Keep kids healthy all school year
Experts share their tips to avoid illness, broken bones, and more.
Jan, 2026
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School is in session, and in addition to homework, your child may also be bringing home bumps, bruises, and of course, germs.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, illnesses caused hundreds of millions of school absences each year. Missing too much school can affect your child’s grades and contribute to them falling behind. Help keep them ahead of the curve with these pediatrician-approved tips.
Written byMichael Gollust.
Medically reviewed byAmy Gonzales, MD.
Sources: Nemours Kids Health. Playground Safety. Reviewed April 2023. + 10
- Nemours Kids Health. Playground Safety. Reviewed April 2023.
- Safe Kids Worldwide. Playground Safety Tips. Accessed April 27, 2023.
- Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Packing a Healthy Lunchbox. Accessed April 27, 2023.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19: COVID-19 vaccine safety in children and teens. Page last updated July 20, 2022.
- Sleep Foundation. How Blue Light Affects Kids’ Sleep. Updated March 17, 2023.
- Sleep Foundation. Sleep Strategies for Kids. Updated March 29, 2023.
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Caffeine and Children. July 2020.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Handwashing in community settings: Show me the science. Page last reviewed September 10, 2020.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Handwashing in community settings: When and How to Wash Your Hands. Last reviewed November 15, 2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Parasites: Head lice. Page last reviewed October 15, 2019.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fungal diseases: Ringworm. Page last reviewed February 26, 2021.
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