When the sun comes out, the kids go out to enjoy it. It’s important to remember that in addition to the helmets and life jackets, you need to protect their skin as well, even on cloudy days.

The first rule of thumb in protecting your kids is prevent sunburns at all costs. Those seemingly harmless sunburns increase the likelihood of skin cancer as they grow older.

The sun is a great source of vitamin D, but there are also dangers. Sunlight is heavy in ultraviolet (UV) light. These UV rays burn the skin and can open the door to basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell skin cancers later in life. Several severe sunburns in children under 18 years of age can double the risk of melanoma later in life.

You may think, “I used to sunburn a lot when I was a kid and I don’t have skin cancer.” That may be true, but if you sunburned a lot when you were young, you are almost certainly at an increased risk for skin cancer, so don’t forget to have your skin checked as a routine activity during your annual physicals.

The best way to protect your kids is to keep them out of the sun. But let’s be realistic, you are not going to keep your kids from enjoying themselves this summer in fear of skin cancer.

Here are a few basic rules to bear in mind.

• Cover as much of their skin as possible. Have them wear clothing that will give protection in the sun, but is also breathable and comfortable when it is warm outside. Hats with broad brims are useful to protect their faces and ears.

• If possible, have kids sit in the shade as much as possible. If they can’t, create some shade by bringing along a big beach umbrella or even a small tent. This gives the kids a place to sit when they aren’t out frolicking in the sun. Shade is most important between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. It is during this time ultraviolet light activity is at its peak.

• Sun block is the key to keeping kid’s skin healthy and minimizing skin damage, but choosing the right type is important. Choose a sun block with a high SPF, or sun protection factor. The higher the SPF number, the better the protection. Babies should wear the highest number possible, such as an SPF 58, if available. Children and adults that are out in the sun should wear SPF 50. There are lower numbers, but they won’t offer the best possible protection. You should reapply sun block every two hours, especially if your kids are in and out of the water.

Also, don’t be fooled by a cloudy day. Cloudy days can lull parents into a false sense of security. You might think, “Oh, I don’t need to put sun block on them today. It’s cloudy.” Wrong. UV rays penetrate the cloud cover and can still cause skin damage, so protect them just as you would in sunny weather.

In addition to protecting their skin, you should also consider protecting their eyes. Sunlight can be very hard on their eyes and it is best if they wear sunglasses. Polarized lenses offer the best protection from dangerous UV rays. Just as UV rays can cause skin cancer, they can also cause cataracts in their eyes later in life.

For your kids to have a safe and healthy summer, you must model safe behavior. Wear your helmet when you ride bikes and make it mandatory for your children. Wear a life jacket during boating and around the water, and your children will be more willing to do the same. Protecting your child’s skin may not offer immediate protection from an imminent threat like helmets and life jackets do, but it will almost certainly pay off in the long run with healthy skin and a low cancer risk. This makes these simple steps as important as helmets and life jackets.