By Breelyn Vanleeuwen, PA-C | Founder & CEO Daily Shade | Physician Assistant with 15 Years of Clinical Experience
Because UV Doesn’t Take the Season Off. Winter has a certain rhythm to it. Rain or snow on the windows. Gray skies. Indoor playdates. Quick winter errands between storms. It feels harmless. Cozy even. But here’s something most families don’t realize:
UV radiation does not take the season off.
Even on cloudy, rainy winter days up to 80 percent of UV rays can still penetrate cloud cover. UVA rays in particular remain present year-round and pass through clouds and windows, contributing to cumulative skin damage over time.
Which means those quick carpool runs, grocery store dashes, and indoor afternoons by the window still count.
And when most lifetime sun exposure happens before age 18, the small daily habits matter more than we think. For this season of chilly weather where we are spending more and more time indoors here are a few fun inexpensive crafts that you probably have everything at home to make!
1. Paper Plate Masterpieces. Turn paper plates into animals, suns, flowers, or masks. Add yarn, googly eyes, markers, and imagination.
2. Cardboard Box Creations. That Amazon box? It’s now a castle, spaceship, lemonade stand, or puppy house. Let kids design windows, doors, and secret compartments. It doesn't have to be this extravagant. Younger toddlers love just coloring on a big surface with markers.
3. Friendship Bracelets with Embroidery thread. Tape. A YouTube tutorial. Endless focus and creativity. For younger kids string and fruit loops or Cheerios!
4. DIY Window Art. Washable paint or window markers turn gray skies into colorful canvases.
5. Indoor Obstacle Course. Pillows, chairs, painter’s tape on the floor. Time each other and make it a family challenge.
6. “Design Your Own Sunscreen Bottle” Craft. Print a blank bottle outline and let kids create their own Daily Shade-inspired label. (Bonus: talk about why sunscreen matters.)
7. Homemade Play Dough. Flour, salt, water, food coloring. Add glitter if you’re brave.
Recipe:
- 2 cups all purpose plain flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or coconut oil)
- 1/2 cup salt
- 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
- 1 to 1.5 cups boiling water (adding in increments until it feels just right)
- Food Coloring (gel works best)
- This is optional but a few drops glycerine (for stretch and shine!)
Instructions: Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil in a large mixing bowl. Add food coloring TO the boiling water then into the dry ingredients. Stir continuously until it becomes a sticky, combined dough. Add the glycerine (optional). Allow it to cool down then take it out of the bowl and knead it vigorously for a couple of minutes until all of the stickiness has gone. * This is the most important part of the process, so keep at it until it’s the perfect consistency!*
If it remains a little sticky then add a touch more flour until just right
8. Paper Bag Puppet Show. Draw faces, add yarn hair, and host a family puppet performance.
9. Indoor Scavenger Hunt. Hide small items and create simple clues. It burns energy even on wet afternoons.
10. Make-Your-Own “Winter Sun Safety” Poster. Have kids design a poster about hats, shade, and sunscreen reinforcing the habit in a fun way.
The Bigger Picture: Rainy days feel quiet. But the habits we build on these ordinary afternoons shape long-term health. Sun protection is not about fear. It’s about consistency. It’s about creating normal daily routines that protect the moments that matter most. So before the crafts begin, before the errands start, before the car doors close:
Sunscreen.
Then creativity.
Because UV doesn’t take February off.
And neither do we.
