in the shade and my walk to the shady sunbed counts as my Vit D 15 minutes

Sunscreen.

Cover neck and arms with pashmina.

A tent on the beach for small children. And definitely avoid sun at its hottest.