Real Kids Shades are Necessary Gear for Kids

I’m a huge supporter of eye protection for kids. That’s why I teamed up with Real Kids Shades again this summer to get the word out that sunglasses for kids are not just cool accessories, but necessary GEAR.

Since my son was very little I’ve kept him in sunglasses. We live in Florida and are out in the sun a ton, going on homeschool adventures, visiting the theme parks, gardening, orienteering, riding bikes, hiking, doing volunteer projects… you name it. You’ll find him doing these things with us… wearing sunglasses. I’m kind of a freak about it, actually!

When I was a kid I rarely wore shades. It was such a problem for me that the whites of my eyes actually got sun burned. If I opened my eyes real wide, you could see the horizontal red streak. It’s called photokeratitis, or radiation keratitis and happens when the cornea is scorched by ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. People who live/work/play in sunny climes or winter wonderlands are also susceptible (they can become “snow-blind”).

Because of my personal experience with what may end up being an issue for my now-adult eyes, I vowed to ensure my son had the healthiest eyes possible. I sought out Real Kids Shades and asked them if I could review their product (see post here). Since then I’ve not only been an avid supporter, but have been a customer regardless of whether or not I was doing a giveaway or receiving samples.

Real Kids Shades has been so kind as to provide me with three of their newest designs to review for this post AND (drum roll please) every weekend in June are giving away one pair every weekend to my readers!

Here’s how you enter:
Click on the RaffleCopter image. You’ll need to leave a comment below with your best tips for summer safety (manditory) AND you need to verify you’ve done that at the RaffleCopter link. For extra entries, Tweet as indicated and/or follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter….

So which pair should you choose should you win? Here’s the rundown of the styles we tried out:

Bolt in Black/Lime for kids 7+
(Pictured above on the right) These two-toned glasses have super flexible frames! My son them to be “very comfortable” and said he “liked that they have rubber on them” (meaning the green soft Flex-Fit^TM part of the wrap-around frames). He loves how they look, too. (But comfort comes first he’ll tell you!)

Swag Black/Green for kids 10+
These Wayfarer-style glasses have BRIGHTLY colored soft, impact-resistant polycarbonate frames (there are other kid-approved color combinations, but we’re partial to green in our house!). They’re perfect for chilling in the sun and getting noticed!

 Blade Black/Lime for kids 10+

The wrap-around frame maximizes protection from peripheral light and looks super cool in the process. My young reviewer thought they were fun to wear. (Let’s face it: If they LIKE the glasses, they’re more likely to wear them!)

All Real Kids Shades are third-party verified for 100% UV-A/UV-B protection and have shatterproof/impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses. With a wide variety of styles and sizes, Real Kids Shades will have a pair that’s just right for any and all of your little ones.

And, budget-friendly moms: orders over $25 are shipped free (US). I’ve priced “play glasses” and they’re comparable in price. And. No. Protection.

Even if you don’t buy Real Kids Shades, please purchase ones that block 100% of both types of ultraviolet sun rays: UV-A and UV-B. a UV 400 rating is ideal. Ensure they’ve been third-party tested, too and contain no phthalates, lead or bisphenol A.

You wouldn’t let your kids go out without a bike helmet. This is important, too. Protective eyewear is not just a fashion accessory. It’s Necessary Gear. Let’s get ’em geared up!

Disclosure: I received three pair of Real Kids Shades to try out, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 

 

 

Give Kids the World Village, Where Wishes Come True

The first time I visited Give Kids the World, I was volunteering with the Dawn Brancheau Foundation. We had finished working the 5K at SeaWorld, and then a group of us went over to clean the villas. I honestly didn’t know what the Village was, nor did I know the significance of their mission until being there and seeing the place first-hand.

Mayor Clayton with a new-found friend.

Give Kids the World Village is a story-book facility where kids with life-threatening diseases can come and enjoy “just being kids.” Their parents don’t have to pay for lodging. It’s part of the wish. They don’t have to pay for food. It’s all there for them. Tickets to theme parks… are donated by the parks themselves, so each family can just relax, and enjoy the time they have together. They even have a Mayor who greets families and brings smiles every single day.
Recently the Village hosted their first ever Blogger Bash. I was happy to be on the committee to encourage as many local bloggers as possible to come and learn about the magical things they do. (After all, I’m a Florida native, and until a few years I had NO idea who they were or what their mission was. I felt it was my duty to get the word out as far and wide as I had [virtual] breath to do it!)

