Summer Health Tips for Kids: 5 Ways to Protect Young Eyes
The summer months bring longer days filled with vibrant outdoor adventures, from splashing in pools to exploring nature trails and building sandcastles at the beach. These cherished childhood experiences come with increased exposure to elements that can affect young eyes. Children’s developing visual systems are particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors like UV radiation, digital devices, and even nutritional gaps that become more pronounced during vacation months. As parents, we often remember sunscreen for the skin but overlook protection for those curious eyes taking in all of summer's wonders. Protecting children's vision isn't just about preventing immediate discomfort—it's about safeguarding their visual health and performance and supporting the crucial connection between vision and cognitive development.
Shield Young Eyes from the Summer Sun
The summer sun emits UV rays that can be particularly harmful to children's eyes. Unlike adult eyes, children's eyes have clearer lenses that allow more UV light to reach the retina. This increased exposure can lead to photokeratitis (sunburn of the eye) in the short term and potentially contribute to cataracts and macular degeneration later in life. Ensure your child wears sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays whenever outdoors. Look for wrap-around styles that prevent light from entering from the sides. For babies and toddlers who might resist sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats provide essential shade. Remember that UV exposure increases near water, sand, and at higher altitudes, so extra protection is needed during beach trips and mountain excursions.Balance Screen Time and Green Time
Summer vacation often brings increased screen time, whether it's video games during afternoon heat or movies on long car trips. The blue light emitted from these devices can cause digital eye strain and may disrupt sleep patterns. Create a summer schedule that balances digital entertainment with outdoor activities. Encourage your children to take frequent breaks using the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Better yet, trade screen time for "green time" in nature, which may benefit both visual development and mental well-being. Activities like cloud watching, bird spotting, or simply playing catch help exercise different visual skills while reducing eye strain.Protect Eyes in and Around Water
Swimming pools, lakes, and oceans are summer staples, but each presents unique challenges for eye health. Chlorinated pool water can irritate eyes and temporarily blur vision, while natural water sources may contain microorganisms that cause infections. Properly fitted swim goggles protect eyes from irritants and reduce redness and dryness. Teach children never to swim underwater with their eyes open in chlorinated pools. After swimming, gently rinse eyes with clean, cool water to remove any irritants. For beach days, remember that sand can scratch the cornea if it gets in the eyes, so keep clean water handy for emergency eye rinses and discourage eye rubbing.Maintain Eye Health Through Nutrition
Summer's abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables provides perfect opportunities to boost eye-supporting nutrients in your child's diet. Colorful berries, orange and yellow fruits, and dark leafy greens contain antioxidants and carotenoids that support visual health. However, summer schedules, travel, and picky eating can create nutritional gaps. Ensuring consistent intake of key eye nutrients becomes especially important during these developmental years when visual pathways are still forming.Lutein for Kids: Lutemax Kids from OmniActive
While outdoor protection and healthy habits form the foundation of summer eye care, nutritional support plays an equally vital role in long-term visual health. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two powerful carotenoids that act as natural filters against harmful blue light and protect delicate eye tissues. These plant-based compounds concentrate in the macula, the area of the retina responsible for central vision and visual acuity. Beyond eye health, lutein and zeaxanthin are recognized as important "brain nutrients," with research suggesting that lutein makes up approximately 60% of the carotenoids present in the developing brain tissue of children. This brain-eye connection makes lutein and zeaxanthin particularly valuable during childhood years when both visual processing and cognitive pathways are actively forming. Lutemax Kids from OmniActive is composed of 10 mg of lutein and 2 mg of zeaxanthin isomers, and it was shown to support both eye and cognitive health in children aged 5-12 years old. Research indicates that Lutemax Kids has been shown to:- Increase lutein and zeaxanthin status
- Increase visual processing speed
- Reduce eye strain and fatigue as a result of digital device use
- Significantly improve aspects of cognitive health including attention, focus/concentration, episodic memory and more