Can babies under 6 months wear sunscreen in spring?

Sunscreen is not the first choice for babies under 6 months. Keep your baby out of direct sunlight using shade, a wide-brim hat, and lightweight clothing that covers the arms and legs. If protective clothing and shade are not available, you may apply a small amount of sunscreen to exposed areas such as the face. Babies 6 months and older can wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 15, up to SPF 50.

Do babies get pollen allergies?

True seasonal pollen allergies (hay fever) are uncommon in babies under one year. They usually develop in older children after repeated exposure to pollen seasons. In an infant, spring sniffles are far more often a common cold. The clearest difference is itchiness, which is the hallmark of allergy and is not a usual cold symptom. Allergies typically do not cause fever. If cold-like symptoms last more than a week or two, or return at the same time each year, talk to your pediatrician.

How should I dress my baby for changing spring temperatures?

Dress your baby in light layers you can add or remove as the day warms and cools. A common guide is one more light layer than you are wearing for the same conditions. Use tight-weave fabric for sun coverage and a hat with a 3-inch all-around brim outdoors. Check the back of the neck or chest to judge whether your baby is warm enough. Cool hands are normal and do not mean your baby is cold.

When should I call the pediatrician about a spring fever?

Call right away if your baby is younger than 3 months (12 weeks) and has a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38.0°C) or higher. At any age, call if a fever rises above 104°F (40°C) repeatedly, or if a fever lasts more than 24 hours in a baby younger than 2 years. Also call for trouble breathing, a stiff neck, a rash, repeated vomiting, or unusual drowsiness.

Is it safe to do tummy time and play outside in spring?

Yes. Lay a clean blanket in full shade, keep sessions short and supervised, and stay within reach. Avoid direct sun on the play surface, which heats it and exposes skin. Keep insect repellent off very young infants when possible, using a stroller net and light long sleeves instead. Be especially careful near any water: a young child can drown in as little as an inch or two, so stay within arm's length at all times.

Spring · Infant 0–12 mo

Spring Care for Babies 0-12 Months

Warmer days mean more time outside. A few rules keep your baby comfortable and safe.

Spring brings variable temperatures, pollen, and the first warm-weather outings. For babies under one year, the main tasks are simple: stay out of direct sun, dress for changing temperatures, and watch for illness. One rule matters most. Babies under 6 months should not wear sunscreen as a first choice. Keep them in shade and covered instead. Here is what each part of spring care looks like, and when to call your pediatrician.

6 min read Spring Updated June 2026

Reviewed against current AAP and CDC guidance

The one rule to remember

Babies younger than 6 months should be kept out of direct sunlight. Shade and clothing come first, not sunscreen. Babies 6 months and older can wear sunscreen. This is the single most important spring rule for an infant.

Sun protection by age

Under 6 months

Keep your baby out of direct sunlight.
Use shade: a tree, an umbrella, or the stroller canopy.
Dress your baby in lightweight clothing that covers the arms and legs, made with a tight weave.
Add a hat with an all-around 3-inch brim to shield the face, ears, and back of the neck.
Sunscreen is not the first choice at this age. If protective clothing and shade are not available, you may use a small amount on exposed areas such as the face.

You do not need sunscreen for a young infant if you keep them shaded and covered. That is the recommended approach.

6 to 12 months

Sunscreen is now an option. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, up to SPF 50.
Apply to all exposed areas of the body, and be careful around the eyes.
Keep using shade, the wide-brim hat, and light covering clothing.
Reapply about every 2 hours, and after time in water or heavy sweating.

Clothing, shade, and a hat still do most of the work. Sunscreen fills the gaps on skin you cannot cover.

Timing and clothing for variable spring temps

Limit sun exposure between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., when UV rays are strongest. Plan outings for earlier morning or later afternoon.
Spring temperatures swing within a single day. Dress your baby in layers you can add or remove.
A common guide: dress your baby in one more light layer than you are wearing for the same conditions.
Choose a tight-weave fabric for sun coverage. It blocks more UV than loose, thin material.
Check the back of the neck or the chest to judge temperature, not the hands. Cool hands are normal and do not mean your baby is cold.

Seasonal allergies or a cold?

