Protect Yourself: The Environmental Working Group recently released its annual report rating sunscreen and sun protection products. Whether you spend 20 minutes in the sun or five hours by the pool, it’s necessary to protect you and your little ones against the sun’s harmful effects.

With summer comes outdoor activities like camping, and that means mosquitoes and ticks. Understand your risks, prevention methods and symptoms of lyme disease.

Stayed Hydrated: Consuming plenty of fluids is a year-round chore. With temperatures rising at a steady rate, this daily task becomes more vital, particularly if you're exercising. If you must exercise outside, make sure to drink two to four glasses of cool fluid each hour. Very cold drinks will cause stomach cramps, so cool fluid is recommended.

Eat Right: Summer activities can jam pack any family’s weekly schedule. From pool parties to summer camping trips, it’s easy to lose focus on nutrition. Make visiting a local farmer’s market part of your family’s weekly activities. Not only will your children meet the farmers who raise their crops, but it will teach them valuable health lessons. With more than 150 open air markets in the garden state, you’ll find a local farmers market every day of the week. To see a listing of New Jersey State of Agriculture’s lists of Jersey Fresh markets, click here.  

Safety First: Safe Kids New Jersey offers a variety of tips and tools to teach your children about overall safety. From summer sports safety tips to bike helmet safety, this site’s resource library has valuable training tools whether you are at home, at play or on the road this summer.

Many YMCA programs offer CPR certification courses and also host babysitters training classes. These programs will teach your teen how to react in emergency situations, signs of dangers and useful reaction skills. To find your local YMCA, click here.

The American Red Cross offers water safety tips, including how to choose a life jacket as well as how to respond to a water emergency.

Take it Easy: The long list of summer activities can wear us all down. Colds, viruses and sore muscles can sideline anyone during the summer months. Stretch properly and avoid being outside between 10am and 2pm. Wearing layers and utilizing shaded areas is always recommended. If you grown-ups happen to get bit by the summer cold bug, we like Cold-EEZE Oral Spray. Although the claims of this product are of the type that might make you roll your eyes (Shortens your cold! Eases your symptoms!), we were surprised and relieved to find that it did just that. For kids, we highly recommend Zarbee's products with their unique (and yummy) honey-based cough syrups and sleepytime drinks.

Take care this summer, New Jersey!