The last bell of the 2023-24 school year will soon ring, but fear not. Nurse Practitioner Emily Otto offers suggestions on how to keep children healthy and safe during the summer break.

Otto provides well care and treats ill children at St. Luke’s Palmerton Pediatrics.

She monitors children’s development and offers parents guidance from the time her patients are born until they go off to college or into the world of work.

Her best recommendation for keeping children physically and mentally active during the summer break is to get them outside where they can burn off energy and explore the natural world.

“We’re in the backyard of the Appalachian Trail and the Delaware & Lehigh Trail,” said Otto, who nearly 20 years ago moved to Palmerton, where she raised her three sons. “It’s easy to get out there. We have Beltzville and Mauch Chunk lakes close by for the outdoor water activities. The more we can get out and enjoy our environment, the healthier we all are as a family.”

Furthermore, studies show that being in nature helps children develop creativity and a love of the outdoors. “Research has found that children who have daily opportunities to play outside have improved motor development, lower obesity rates and a lower risk of near sightedness - so less screen time and more time being physically active,” she said. “Even babies benefit from being outside.”

Otto suggests putting a blanket in the grass and letting infants do their tummy time outside. If you have a toddler, have them listen to the birds or a creek and talk about what they’re hearing and seeing. Such activities stimulate senses and help them learn to interact with their environment.

“Being outdoors actually helps their mental health too,” she said. “Research has shown that when children spend time in natural settings, they have less anger and aggression, better impulse control, and can cope with stress and depression better.”

Despite its benefits, the outdoors has its risks. Injuries like sprains, strains and broken bones increase in the summer and parents must take extra precautions.

Make sure your child wears a helmet and has appropriate elbow and knee pads while bike riding, roller skating or skateboarding.

Take special precautions with ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) to prevent falls and burns from the hot mufflers. Always wear a helmet.

While outdoors, it’s important to have the proper footwear and clothing. If you’re doing something strenuous, like hiking, be sure to wear sneakers or boots, not flip-flops or sandals. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants can reduce exposure to ticks and other insects. Avoid perfume, scented soaps and deodorants, hairspray and even brightly colored clothing that attract insects.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends bug spray with 30% DEET, but only for children older than two months. At day’s end, check for ticks and call your physician if you find one embedded. If you are bitten by a snake, go to the nearest emergency room for evaluation and an anti-venom, if needed.

Apply sunscreen to prevent sunburn and reduce your child’s lifetime risk of skin cancer. The AAP recommends unscented, hypoallergenic sunscreens of 50 SPF or higher. Reapply every three to four hours or if the child gets wet. Use a mineral stick with zinc oxide for babies and toddlers, and lotions for older children. Spray sunscreens should only be used as a last resort because they contain an accelerant that is absorbed into the skin. An ultraviolet blocking protection factor coverup shirt and staying in the shade, especially between 11 a.m.-4 p.m. reduces exposure.

Besides the outdoors, there are many community activities to keep your child mentally and socially engaged, she said. Spending time with family is another great way to spend summer vacation.

“Memories and experiences are so much more valuable than material things,” she said. “If you can spend time with grandparents or cousins or aunts and uncles, extended family, you can create memorable experiences that can help them develop.”

In fact, visiting extended family led Otto to Palmerton. “We found the town and fell in love with the park and the community,” she said. “I love the small-town, close-knit community feel.”

Summer Sports Camps

St. Luke’s Sports Medicine will hold sports-focused camps and clinics that aim to immerse kids in fitness, fun and skill development. For more information, visit www.slhn.org/sports-medicine/camps-clinics.