Checking Your Child for Ticks After Playing Outside

TickSpot Guide · Updated October 2026

In short: After every afternoon outdoors, a quick tick check is worth it — the Robert Koch Institute explicitly advises checking children thoroughly after playing outside. With a fixed routine and your phone camera it takes under two minutes, even if your child won't keep still.

Check these spots first

The RKI lists the preferred bite sites as the hairline, ears, neck, armpits, the crook of the elbow, navel, genital area and back of the knee. With children it pays to start at the top: most ticks wait less than a metre above the ground according to the RKI, often only 10 to 50 centimetres — so children brush past them with head and neck far more closely than adults do.

Hairline, scalp and neck
Behind the ears and in the ear
Neck, armpits and the crook of the elbow
Navel and nappy or trouser waistband — details in "Tick in the belly button"
Groin and genital area — see "Tick in the groin or genital area"
Backs of the knees and between the toes

A tick also doesn't bite straight away: according to the RKI it often roams the body for some time before it finds a suitable spot. Checking right after coming indoors catches many of them before they have attached.

A routine that works even with wriggly kids

Make it a routine: always check at the same moment, such as getting changed or before washing hands. A routine isn't up for negotiation.
Start at the head: part the hair with one hand and hold the TickSpot camera 10 to 15 centimetres above the scalp with the other, working parting by parting — hairline, behind the ears, neck.
Then top to bottom: neck, armpits, navel, waistband, groin, backs of the knees, toes. That way nothing gets missed, even in a hurry.
Switch the light on when it's dim — the bathroom ceiling light at bedtime often isn't enough.
Freeze instead of "Keep still!": found a suspicious spot? Freeze the frame and study the still image while your child goes back to playing.

Why the camera helps: in the inverted view, a dark tick on lighter skin becomes a bright, clearly separate dot — even between hairs, where the eye has hardly any contrast for a millimetre-sized spot. How the trick works is in "Find ticks with your phone".

Found a tick — now what?

Stay calm: a tick found quickly is exactly what the check is for. Remove it promptly with a tick card or fine-tipped tweezers — the steps are in "How to remove a tick properly", and what to watch for afterwards in "Tick bite — what to do now". A second adult who holds and distracts your child makes it much easier.

For the next outing: tick repellents come with their own age limits for children, and the authorities don't agree on them. What the German BfR, a consumer advice centre and the CDC say is in "Tick repellent for people: DEET vs. picaridin". And if the fuss over the find turns into more of an argument between parents than the tick itself: "When a tick bite turns into an argument".

Try it tonight: TickSpot is free, runs in your browser and needs no sign-up — the images stay on your phone.

Start the tick check

Frequently asked questions

How often should I check my child for ticks?

After every time outdoors. The Robert Koch Institute explicitly advises checking children thoroughly after playing outside. It gets easier when the check is tied to a fixed moment, such as getting changed or washing hands.

Where do ticks attach on children?

In the same places as on adults, as listed by the RKI: hairline, ears, neck, armpits, the crook of the elbow, navel, genital area and back of the knee. Since most ticks wait less than a metre above the ground according to the RKI, children brush past them with head and neck far more closely than adults — so the head comes first in their check.

From what age can my child use tick repellent?

Official sources differ. Germany's BfR advises against DEET and picaridin under the age of two and names IR3535 as a more suitable alternative from one year. The label of the specific product decides; for children under twelve, parents should apply it.

What do I do if I find a tick on my child?

Stay calm and remove the tick promptly, close to the skin, with a tick card or fine-tipped tweezers — pull slowly and steadily, don't squeeze. Then disinfect, note the date and place, and watch the bite for a few weeks. With redness, fever or if you are unsure, ask your paediatrician.

Sources

Robert Koch Institute: Tick FAQ (checking children after outdoor play, preferred bite sites, how high ticks wait, roaming before biting — in German)
German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): Repellents FAQ (age limits; 15 July 2026, in German)

Note: This article gives general tips and does not replace medical advice. After a tick bite with redness, fever, or if you are unsure, ask your paediatrician.