I don’t know many kids who love to put on sunscreen.
In fact, sometimes I’m tempted to not apply sunscreen on kids because it can be such a battle! But, then I remind myself that skipping sunscreen isn’t safe for my kids. In fact, we know how important it is to make sun protection a priority. Sunscreen does more than protect against sunburns, it protects against long-term effects that are not always visible, like skin damage and skin cancer!
That’s why we’re thrilled to team up with Banana Boat®, a Happily Ever Mom sponsor. They’ve asked us to talk about some fun ways to put sunscreen on kids so that kids won’t be upset when they see you coming towards them with a sunscreen bottle!
7 No-Fuss Tips and Tricks to Apply Sunscreen to Kids
Face Painting.
This one is great for preschoolers. I tell my daughter that it’s time to get sunscreen on and that I’m going to face paint some shapes on her cheeks. Her job is to see if she can guess what I’m painting! If she gets it right, she gets to paint some sunscreen on my cheeks. The kicker is that we always have to rub in the sunscreen after the guesses are over. Simple, but fun!
Itsy Bitsy Spider.
For my toddler, singing the itsy bitsy spider while I put on sunscreen is the best choice. He loves to feel the movements on his face and it’s a fun way to distract him while doing something that he could otherwise put up a fight.
The Countdown.
This is for the kids who love to race. We always remind each other that it hurts to get sunscreen in your eyes, so we have to be careful or we can’t race. Then, I count down from 10 to 1 while I put sunscreen on their face. Honestly, kids love to see if I can actually do it and I *sometimes* make long, deep breaths in between the numbers to give myself a little more time to get good coverage!
Make-up Sponge.
My husband hates getting sunscreen on his hands, so this method is for him and my daughter. We use a make-up sponge to apply sunscreen to our daughter’s face. It might sounds silly and a little bit of a time suck, but my daughter loves the way the sponge feels on her face and my husband doesn’t get any sunscreen on his hands – I call that a win!
Taking Turns.
If you’re really bold, you’ll take turns with your kids! I always do my kid’s faces first, and as a “reward,” they get to put sunscreen on mine. They LOVE it and it’s an easy way to remember to get sunscreen on my face as well!
In the Mirror.
Sometimes it calms kids down to put the sunscreen on themselves in the mirror. I wouldn’t do this with anyone younger than four or five, but it can be a real challenge for them to watch themselves in the mirror and apply the sunscreen. This works great for the kids who cringe and really protest having someone else apply sunscreen to their face!
What’s Missing?
Another quick and fun way to apply sunscreen onto preschoolers is to ask them which part of their face you missed applying sunscreen to. For example, say that it’s their job to figure out what spot you missed on their face. Tell them you’re not sure if they’ll be able to guess…it’s really tricky! Then, forget to cover their nose or a spot of their forehead when you’re applying Banana Boat®. BUT, don’t forget to cover the spot after they guess or they might have an unfortunate sunburn…
The most important thing that I’ve learned over the years (I’ve put TONS of sunscreen on kids when I was a preschool teacher), is that some kids truly don’t like the way it feels on their skin.
Taking your time, going at a child’s pace, and making it fun for them will make the process easier and easier (and, less stressful for everyone!).
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Banana Boat® . The opinions and text are all mine.
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