How to get sunscreen on kids in the morning before school?

I learned this from a parent in one of my workshops: pretend the sunscreen is paint and ask your little one what color s/he wants to be painted. Be playful and ham it up "Oh, you want to be painted blue on your legs? Okay... here goes... wow, look at how beautiful! What color do you want your arms?" When they get tired of that game, you can pretend to be slathering them with random other stuff (honey; yogurt; shampoo...)

I use a foundation makeup brush on my son.

We use the spray-on kind (Trader Joe's $6 spray-on sunscreen just got a recommendation from Consumer Reports, so it doesn't have to be fancy) - I know it's not the perfect sunscreen, but it does speed things up and seems like it must be better than not doing it at all, which is what happens when sunscreen is too much of a hassle. I still do cream for faces/ears unless we're in a super hurry, and then I spray on my hands and rub that on their faces. The good news is all sunscreen gets easier as they get older and less wiggly!

If you drive, maybe do it when you arrive at school before the kids are out of their car seats, if they can handle waiting at that point, while you have them captive?  Or put dabs on each area when they get in their car seats and let them rub it in themselves while you drive?  If you take a bus, then maybe on the ride?  

I give my kid sunscreen to put on by himself (just a little). Then I instruct him "ok, put some on your cheek...your other cheek...your chin...your nose...your forehead...ok, rub it in", and after he is satisfied with doing it by himself he will usually let me have a turn and I finish it up.

Have you tried a sunscreen stick? My preschooler doesn't like sunscreen rubbed in his face but is ok with the sunscreen stick, dunno why but maybe it feels less greasy? Anyway, worth a shot!

Hi, my kid hates sunscreen and runs away when I squeeze the tube into my hands. I used to just rub it on her face with both hands (faster this way) - it works but it's not the most delightful way to start the morning. Now I put it on when we arrive at school and they are still in the car seat. They are strapped down and somehow less bothered by it, maybe because they are distracted by the playground. Another thing that might work is sunscreen brushes, sometimes that works better as well. I just worry it doesn't stay on as long. Also, the whole family puts on suncreen together. we let our kid put it on our face while we put it on her face and she seems to like that. 

Good luck!

I use a stick and can easily get it on his face, neck and hands in the morning.