Sun Safety at School: Protecting Students from UV Rays

Children spend lots of time outside at school. While fresh air and sunshine are great, too much sun can be harmful.

UV rays from the sun or tanning equipment can damage skin and increase the risk of skin cancer later in life. Skin cancer is the most common type in Canada, but it’s also one of the most preventable.

Visit Health Canada – Sun Safety for tips on preventing sunburn, recognizing heat illness, and keeping students safe in the sun.

Whole School Approaches

To support a healthy school environment and protect students from harmful UV rays, try adding sun safety to your school’s health and well-being action plan. Here are a few ways to get started:

Create a Sun Safety Policy

The Canadian Cancer Society’s SunSense program has a helpful guide for schools. It includes free tools and resources to support the development and rollout of a school-wide sun safety policy.

Raise Awareness

Help staff and families learn more about the importance of sun protection:

• Remind students to wear hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
• Talk about sun safety in class and during outdoor activities.
• Start a sun safety campaign using the internationally recognized SunSmart program, including the
  • Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, and Slide message:
  • Slip on a shirt
  • Slop on sunscreen
  • Slap on a hat
  • Seek shade
  • Slide on some sunglasses
• Offer sun safety workshops at staff meetings or professional development days.
• Invite experts to speak about UV safety.
• Share information with families to encourage practicing sun-safe habits at home.

Promote a Sun-Safe Environment

Create a schoolyard and school culture that supports sun protection:

• Plan for more shade on school grounds or in outdoor learning areas.
• Encourage shade breaks during peak sun hours (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
• Model sun-safe habits.
• Apply for SunSense Certification from the Canadian Cancer Society, which recognizes schools that take action to reduce UV exposure. Certified schools get free downloadable resources, including:
  • A teaching guide
  • Parent/caregiver letters
  • Policy tools
  • Activity sheets and posters

NOTE: School registration for the Canadian Cancer Society’s SunSense program is planned to open on February 1, 2026.

Teaching and Learning

Using credible resources and activities that align with Ontario curriculum can help students develop age-appropriate knowledge, learn new skills and make informed decisions to improve their health. Below are some examples that can help with teaching and learning related to sun safety:

• Ophea H&PE Curriculum Lesson Plans – Grades 1 - 8. Includes lesson plans, supplements and activities designed to reflect the requirements of the Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum.
• SunSmart for School and Early Childhood – Grades 1 - 8. At this Australian website you will find a variety of classroom resources that can be used to support teaching students about sun safety, including free lesson plans, downloadable activities, posters, songs, and videos. 
• Sun and Ultraviolet Radiation – Grades 9 - 12. The Canadian Cancer Society’s website contains credible background information on sun safety topics such as indoor tanning, the UV index, preventing skin cancer, vitamin D supplements and more.

Student Engagement

There are many ways to engage students in sun safety initiatives, such as:

• Actively engage students in creating sun safe vibrant, rich environments by planting trees to create a healthy ecosystem and habitat as part of the Ontario EcoSchools certification program.
• Invite student feedback and engage them in activities to create and implement a school sun safety strategy/policy. 
• Organize theme week or month activities e.g. in May to celebrate Sun Awareness Month.
• Involve students to create posters, PA announcements, and/or newsletters for parents/families which include sun safety key messages. 

Parents and Family Engagement

There are many ways to engage parents/families in sun safety initiatives, such as:

• Educate fellow parents/families about the importance of sun-safe practices through creation/addition of sun safety key messages in school newsletters.
• Invite parents/families to share feedback and participate in activities to create and implement a school sun safety strategy. 
  Share credible information and resources to help raise awareness with parents and families, such as Government of Canada: Sun safety tips for parents.

Additional Resources

• Sun and Ultraviolet Radiation - The Canadian Cancer Society’s website contains credible background information on sun safety topics such as indoor tanning, the UV index, preventing skin cancer, vitamin D supplements and more.
• Ontario Skin Cancer Prevention Act (Tanning Beds), 2013

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