Sunscreen and Recess

I like the face stick idea-the only thing more embarrassing about using it would be the hyper-pigmentation she'll have as an adult if she doesn't use it now

Make sure that our school allows kids to bring sunscreen and apply it herself. Many school districts handle sunscreen like a drug and do not allow for kids to bring or apply it. In that case you could have your pediatrician write her a prescription for sunscreen so it can be kept at the nurse's office and applied there before recess. It's a pain, but better than the damage and cancer risk due to repeated sunburns.

Oh yes, and a hat would be good too. If her face is sensitive her scalp is as well and she may have been getting burned without you even noticing! Melanoma of the scalp and neck are among the most deadly since people don't usually discover them until it is too late!

Good luck!

Send her with a hat.

Here I am in Hawaii. The sun is STRONG.
Recess at my kids' school is about 15 minutes.
My daughter is fair skinned and gets sunburned on her cheeks/under her eyes just like your daughter.
EVEN if she has sunscreen on.

At my kids' school... kids apply sunscreen at home. THEN, some of them, also bring it to school in their backpack. AND they DO... apply it at school too. They are not embarrassed doing so. Lots of kids do that here.
No biggie.

Face sticks are easy to use and kid friendly because it is easy to use.

A person's skin... will NOT "adjust" to the sun. Sun is sun, their skin is prone to burning. And skin cancer is a hazard of that.
30-40 minutes of recess, is a long time.
Is there ANY shade out there where they have recess?????
At my kids school, there is, and a kid by that age, can go in the shade and when it is too hot. My daughter... knowingly, WILL GO in the shade.
I even tell my son to do that, he is in 1st grade.
I apply sunscreen on them, before they go to school, at home. The sports type.
You ALSO need to apply sunscreen to the back of their necks... sun HITS this spot, very directly.

Even with sunscreen, my kids get tan.
They both, have sunscreen in their backpacks at school, too.

But the other problem is... just because you send your child to school with a sunscreen face stick in their backpack to apply at school... it does not mean, they will do that.
ie: my daughter got sunburned on her cheeks once under her eyes. She was all red when she came home. She didn't re-apply her face stick. So that was a lesson learned. And then, I showed her, online pictures of sun damage. Then explained to her the importance of putting it on. And SHE... needs to be responsible for her skin too. She learned.

Isn't she old enough to put some lotion on her face by herself, can't you practice doing it at home so she can feel confident on how to do it the right way?

Send her with the sunscreen, or invest in a hat.

My daughter is also quite fair, and when she was in a brick-and-mortar school we sent her to school with a hat, and we applied sunscreen before school. As long as the school doesn't have some policy against it, I'd say teach your daughter to use the face stick and send it with her. If they do have a policy against it, question them about the policy - Utah's skin cancer rates are high because of our altitude and our many days of sunshine, and schools should be working with parents who are actively engaged in preventing it.

As for the hat, I found that she was much more likely to wear it if she got to pick it out. Bucket hats do provide at least some face shade, and unlike broader brimmed hats or billed hats, do not get in the way on the playground. (Unless your kid is the upside down type of kid - if she is, teach her to keep up with her hat!) Expect to need to go hat hunting on the playground occasionally. And get machine washable hats. Kids' hats get filthy.

We apply it before school and then send it in with him.

I would ask if it would be acceptable to give her sunscreen wipes to keep in her desk and wipe her face with one before recess. You might also go the route of asking the pediatrician to write her a note for it. Talk to the school. I can see this being an issue for my DD. I would try to avoid a part in her hair to lessen the part burn.

I apply at home and send it, as well.

I would send her with a hat and tell her to wear it when she plays outside.

If she is still getting burnt have her go to the bathroom and put some sunscreen on in privacy if she is embarrassed to be putting it on.

Also, if she likes tomato's eat more of those, they help your skin against sunburns.

I live in the land of super white people. We all sunburn horribly easy. I have found that if you apply sunscreen in the morning (get a good one) it will last for her. In fact it would probably work better than putting it on just before recess because it has time to soak in. If it turns out to not be enough, then just tell her to put it on before she goes out. She will only feel out of place if you teach her to. Kids that age won't think a thing of it.