SeaWorld Orlando Park President Terry Prather

The evening was spent touring the facility and interacting with the amazing “Wish Families.” As the Blogger Bash was on a Thursday, it was Christmas. (It’s Christmas EVERY Thursday! And Halloween every Tuesday!) Jack Frost and a reindeer offered a warm welcome along with GKTW President, Pamela Landwirth and Mark Hoewing,
Public Relations Manager. There were also welcomes via video including SeaWorld’s Terry Prather. The special guest speaker was a father who experienced the Village first-hand when his family visited a few years ago. Sadly their son (who was a wish child) passed away not long after their visit. True inspirations, they turned sorrow into joy, and moved to Florida from Canada to support the village that meant so much to them personally.

2 Million volunteer hours and counting!

After the tours and the meal at the Gingerbread House alongside families, the bloggers went home with a new respect for the work that is done. Quite a few people were ready to sign on the dotted line to become volunteers that very night.

I can’t think of a single person who has visited Give Kids the World Village who wasn’t touched, and inspired to be a part of their beautiful work. (I even wrote a song in their honor, I’ve been so moved by all that goes on there!)

Boston Rob, four-time castaway on Survivor, celebrates Pirates and Princesses night at GKTW Village.

Central Florida bloggers have now joined the ranks of those who want to make a difference by being a part of Give Kids the World Village. Earlier this year it was the Hearts of Reality (including stars from Survivor, The Amazing Race, Big Brother, and more) and now our local influencers including Sparkly Nicole, Florida Plunge, MouseSteps, Central Florida Top 5 and Attractions Magazine to name but a few.

Volunteers-Are-Us! Thanks to Real Kids Shades for your donation to Give Kids the World Village. (As modeled by Daniel in the front row!)

Thank you to these volunteers and future volunteers! (And a special thank you to my team, Volunteers-Are-Us-Rex, who helped clean villas this past weekend. You’re the best! Thanks Kevin, Bonnie, Shizelle, David, Miranda, James, Matt, Daniel and Calvin)

 

This is a “sponsored post.” Give Kids The World compensated me in the form of a meal while I toured their facility and a small Swag Bag. Regardless, I only recommend products, services, or organizations I personally believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Real Kids Shades Stand Up to Real Kids

Style: Flex Royal for ages 3-7

Kid models in magazines always look so polished (as do models of any age, I suppose). They’re smiling, never having a tantrum, and if they are running pell-mell in some sporting or roughhousing activity, they certainly have no accessory malfunction. If they are wearing cool shades, they are NOT falling off. Their glasses are chosen for looks and for style, with doubtful much consideration for practical things like UV rating, durability, or EEEK cost.

Thankfully Real Kids Shades has a line of children’s eyewear that takes a mom’s wish list into consideration and is not short on either form OR function.

Our family put the line of Real Kids Shades through a battery of tests. Some we liked more than others, and a couple we plain loved. Here is the breakdown:

Five Stars  
★★★★★ Flex Duo—The Flex Duo has 100% UVA/UVB sun protection as well as a wrap-around design that keeps peripheral sunlight to a minimum. Their extremely flexible frames in cool two-toned colors hold up to the abuse kids throw at them.

Style: Flex Duo, Black/red

We took our Flex Duos on our summer staycation in and around Central Florida. Our Flex Duos went to Busch Gardens in Tampa and Dinosaur World in Plant City, near Lakeland. Whether climbing on play equipment or scampering up dinosaur bones, they stayed put, which is key in our bright Florida sun. A neoprene strap is included which we found to be a vital accessory. How many kids sunglasses are lost because they are dropped or left behind? Despite having an issue with the strap being too snug to fit over the ends (the first one), we still give this style 5 stars, as the company quickly sent out a replacement.

Style: Flex Duo, Black/red

Daniel, age 5, said they were comfortable to wear, and “didn’t hurt at all.” He thought the colors were “cool,” and even when he wasn’t wearing the band they stayed put through lots of play. He gives the Flex Duo two thumbs up.

★★★★★ Xtreme Sports—With shatterproof, impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses, the Xtreme Sports model is ready for action! Our kiddo took them through their paces on his bike. The wraparound design with mesh back is perfect for wear with helmets. There are even anti-fog vents for sweaty kids (like mine) who don’t want to get all fogged up while pretending to be Evel Knievel (with, ahem, training wheels). “I don’t like it when my eyeballs are sweaty,” he said.