Sign	Points toward a cold	Points toward an allergy
Itchiness (eyes, nose)	Not a usual feature	The hallmark of allergy
Fever	Can occur with a cold	Allergies typically do not cause fever
Duration	Clears in about a week to ten days	Cold-like symptoms last more than a week or two
Timing	Comes and goes anytime	Returns at about the same time each year
Other people sick	Often others have it too	Linked to pollen or environment, not contagion

Call your pediatrician

Your baby is younger than 3 months (12 weeks) and has a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38.0°C) or higher. Call right away.
A fever rises above 104°F (40°C) repeatedly, at any age.
A fever lasts more than 24 hours in a baby younger than 2 years.
Cold-like symptoms last more than a week or two, or return at about the same time every year. Allergy treatment for a child should start with your pediatrician.
Your baby has trouble breathing, a stiff neck, a rash, repeated vomiting, or seems unusually drowsy or hard to wake.
You are unsure whether symptoms are a cold or an allergy. Your pediatrician can help sort it out.

Outdoor tummy time and exploration

Lay a clean blanket in full shade. Direct sun on the play surface heats it and exposes your baby's skin.
Keep tummy-time sessions short and supervised, as you would indoors. Stay within reach.
Let your baby touch grass and look at trees. This is exploration, not a milestone test.
Keep insect repellent off very young infants when possible. Use physical barriers first: a stroller net, light long sleeves, and avoiding still water at dawn and dusk.
If you use a DEET repellent for an older baby, apply it sparingly. A 10% concentration protects for about 2 hours and 30% for about 5 hours; above 50% adds no extra benefit. Put it on exposed skin and the outside of clothing only. Never on the hands, near the eyes or mouth, on cuts or irritated skin, or under clothing. Use special caution with newborns and premature infants.

Water safety: a spring and summer emergency

Provide constant touch supervision: stay within arm's length of your baby in or near any water, including the bath.
Never leave your baby alone near water, even for a moment, and never in the care of another child.
Empty buckets, basins, and wading pools right after use. Do not leave an open, filled water container unattended.
Most in-home child drownings happen in bathtubs during a lapse in supervision. Keep the bath fully attended from start to finish.
If you have a pool, surround it with a four-sided fence at least 4 feet high that isolates the pool from the house and the rest of the yard.

Spring colds and the flu

Babies catch frequent colds, and respiratory illness still circulates in spring. Babies younger than 6 months are too young for the flu vaccine and are at higher risk for flu complications. You protect them indirectly: everyone 6 months and older in the household should get a yearly flu vaccine, and flu vaccination during pregnancy helps protect a newborn in the early months. Routine handwashing and keeping sick visitors away also help.

Quick answers

Can babies under 6 months wear sunscreen in spring?: Sunscreen is not the first choice for babies under 6 months. Keep your baby out of direct sunlight using shade, a wide-brim hat, and lightweight clothing that covers the arms and legs. If protective clothing and shade are not available, you may apply a small amount of sunscreen to exposed areas such as the face. Babies 6 months and older can wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 15, up to SPF 50.
Do babies get pollen allergies?: True seasonal pollen allergies (hay fever) are uncommon in babies under one year. They usually develop in older children after repeated exposure to pollen seasons. In an infant, spring sniffles are far more often a common cold. The clearest difference is itchiness, which is the hallmark of allergy and is not a usual cold symptom. Allergies typically do not cause fever. If cold-like symptoms last more than a week or two, or return at the same time each year, talk to your pediatrician.
How should I dress my baby for changing spring temperatures?: Dress your baby in light layers you can add or remove as the day warms and cools. A common guide is one more light layer than you are wearing for the same conditions. Use tight-weave fabric for sun coverage and a hat with a 3-inch all-around brim outdoors. Check the back of the neck or chest to judge whether your baby is warm enough. Cool hands are normal and do not mean your baby is cold.
When should I call the pediatrician about a spring fever?: Call right away if your baby is younger than 3 months (12 weeks) and has a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38.0°C) or higher. At any age, call if a fever rises above 104°F (40°C) repeatedly, or if a fever lasts more than 24 hours in a baby younger than 2 years. Also call for trouble breathing, a stiff neck, a rash, repeated vomiting, or unusual drowsiness.
Is it safe to do tummy time and play outside in spring?: Yes. Lay a clean blanket in full shade, keep sessions short and supervised, and stay within reach. Avoid direct sun on the play surface, which heats it and exposes skin. Keep insect repellent off very young infants when possible, using a stroller net and light long sleeves instead. Be especially careful near any water: a young child can drown in as little as an inch or two, so stay within arm's length at all times.

Sources & further reading

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This guide reflects current AAP and CDC guidance and is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice. ParentFlow is a wellness companion — not a substitute for your pediatrician. For any medical concern, contact your healthcare provider.