Now that the summer holidays are finally here and the sun is shining you’ll probably be spending a lot more time outdoors. You might be going on holiday somewhere in the UK or even overseas and looking forward to playing on the beach, lying by a pool, or playing sport.

Whatever you’re doing, it’s important to remember that, although being out in the sun is good for us, it can also cause harm if we get too much exposure. Sunshine contains lots of different types of light and some of it causes our skin to burn and can lead to people developing skin cancer.

Skin cancer is very rare in children but damage to our skin cells when we’re young may cause problems several decades later. This is why it’s important to ensure that children and young people stay safe when they’re out in the sun.

You might have heard people talking about UV light, which stands for ‘ultraviolet’, and this is the bit of sunshine that can burn our skin and from what sun cream protects us.

Whenever you go outside, even if it doesn’t look that sunny, you need to put on sun cream on any skin that’s exposed to the sun.

Different sun creams have different levels of protection but it’s best to start with a high strength. As well as sun cream, you will need some sunglasses to protect your eyes, and it may be good to wear a hat.

The heat that comes with the sun means we need to drink water regularly to stay healthy and, if you start to feel ill because of the heat, tell an adult as soon as possible.