We recently took a look at some of the ways that you can help your kid stay active this summer, but their health and wellbeing goes beyond that alone. Today, we’re going to discuss ten tips to help your child have a healthy summer this year. If you’re looking for a safe and fun place for your kids to beat the heat this summer, bring them to Rebounderz Trampoline Park here in Rohnert Park!

1. Breakfast

There’s a reason breakfast has been called the most important meal of the day. When we wake up, our body is depleted of fuel. In order to get the energy we need to make the most out of the day ahead, it’s vital to have a good breakfast filled with vitamins and nutrients. Give your kid a breakfast of nutritional foods like oatmeal, fresh fruit, almonds, scrambled eggs, and milk. These foods all go a long way toward strengthening bones and muscles while promoting brain growth and development. All this is to say, don’t skip breakfast!

2. Fruits and Vegetables

Nutrition doesn’t start and stop with breakfast. On the contrary, everything we eat has an effect on our bodies, some in ways you might not know. It is recommended for each primary meal you eat (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), that at least half of your plate be covered with fruits and/or vegetables. This ensures a steady intake of vitamins and nutrients that your kids need to grow up big and strong. See which fruits and veggies your child enjoys most and find ways to include them in each meal.

3. Hydration

Dehydration is something that can affect everyone, regardless of what season it is. With that said, the risk of dehydration increases in the summertime, because we’re often spending more time outside in the heat running around. Hydration is important to prevent heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, exhaustion, nausea, just to name a few.

4. Sunscreen

With most people getting outside to enjoy the beautiful summer weather, they’re under the sun much more than during the rest of the year. This makes sunscreen an indispensable asset to our health. Dermatologists using sunscreen that is at least SPF 30, it is able to block up to 97 percent of the sun’s harmful UVB rays. While higher SPF sunscreens can block a bit more of those rays, there is no way to block 100 percent of them. Sunscreen should be applied every two to three hours, but you should do it more often when you’re in or around water. Just because you’re swimming doesn’t mean you’re protected from the sun.

5. Sunglasses

While you might be aware of the dangers the sun presents to your skin, you might not know how it can damage your eyes as well. Just like sunscreen protects your skin from harmful UVB rays, wearing a pair of sunglasses can protect your eyes from 99 percent of UV rays, which can damage your eyes a great deal.

6. Rest

Without school causing kids to wake up early, many kids take advantage of this and stay up extra late during the summer. However, with how much summer activity is done outside in the heat, rest becomes incredibly important to avoid heat exhaustion. When playing outside, kids should make sure they take some breaks in the shade to get out of the sun. It’s recommended for kids to get at least eight-ten hours of sleep every night to recuperate from the days activities and grow well.

7. Oral Hygiene

When you think of treats to eat in the summer, you likely think of ice cream, shakes, and other sugary confections. This makes taking care of your teeth especially important in the summer. Ensure your child is sticking to recommended brushing and flossing habits to keep their teeth in good shape through the summer. Make sure you schedule a visit with the dentist every six months to prevent major dental issues which can hit kids especially hard when they’re developing.

8. Physical Activity

As noted in our previous blog, staying active through the summer is incredibly important for kids to develop properly. Help your little one avoid sliding into a sedentary lifestyle by encouraging them to have a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Whether it’s riding bikes, swimming, or just playing sports with friends, there’s plenty of fun ways to be active through the summer.

9. Safety Gear

When your child is playing around and getting that physical activity time in, it’s vital that they wear the proper safety gear for the activity. Helmets, knee pads, elbow pads, shin guards, and closed-toe shoes are all hugely helpful to keep kids safe when they’re playing around. Without them, they risk an injury that could bring their summer fun to a halt quickly.

10. R.I.C.E.

In the event your child does get hurt, they should know how to treat it while waiting for a parent to get home. Teach them about the R.I.C.E. method, which is as follows:

• Rest – Important to the recovery of any type of injury.
• Ice and Compression – This helps with swelling and pain issues.
• Elevation – The injured body part should be elevated to help the healing process begin.

There are many ways you can help your child stay healthy this summer, but we hope this list can act as a good resource for you. If you want to help your child find the fun in physical activity, bring them to Rebounderz here in Rohnert Park. Whether they want to jump around on the trampolines or they want to test their skills on the Ninja Warrior course, we know they’ll have a blast while they beat the heat. We hope to see you here soon!