Here at Speckles, we're all about being proactive when it comes to kids' eye health as this ensures they can see a brighter future and thrive in all aspects of their lives. To help our powerhouse parents look after their child's vision, we've put together a list of simple tips for healthy eyes! 👇👇👇

Eat for the eyes

Eating a healthy diet can significantly reduce the risk of eye health problems in kids and help them grow big and strong. There are several vitamins and minerals that can help improve your child’s eye health such as...

• Protein
• Calcium
• Vitamins C & E 
• Lutein and Zeaxanthin
• Zinc
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Copper

To learn more about which foods to include in your child's diet to support their eye health, check out our blog 'Best Nutrients for my Child's Eyes'.

Less screen time, more green time

Did you know that exposure to natural light has been proven to promote healthy eyes? When your child is playing outdoors they are constantly looking at different things that are far away, which reduces the development and progression of near-sightedness (myopia).

By playing outdoors, your child can also get their daily hit of Vitamin D and are moving their bodies, which improves their gross motor functioning, muscle and bone strength as well as their physical endurance. You can make the most of your green time through activities like gardening, nature scavenger hunts, building sandcastles or creating an obstacle course, just make sure to always protect their eyes from the sun.

Protect their eyes from the sun

UV light that is emitted from the sun can permeate the structures in the eye, causing damage to the eyelids, retina, macula, cornea and lens. As the defence mechanisms in childrens' eyes are still developing, over exposure to UV rays can cause significant damage, leading to vision problems in the future. 

You can protect your child's eyes by popping on a pair of sunglasses that have 100% UVA and UVB protection. It is important to look for frames and lenses that protect the entire eye... like our Speckles Shades.

Check out our blog 'Suns Out? Shades On!' to find out how UV light affects kids' eyes and learn more about what to look for when shopping for kids' shades, in our blog 'Tips in Finding the Best Sunglasses for Your Child'.

Stimulate visual engagement

You can help your little ones' eyes develop through colourful games and activities that stimulate visual engagement and development. By playing with toys that feature vibrant, contrasting colours and require hand-eye coordination, your child's eyes must focus, thus allowing their eye muscles to strengthen. 

There are many simple ways to do this such as playing with Lego, PlayDoh, Puzzles and educational games on your device. You can also check out our great range of patch-time activities on our YouTube channel!

Get regular check ups

It is so important to have your child's eyes regularly tested by a professional as this ensures any imbalances or eye health problems are found and treated as soon as possible. For infants, visual learning is critical to helping them reach their milestones so any issues with their vision can cause delays in other aspects of their life. If you're wondering when you should get your child's eyes tested, check out this blog!

We hope this blog helps you understand how to protect your child's eye health! To learn more about all things eye, check out our great range of educational blogs at the EyeHub!