Outdoor Smarts: Sun, Heat, Air Quality, Bugs and Cold

Remember from Grade 4

In Grade 4 you learned to stay safe in cold and wind, hot sun, thunderstorms, ice and snow, and smoky or smoggy air. You learned: "When thunder roars, go indoors," and to wait 30 minutes after the last thunder.

This year you will read the real numbers that weather reports give, like the UV index and the Air Quality Health Index, learn about insects like ticks, and make a plan B for days when the outdoors isn't safe for hard activity.

What does the weather app mean?

You check the weather before a soccer game on a July afternoon. It says:

31°C, humidex 38, UV index 9, AQHI 3

That's a lot of numbers! By the end of this lesson, you will know what each one means and how to play safely that day.

Environmental health risks

An environmental health risk is something in the world around us that could harm our health. For outdoor activity in Ontario, the main ones are:

• strong sun (UV rays),
• heat and humidity,
• poor air quality (smog or wildfire smoke),
• insects like ticks and mosquitoes,
• extreme cold and wind,
• lightning.

You don't need to be scared of being outside. You just need to check, plan and protect.

Sun: the UV index

The sun gives off ultraviolet (UV) rays. You can't see or feel them, but they can burn your skin and harm your eyes. Sunburns can happen even on cloudy days, and in winter, because snow reflects UV rays.

Sun safety: In spring and summer in Canada, UV rays are usually strongest from about 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Find shade.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and clothing that covers your skin.
• Use sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher on skin that shows. Put it on before going out and again after swimming or sweating a lot.
• Never look straight at the sun.

Heat and humidity: the humidex

On humid summer days, the air is full of moisture. Sweat can't dry off your skin as easily, so it's harder for your body to cool down. The humidex tells how hot it feels.

On hot, humid days:

• Drink water before, during and after activity, even if you're not thirsty yet.
• Play in the shade, take more breaks, and choose lighter activities.
• Move hard activity to the cooler morning or evening.
• Wear loose, light-coloured clothing.

Signs of heat illness: headache, dizziness, feeling sick, very tired, muscle cramps, or very red, hot skin. Stop, move to the shade, sip water, and tell a grown-up.

Air quality: the AQHI

Sometimes the air has smog (pollution, often on hot days in cities) or smoke from forest fires that can travel very far. Breathing hard in poor air can make people cough, feel short of breath, or have an asthma attack. Canada uses the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI):

Insects: ticks and mosquitoes

Blacklegged ticks live in parts of Ontario in wooded, brushy and tall-grass areas. Some carry Lyme disease. Some mosquitoes can carry West Nile virus.

• Stay on the middle of trails.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants tucked into socks. Light colours make ticks easier to spot.
• Use insect repellent: a grown-up puts it on you, following the label.
• Tick check after time in grassy or wooded places: scalp and hairline, behind the ears, armpits, belly button, waist, behind the knees and between the toes.
• Found a tick? Don't squeeze it. Tell a grown-up, who can remove it carefully with fine tweezers.

If you're stung by a bee or wasp and you have a serious allergy, or have trouble breathing or swelling, get a grown-up right away.

Cold and wind: the wind chill

Wind chill tells how cold it feels on your skin when the wind blows. The colder the wind chill, the faster skin can freeze.

• Dress in layers, with a hat, mittens, a neck warmer and warm, dry socks and boots.
• Cover your cheeks, nose and ears on very cold, windy days.
• Change out of wet clothes. Wet clothes make you colder.
• Watch for frostbite: skin that turns pale or greyish, feels numb or hard. Go inside and tell a grown-up. Warm the area gently; don't rub it.
• On extreme cold days, be active inside instead.