Style: Xtreme Sport, Black/silver

“The pad on top is good,” said Daniel, referring to the foam-backed polycarbonate lenses. Not only does it cushion little active faces, but it keeps out more light and prevents sweat from dripping down into his eyes from his forehead.

He also wore them out on the golf course running after balls and into more than our fair share of sand traps at beautiful Shingle Creek. Out on the 14th hole he had the best of both worlds. He was protected. And he looked CUTE!

Four and a Half Stars
★★★★ ½  Xtreme Elements—Off to the beach, splash park, or waterpark? Then your kids need Xtreme Elements. These glasses protect kids eyes from the sun and the elements (i.e. water and sand). Note, however, that they are not goggles and therefore are not designed to be submerged in chlorinated water. Yes, they’re perfect for splash pads, waves, and sprays, but they’re not to be worn as your little guppy tries to see how long he can hold his breath in the pool! The foam protects eyes from water and other elements from rolling down into their eyes, but it doesn’t seal out water and is not meant to be used under water as extensive subjection to chlorine could break down the foam gasket. That said, Daniel thought they were “way cool” (we have the blue flame style) and he loved that the neoprene headband made them float (just like him!).  If the foam gasket were designed to withstand the summer pool and SeaWorld, Aquatica schedule a little longer, it would have received 5 stars. They are by far Daniel’s favorite to wear, despite the slight gasket issue.

Four Stars
★★★★ Flex—The bendable rubberized frames make the Flex glasses super comfortable to wear. The boy and girl versions have distinct lens styles. The boy frames are more sleek, while the girls have that big lens “movie stahhhh” vibe. Shatterproof polycarbonate lenses ensure safety along with that style. When worn with the included neoprene strap, they stay firmly in place. Our one caveat to these was that when not worn with the strap they were quite loose. Bendy is good, and my son wears these in the car, and on the beach. I do insist the strap is on, as I can see these coming off in hard play (and that’s the only kind we seem to have around here!).

Why Have Your Children Wear Sunglasses?
I started Daniel in sunglasses when he was a baby. My nephew had retinoblastoma and he lost one of his eyes. While glasses would not prevent this type of blindness, it made me start reading about how important it is to protect children’s eyes, if not for now, but for their future.

Eye damage from the sun is cumulative and can occur even on cloudy days. Kids who don’t wear protective eyewear are at greater risk for:

• Cataracts
• Age-related macular degeneration
• Pterygia – abnormal tissue grown on the whites of the eyes
• Skin cancer around the eyes
• Photokeratitis – sunburn of the cornea

Style: Xtreme Elements, Blue flame

At Aquatica
I interviewed a few lifeguards at Aquatica about kids and sunglasses. Adrian, from Jamaica, said he estimates only 6% of kids he sees each day wear sunglasses. “There are way more adults wearing sunglasses than kids,” he noted. In an unscientific tally I found a similar percentage of child usage, while about 40% of adults were protecting their eyes (although many were, no doubt, concentrating only on the style).

Parents I spoke with were either passionate about glasses (and their kids were wearing them) or didn’t really seem to be aware the sun could damage their kids’ eyes. Sam, a tourist with his family, said they forgot the kids’ glasses at home so they bought some on site. (Real Kids Shades cost around $14.99 and are available at their website.)

What to Look For
When selecting protective eyewear for your kids, be sure to look for a few key features:

• Third-party verification of 100% UV-A/UV-B protection
• No phthalates, lead or bisphenol A
• Impact-resistant frames and lenses (acrylic lenses can shatter)

Set a good example for your kids and YOU wear sunglasses each and every day. While it doesn’t hurt to look stylish, focus on safety. Choose a brand that blocks block 100% of both types of ultraviolet rays, UV-A and UV-B. A UV 400 rating is best. Make it a habit to put them on your child, even if he (or she) doesn’t like it at first. It’s a habit to grow into. And if you get some of the great offerings sold at Real Kids Shades, they’ll not only be as safe as possible, they’ll look great on their closeup!

Note: I contacted Real Kids Shades about reviewing their product as it was “right up our alley” as a travel-loving family insistent on sun protection. I was provided samples which we evaluated during heavy use over the summer. This review was written after field testing and is my opinion. The 5-year-old reviewer was paid $1 to sit still long enough to tell me what he thought.