Give Your Kids a Healthy and Active Summer

"Parents play a powerful role in helping their children prepare mentally, physically, and emotionally for the upcoming school year. Here are some ways you can give your child a healthy and active summer through activities that help them be safe, healthy, engaged, supported, and challenged.

Keep Your Children Safe This Summer

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Physical Activity

• Water activities, like swimming and canoeing, are a fun way to stay cool. Check out these tips to enjoy the water safely.

Nutrition

• Want to try a new recipe? Be safe while doing so! Teach your child the basics of food safety and handwashing.

Social Emotional Learning

• Social and emotional learning starts at home. Check out a video and other resourcesexternal icon to learn more.

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Keep Your Children Healthy This Summer

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Physical Activity

• Help your kids and teens get 60 minutes of physical activityexternal icon every day! Check for free or low-cost sports camps at their school or the local rec center — or get active by walking, biking, or roller skating as a family during your summer vacation.

Nutrition

• Getting enough water every day is important for your child’s health. Help your child choose water over sugary drinks.

Social Emotional Learning

• Dancing to music from other countries and languages can strengthen the ability to empathize with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Try dancing, for example, to hits from around the worldexternal icon or other multicultural music options.

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Keep Your Children Engaged This Summer

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Physical Activity

Planting a garden together can foster teamwork and improve mood.

• Try using this Family Nature Club Toolkitexternal icon to help you plan and share outdoor experiences with like-minded friends and families who are yearning for “more green, less screen.”

Nutrition

• Download the Dining Decisions mobile app on your phone or tablet to help your kids make healthy food choices at home or on the go.

Social Emotional Learning

• Try planting a garden or volunteering at a community garden as a family. This can help foster teamwork and strengthen relationships..."
  Kids Healthy and Active Summer 

Summer Travel 2017

"School is out, work in the office is quieting down, and cold temperatures are a distant memory. It’s time to relax and enjoy the warm, sunny weather. If international travel is part of your summer plans, the CDC Travelers’ Health website is a great first stop to get prepared.

Before You Go

• Visit your doctor or a travel medicine specialist, ideally 4–6 weeks before your trip, to get any vaccines or medicines you may need. Go to the Destinations website to check the vaccines and medicines list specific to your destination. Even if you are leaving soon, a visit to a travel medicine doctor is valuable. The doctor can counsel you on ways you can reduce your risk of getting sick or hurt while traveling.
• Pack a Travel Health Kit. Include prescription and over-the-counter medicines, sunscreen, alcohol-based sanitizer, first aid supplies, health insurance card, insect repellent, and condoms.
• Check for any current Travel Health Notices. These notices will inform you about health issues related to disease outbreaks, special events or gatherings, natural disasters, or other conditions at your destination.
• Check the US Department of State website for information on security risks. Register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so the US embassy or consulate can contact you in an emergency...."

Summer Travel

Summer Sun Safety: Protect Yourself from UV Radiation

"Fun in the sun will be on everyone’s list of things to do during the spring and summer months, but these are not the only times you should practice protective measures. Keeping yourself and others protected from UV radiation is an important, year-round responsibility.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a form of non-ionizing radiation that is emitted by the sun and artificial sources, such as tanning beds. While it has some benefits for people, including the creation of Vitamin D, it also can cause health risks.

• Our natural source of UV radiation:
  • The sun
• Some artificial sources of UV radiation include:
  • Tanning beds
  • Mercury vapor lighting (often found in stadiums and school gyms)
  • Some halogen, fluorescent, and incandescent lights
  • Some types of lasers..."

Summer and UV radiation

Keep Kids Safe This Summer

"Hot weather provides opportunities for kids to enjoy the outdoors. Take steps to keep them safe and healthy, both indoors and outdoors.

Master Water Safety

Swimming and other water activities are excellent ways to get the physical activity and health benefits needed for a healthy life. Get the most from these activities while helping everyone stay safe and healthy.

• Parents and caregivers play a key role in protecting children from drowning. When kids are in or near water, closely supervise them at all times.
• Help prevent recreational water illnesses, which is illness caused by germs and chemicals found in the water we swim in. Keep the pee, poop, sweat, and dirt out of the water. Take kids on bathroom breaks and check diapers every hour, and change them in a bathroom or diaper-changing area–not poolside–to keep germs away from the pool.
• Stay safe while boating by wearing a life jacket. Properly fitted life jackets can prevent drownings and should be worn at all times by everyone on any boat...."

Kids and Summer

The 29 Can't-Miss Summer Festivals of 2016

"What would summer be without a fantastic festival? Whether it’s chowing down on hot dogs or haggling with a vendor selling Victorian furniture at an antique show, there’s a plethora of summer festivals you won’t want to miss. We’ve taken care of the guesswork, rounding up the top 29 festivals of the season..."
Summer festivals

2016 Student Opportunities in Public Health

"CDC's Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) supports internship opportunities for qualified undergraduate and graduate students to gain meaningful experiences in public health settings. Whether you are looking for a summer internship or a fellowship, the following programs provide valuable exposure to a wide range of public health opportunities. Learn more,,,:
Summer interns

#AskEnergySaver: Home Cooling

"Summer’s sultry weather can take a toll on more than just your hair. For many households that rely on air conditioning to keep cool, summer’s heat and humidity can lead to higher energy bills. That’s why this month, we asked you to share your home cooling questions.

To answer them, we turned to Dr. Max Sherman, a senior scientist at the Energy Department’s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. With more than 30 years of experience in building efficiency, Sherman’s research focuses on the connection between heating and cooling equipment, air leakage and indoor air quality..."

Home cooling

EPA’s Tips for a Happy and Healthy Summer

Find tips from the EPA to prepare for a healthy Summer 
Healthy Summer Tips

Keeping Kids Safe this Summer

"Kids like to dive into summer to relax, unwind, and have fun. Warm weather brings more opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Here are some ways to stay safe while indoors and outdoors..."
Kids & Summer

Insect Repellents: Use and Effectiveness
Find information on the use and effectiveness of insect repellents.

Free Tools to Protect Health as Summer Smog Season Begins
"May 2, 2011) – Today is the beginning of Air Quality Awareness Week, a cooperative effort among EPA, state environmental agencies and the National Weather Service to remind the public to protect their health by paying attention to local air quality. With the onset of warmer weather, the EPA urges New Englanders to be aware of the increased risk of ground-level ozone air pollution and fine particle air pollution (when combined, often referred to as smog), and take health precautions when poor air quality is predicted.

Air quality forecasts are issued daily by the New England state air agencies. Current air quality conditions and next day forecasts for New England are available each day at EPA’s web site. People can also sign up to receive “Air Quality Alerts.” These alerts, provided free by EPA through the EnviroFlash system, automatically notify participants by e-mail or text message when poor air quality is predicted in their area..."
See Air Quality Awareness Week web site.