Beaver Lodge Fort provides a shady nook for little ones at Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto, ON. (Photo: Lyle Sadavoy)
Here in Learning Grounds, we work hard to get kids outside, and shade is a big part of keeping them safe while they’re there. Escaping to shade not only feels good, it is becoming increasingly important for children’s health. According to the Canadian Dermatology Association, people born in the 1990s have a 2 to 3 times higher lifetime risk of skin cancer than those born in the 1960′s. To put it a different way, if you’re currently between 11 and 20 years old, you have a 1 in 6 lifetime risk of skin cancer, compared to those between 41 and 50 years old, whose lifetime risk is 1 in 20.
The good news is that anyone can create shade at home and or on school grounds. Shade structures can range in price and complexity, from a straight-forward tarp or tent to a vine-covered pergola or gazebo. Read on for inspiration and links to our free shade resources.
Inspired by cultural or natural elements, these provide shady places to gather, play, hide, or sit quietly:
Left: Teepee at Manglerud School, Oslo, Norway. Right: Pergola at Argyle Primary School, London, UK. (Photos: Cam Collyer)
A simple tarp can be installed and removed in minutes, and provides an effective and low-maintenance option for shading an outdoor classroom:
Neumark-Grundschule, Berlin, Germany. (Photo: Cam Collyer)
Please note: Installation of permanent shade sail does not guarantee dramatic temperature drop as pictured below!
Avalon Public School, Ottawa, ON. (Photo: Jeff Kaster)
Could your local school use a little more shade?
Even though school is out, now’s the perfect time to begin planning for a shade project at your school. School shade shelters are eligible for Evergreen funding.
Learning Grounds also has free resources to help you on your way. Download the chapter on Shade Shelters in Design Ideas for the Outdoor Classroom for tips on building both permanent and temporary shade shelters like the ones you see here.
If you’re burning for more information on shade, here’s a list of Learning Grounds’ shade resources:
Shade for Kids Workshop-in-a-Box
Design Ideas for the Outdoor Classroom
Designing for Shade and Energy Conservation
Shade for Kids: A Policy Primer for School Boards
Before You Go Outside: Tips from the Teacher’s Corner
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jessicamnagy
Hi Paul! Thanks for your question.
The main cause of skin cancer is exposure to UV radiation, which has increased in intensity due to ozone depletion.
To your mention of life expectancy, strangely enough, it has been said that this generation of kids may be the first since WWII to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents, due to health issues around obesity and inactivity.
And stranger still – while risk of skin cancer is rising, 2 in 3 Canadians are suffering from Vitamin-D deficiency.
So the takeaway message is, get outside, get active, and remember your sunscreen!
Health Canada has a sun safety page if you’d like more info: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/securit/season-saison/summer-ete/air-eng.php
And here’s the stats on Vitamin-D deficiency from StatsCan: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/100323/dq100323a-eng.htm
So what’s the root cause of the increased risk of skin cancer for later generations? Is it ozone depletion, longer life expectancy, …?
Especially with a summer like this, shade is so important! Love the beaver lodge.