Sun Safety Hydration

Overview

In this lesson, students learn how to protect their skin and eyes from the sun and how to stay hydrated during water activities. They practise using the “slip, slop, slap” habits and learn simple signs of dehydration.

Learning intentions

• Students will understand sun protection and explain why it matters during outdoor and water play.
• Students will recognise basic signs of dehydration and describe what to do to help.
• Students will use hydration habits before, during and after water activities.
• Students will apply “slip, slop, slap” to keep their bodies safer in sunny conditions.
• Students will work with others to follow safe routines in a water safety context.

Success criteria

• I can say what “slip, slop, slap” means and show it with actions.
• I can name at least two signs of dehydration (for example, thirst, dry lips, headache, dizziness).
• I can tell someone how to stay hydrated (for example, drink water regularly, take shade breaks).
• I can follow sun safety and hydration routines during class water games.

Curriculum links

• Health and wellbeing: personal health choices, safe behaviours and understanding influences on health.
• Health literacy: interpreting health information and using it to make decisions.
• Safety: recognising risk in everyday settings and choosing actions to reduce harm.
• Communication: using respectful language to share health and safety ideas with others.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min: WALT + lesson hook

• Display the WALT statement: “WALT: We are learning to protect our skin in the sun and stay hydrated during water activities.”
• Ask: “What happens to our body in the sun? What helps us feel okay when we play outdoors?”

2. 5–15 min: Sun safety mini-teach (slip, slop, slap)

• Teach “slip, slop, slap” as a simple routine: slip on a long-sleeved shirt/appropriate clothing, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat (and encourage sunglasses when available).
• Use quick whole-class gestures and repeat as a chant. Connect to water time: sun is strong near water.

3. 15–25 min: Hydration story + signs of dehydration

• Read/act a short scenario: “We have played in the sun for a while and we feel …”
• Students identify possible signs using teacher prompts and show them with faces/actions (thirst, dry mouth/lips, tiredness, headache, feeling dizzy). Emphasise: “Telling a grown-up is the first step.”

4. 25–35 min: Stations—choose your routine

• Set up three short stations (2–3 minutes each, rotating):
• Station A: “Slip, slop, slap” matching cards (clothing/sunscreen/hat).
• Station B: Dehydration signs sorting (signs of dehydration vs not).
• Station C: Hydration routine cards (before/during/after drink water, shade break, slow down and ask for help).
• Teacher circulates, checks understanding, and corrects safely and positively.

5. 35–45 min: Practical routine rehearsal

• Rehearse a “sun safety and hydration pause” before any next water activity: hat on, sunscreen routine reminder (or demonstration steps), then water break.
• If sunscreen is not permitted, model the steps with an empty “practice bottle” and focus on wearing hat/appropriate clothing and drinking water.
• Use pairs: one partner reminds the other using a simple script.

6. 45–55 min: Scenario practice (small groups)

• Give each group a scenario card:
• “You are playing in the sun and you feel very thirsty.”
• “Someone doesn’t have a hat.”
• “A friend has a headache after running in the heat.”
• “You forgot to put sunscreen on before going outside.”
• “A friend is feeling dizzy and tired after playing in the sun.”
• “Someone sees a friend not drinking water during playtime.”
• “You notice a friend has red, sunburned skin after being outside.”
• “A friend lost their hat while playing in the sun.”
• “You feel thirsty but there is no water bottle nearby.”
• “Someone is playing outside without sunglasses on a very sunny day.”
• “You see a friend taking frequent shade breaks while others are not.”
• Groups decide what to do and share back. Reinforce: stop, get shade if needed, drink water, and tell a teacher/carer.

7. 55–60 min: Exit check (quick assessment)

• Students complete an oral exit check:
• “Say one slip, slop, slap action.”
• “Name one sign of dehydration.”
• “What should you do first?”
• Tally responses for whole-class next steps in Lesson 4.

Resources

• Visual “slip, slop, slap” posters (simple images for younger students)
• Hat and sunscreen practice items (real hat, empty sunscreen bottle or prop)
• Dehydration sign picture cards (thirsty, dry lips, headache, tired/dizzy)
• Routine cards: before/during/after water play drinking and shade breaks
• Scenario cards for small-group discussion
• Water bottles or cups for practice water breaks (school-approved)
• Student response boards or paper strips for sorting (optional)
• Timer for station rotations
• Class chant sheet or teacher-made cue cards

Assessment

• Formative oral checks during stations and scenarios (listen for correct “slip, slop, slap” and at least one dehydration sign).
• Observation checklist during rehearsals: students follow the routine and use help-seeking language.
• Exit check responses to identify students who need extra support in recognising signs and actions.

Differentiation

• Support (Year 1/early learners): use more gestures, fewer card choices, sentence starters (“I feel … so I will …”), and buddy support.
• Support (all learners needing scaffolding): provide a colour-coded routine chart (Sun safety / Drink water / Tell a grown-up).
• Extension (advanced learners): ask them to explain the “why” (sun damages skin over time; dehydration makes the body work harder) and propose additional heat-safe strategies (shade, slowing down, wearing sunglasses).
• EAL/SEN: model key phrases repeatedly (“Tell a grown-up”, “Drink water”, “Hat on”), provide picture supports, and allow non-verbal responses (pointing/sorting) instead of only speaking.