Fall Surfacing guidelines

http://www.ok.gov/~okdol/ssd/PlaygroundSafety/SSDPlaygroundSafetyFallSurfacingGuidelines.pdf

Best sun protection is ’shade’

Whether natural shade or built shade, the best in sun protection is protection from harsh uv rays of the sun.  Especially when it comes to toddlers and those children in day care programs.  These little ones in their innocence get burnt from the harsh sun, and the most vulnerable victims of all.  Another issue with day care centers is that Care Givers are unable to apply sunscreen, thus leaving their little arms and legs exposed.  It is our responsibilty as the adults in our communities to do our best to provide the shade needed in playgrounds.  Fortunately, the trend of sun protection is here, and there is more and more shade provision found today across the country. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-sunscreen18forumnbsep18,0,1614758.story

New Mexico RAYS Project

New Mexico is leading the charge on sun safety.  In this blog, we highlight their 2006 report on the success of the RAYS - Raising awareness in youth about sun safety, program launched by the New Mexico Department of Health Comprehensive Cancer Program.   This report is an update on their program and shows changes in self-reported sun safety knowledge increases by children in schools.  View their program to see the dramatic increase on pre-post tests which tell us about the changes in students’ knowledge, attitudes and behavior towards sun safety.

http://www.cancernm.org/cancercouncil/pdf/RAYS_Program_06_Summary_Report.pdf

Going with your own glow!

Climate change continues to influence our behavior more than ever before, not only with the environment but even with fashion and trends.   As health becomes a dominant factor in our every day choices, health trends are also affecting the outward appearance as can be evidenced on todays fashion runways, with the preference of a more natural look.  The new look today is no longer about “tanned skin”, and a glowing natural looking skin that looks ‘healthy’ is seen as more fashionable.    

Influenced by a group of beauty editors, the Skin Cancer Foundation were inspired to create a campaign that would spread the word on “Go with your own glow!”, a message that spreads the fact that tanning is no longer desirable or fashionable and is obsolete in todays lifestyle.   A natural glowing healthy skin is now ‘the look’ to have. 

To learn more about the “Go with your own glow” campaign, please visit http://www.skincancer.org/content/view/272/19/

Posters for the campaign may be viewed at,

http://www.skincancer.org/images/stories/Glow/hat-poster.pdf

http://www.skincancer.org/images/stories/Glow/tree-poster.pdf

http://www.skincancer.org/images/stories/Glow/parasol-poster.pdf