We love shade sails for keeping cool and protected from the sun. While they are generally seen covering patios, consider installing one in the yard to cover a child's play area:

The Coolaroo shade sail pictured up top is installed on trees so that it can be suspended over an area of the yard where there's a sand box and swing. Did you know that Coolaroo's sails have an SPF rating of over 83? Sure does boost peace of mind when playing outdoors this summer!

Ikea also sells a few shades (they call them canopies) under the Dyning name for about $25 each.

(Image: Coolaroo)