According to the American Academy of Dermatology, even one or two blistering sunburns can significantly increase a child's risk for developing the most serious type of skin cancer, melanoma, later in life. Any child regardless of his skin color is at risk for skin cancer and premature aging. Even if your child has dark skin, sunburns are possible, so be sure to use care in the sun. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the sun's rays are the strongest. Schedule outdoor activities for other times of the day, even on cloudy days.
Clouds provide little protection from the sun's rays.
Kids should wear photoprotective clothing and wide-brimmed hats. Just wearing a white T-shirt isn't good enough. A wet, light-colored shirt transmits almost as much light to a child as does his bare skin. So dress them in dark colors with long sleeves and pants whenever possible. Some companies specialize in designing photoprotective clothing.