Children under one should not be in direct sun at all: shade and thin clothing are their sun protection. From around six months you can put sunscreen on the bits that stick out, and from one year three things apply, in this order: shade in the middle of the day, clothing and a cap, and sunscreen of at least SPF 30 on the rest. Children's skin burns faster than adults', and sunburn in childhood raises the risk of skin cancer later in life.
A warm day in June in Rålambshovsparken: a two-year-old in a nappy and bare legs, a mum who put sunscreen on her at home at ten o'clock, and now it is one o'clock and the child has been in the paddling pool three times. That is how most sunburn happens in Stockholm. Not on a beach in Greece, but in the park, in the förskola (preschool) playground and at the swimming spot, on days that do not feel dangerous. Here is what protects, how to do it at different ages and what does not work.
Why children's skin needs more protection
Children's skin is thinner than adults' and has less pigment, so it burns in less time. Small children are also outdoors in the middle of the day when the sun is at its strongest, and they cannot move themselves into the shade. The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten) and 1177 (the national healthcare helpline) are clear: a child who burns so that the skin goes red and sore has been injured, and repeated burns in childhood raise the risk of skin cancer as an adult. It sounds dramatic, but that is exactly why sun protection is one of the few things we nag about with the families we work with.
Sun protection by age
| Age | How to protect them |
|---|---|
| 0 to 6 months | No direct sun. Shade, a pram sunshade that lets air through, thin long-sleeved clothing, a sun hat with a brim. No sunscreen, the skin is too sensitive. |
| 6 to 12 months | Still shade first. Children's sunscreen, fragrance free, on hands, feet and the back of the neck where they cannot be covered. UV clothing for swimming. |
| 1 to 3 years | Shade between eleven and three, a cap or hat, a UV top in the water. Sunscreen SPF 30 or higher on all bare skin, reapply after swimming. |
| 4 to 6 years | Same as above, but the child can start learning the rule: hat on, cream on, shade when your shadow is shorter than you are. |
| School age | Their own sunscreen in their bag, a cap on outings, a UV top at the beach. They forget, so ask when they get home. |
Shade and times of day
In summer the sun is at its strongest between eleven and three. Those are the hours when small children should be in the shade, under a parasol, a tree or indoors for a rest. A simple rule children can learn themselves: if your shadow is shorter than you are tall, you need protection. Remember too that UV light reflects off water, sand and pale rocks. A child sitting under a parasol on a rock in the archipelago gets a good deal of radiation from below, which is why children burn on their shoulders and cheeks even though they were sitting in the shade.
Clothing that protects better than cream
- A sun hat with a brim all the way round, not just a cap. The brim protects the neck and ears, which are where children burn most often.
- UV clothing for swimming. A thin long-sleeved top made for the water. Ordinary cotton lets through far more once it is wet.
- Thin, light-coloured, long-sleeved clothes on a warm day. It feels wrong to add layers, but a child in a thin linen shirt sweats less than a child in the sun.
- Sunglasses with UV protection, if the child will accept them. Children's eyes let through more UV light than adults'.
- The pram: a sunshade that lets air through. A blanket over the hood turns the pram into a sauna and the child overheats. That is more dangerous than the sun.
Sunscreen: SPF, amount and how often
- Choose SPF 30 or higher with protection against both UVA and UVB, ideally one made for children and fragrance free. The pharmacy can help you choose.
- Apply before you go out, ideally twenty minutes before, and use plenty. Most people use half the amount needed, and then the protection is far weaker than the number on the tube.
- Do not forget ears, neck, the tops of the feet, the backs of the knees, the hairline and the skin where the top rides up.
- Reapply every two hours and always after swimming, even if the bottle says water resistant. The towel takes most of it off.
- Sunscreen does not extend time in the sun. It is a complement to shade and clothing, not a ticket to sit in the sun all day.
What does not work
Last summer's sunscreen that has sat in a hot car loses its effect. A thin film sprayed on in the wind mostly ends up in the air. A cap without a neck flap leaves the neck bare. And the most common mistake: putting cream on the child at home in the morning and assuming it will last until five o'clock. It will not, whatever the SPF. Expect to reapply two or three times on a day in the park.
If the child has been burnt
| Seek care | Wait at home |
|---|---|
| A baby who has been burnt | A child over one with redness but no blisters |
| Blisters over larger areas | Slightly red, sore skin on the shoulders |
| Fever, chills, vomiting or lethargy | The child plays as usual |
| The child is not drinking and passes little urine | Drinks and wees as usual |
| The redness gets worse after a day | Fades a little more each day |
How we do it with our families
Our nannies who are out with children in summer carry sunscreen in their bag, and it is theirs, not the family's, so it is there even on the day you forgot. On an afternoon at Hellasgården, Sanna puts cream on the children before they go down to the water, puts a UV top on the three-year-old who refuses a hat, and picks the spot under the pine trees instead of the rock in the sun. On the note she leaves at home she writes when she last applied it, so you know whether more is needed for the evening. It is not complicated. It just needs someone to do it.
This text is general information and does not replace advice from BVC (the child health clinic every family is enrolled in), your vårdcentral (local health centre) or 1177. If you are worried about your child, call 1177. In an emergency, call 112.
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Read more: Beaches for kids in Stockholm · Tick bites in children · Wasp and bee stings in children · Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Can babies wear sunscreen?
Children under one should ideally not be in direct sun at all, so shade and clothing come first. From around six months you can put a fragrance-free children's sunscreen on the small areas that are exposed anyway, such as hands and feet. Ask the pharmacy if you are unsure.
What SPF should children use?
At least SPF 30, ideally 50, with protection against both UVA and UVB. What matters most is not the number but the amount: most people apply too little and too rarely. Use plenty, apply before you go out and top up after swimming and after a couple of hours.
Does sitting in the shade help?
Yes, a lot. Shade under a tree or a parasol removes a large part of the radiation, but not all of it, because UV light reflects off sand, water and pale surfaces. Shade plus thin clothing and a cap is often enough for small children, with sunscreen on whatever sticks out.
Do children need sun protection in Stockholm? It is hardly Spain.
Yes, from April to September. The UV index in Stockholm is often three or higher in the middle of the day in summer, and that is the level at which protection is needed. On a cloudy day by the water in the archipelago children burn just as easily as on a sunny day in the garden.
What do we do if the child gets burnt anyway?
A cool shower or bath, fragrance-free moisturiser, plenty to drink and shade for the next few days. If the child gets blisters or a fever, or seems unwell, call 1177. A baby who has been burnt should always be assessed by a healthcare professional, even if it looks mild.