Fun Activities
The Sunscreen Dance
Listen to the Sunscreen Dance song, by the Swingset Mamas*.
Playing outside is so much fun,
Skipping in the sand out in the sun.
But don’t forget to protect your skin,
The part of the body that we’re living in, so…
Grab a bottle from the top of the shelf.
I’ll show you a way to protect yourself --
From New Jersey to Hawaii to the South of France,
Everyone’s doin’ the sunscreen dance.
Liven up the classroom with The Sunscreen Dance , by the Swingset Mamas*! All of the following activities can be enhanced with this fun, educational song.
Hot Potato With the Sun | Health and P.E. | K-2
Supplies:
- Ball (Yellow works best
- The Sunscreen Dance
Directions:
Make a large circle and pretend the ball is the sun. Students pass the ball to each other as music plays. When the music stops, the student with the ball should say one of the sun facts about how to protect the skin and eyes from the sun. For more sun safety tips, please see the SunWisdom section of the Tool Kit or the Sun Safety Action Steps.
Students can do the SunWise Word Search supplemental activity located in the back of the K-2 section of the Tool Kit as a follow-up to this activity.
Musical Chairs | Health and P.E. | K-2 and 3-5
- Chairs (one less chair than the number of students in class)
- The Sunscreen Dance
Directions:
Students walk around the chairs, which are set up in a circle while the Sunscreen Dance plays. When the music stops, the students scramble to sit down in a chair. Whichever student is still standing should recite a sun safety fact about how to protect the skin and eyes from the sun. Then, that student dances and claps for the remaining students while the game continues, and the teacher pulls more and more chairs from the circle. For more sun safety tips, please see the SunWisdom section of the Tool Kit or the Sun Safety Action Steps.
Create What You Hear | Art and Language Arts | K-2 and 3-5
Supplies:
- Papers, pens, markers, paint, clay and any other art supplies
- The Sunscreen Dance
Directions:
Students are instructed to listen to the lyrics and can choose to draw, sculpt, paint, or write a story, poem, or play about what the lyrics mean to them. Explain to the students that there is also a poster contest once a year about sun safety.
Animals with Natural Sunscreen | Science and Language Arts | 3-5
Supplies:
- The Sunscreen Dance
Directions:
Students listen to the Sunscreen Dance music to kick off a fun research contest. Students go to the library to look up which animals naturally seek shade or have ultraviolet (UV)-protective coats. Students could also write a short paper about what they found in their research and share the information they found as individual or group presentations. Hint: check out the animal photos on this page!
Fun with Adjectives | Language Arts | 3-5
Supplies:
- The Sunscreen Dance
Directions:
Students listen to the Sunscreen Dance music to begin a fun writing project. Students are asked to list 10 adjectives that describe the song -- its beat, rhythm, tempo, duration, the words in the song, and the artists’ voices. As a bonus, students should write all of the sun safety steps that they can remember and explain what to do if their shadow is shorter than they are. For all of the sun safety tips, please see the SunWisdom section of the Tool Kit or go to.
Counting on Sun Safety | Math | K-2
Supplies:
- The Sunscreen Dance
Directions:
The teacher writes the following words on the board for all students to see: sun, sunscreen, lotion, and dance. Students listen to the Sunscreen Dance music once all the way through. Then, the teacher explains that students will write down how many times they hear each word in the song. The teacher can play the song once or twice more for students to listen, count, and jot down their answers. As a bonus, students should write all of the sun safety steps that they can remember and explain what to do if their shadow is shorter than they are. For all of the sun safety tips, please see the SunWisdom section of the Tool Kit.
Don't Fry Day and Sun Safety Month
- Celebrate Don't Fry Day
- Find more educational activities for Sun Safety Month
*Disclaimer: Recording and lyrics used with permission of the Swingset Mamas. Its use does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.