When it comes to sun awareness, you need to know more than just the fun facts from our Summer 2009 issue. The sun may be 150 million km away from the Earth, but its harmful rays have no problem reaching your skin, especially during those long summer days spent outdoors.

Although we’re big fans of enjoying time outside as a family this summer, we can’t stress enough the importance of practicing sun safety. Melanoma (the most serious type of skin cancer) can be deadly, and according to the Canadian Cancer Society, it’s on the rise in both men and women and is the second most common form of cancer for Ontarians between the ages of 15 and 34. Little ones are especially susceptible to sun damage, so be sure to keep those harsh UV rays away from their delicate skin.

For information on keeping your little ones safe from the sun this summer, check out the following articles:

• Sun Safety Essentials

• Sun Smarts

• 4 Sun Safety Tips for Summer

• Test Your Summer Health Smarts

• 7 SunSense Tips (from the Canadian Cancer Society)