Free wristbands

Last updated: 3 Jul 2006

250,000 wristbands are up for grabs

We're giving away 250,000 child-safe identity wristbands - find out where to claim them here

GMTV, in association with Thomson Holidays, is giving away 250,000 sun-safe indentity wristbands the week beginning July 3.

With 70,000 new cases of skin cancer every year, the 2006 Tag Your Tots wristbands have a dual purpose.

Not only do they act as identity bracelets if your child gets lost - with a space for a parent's mobile number - but the UV-sensitive dials change colour to remind parents to cover up their children in the sun.

The words 'cover me up' go a dark blue colour when harmful UV rays are detected.

Easily damaged

Babies and children need extra protection from the sun, whether they tan easily or not, because young skin is delicate and easily damaged from the sun. Babies under six months should remain out of direct sunlight altogether.

As a general rule, the fairer your skin, the more careful you should be in the sun. If you have naturally dark skin, you are less sensitive to the sun due to the presence of more melanin pigment in the skin cells.

However, melanomas can still occur in those with dark skin, especially on the palms or soles of the feet.

Remember that the great British sun is quite capable of burning your child so keep them protected!

Keeping track

The second - and no less important - aim of the wristband is to cut down the time a lost child spends separated from its parents. The wristbands should be put on a child when they are playing outside, on holiday, at a funfair, or when out shopping with their parents.

Parents should place their contact number on the wristband - a mobile number is most appropriate - so that if the child gets lost and another person finds them then they can simply phone the number.

Essential advice

The charity Kidscape says it's very important not to leave small children alone in unsupervised play areas, in shops and shopping centres. Especially with the youngest children the best advice is to stay with them all the time. Most importantly, don't ask strangers to keep an eye on them, for whatever reason.

With all children, teach them their address and phone number, so they can be brought back more easily if they get lost.

You can also write their name and address on a piece of paper so they can keep on their person - or better still a tag like the 250,000 being made available at Thomson travel agents across the country.

Kidscape safety advice

To be safe - this is their basic right
To protect their bodies
To say no - it's OK to say no if someone is trying to hurt them
To tell - they can tell you anything and you will not be angry with them
To be believed - they need to know they will be supported
Don't keep secrets - some should never be kept
To refuse touches - tell your children they can say no to touching and kissing if they don't like it
Try not to talk to strangers
To break the rules - if it means they will stay safe, they can run away, scream, lie or kick

Three golden rules