It is essential to have the correct kids winter gear. Winter and cold blustery weather is no fun for anyone if they are not dressed right. Making sure your kids are dressed appropriately for the cooler temperatures means that adventuring can still go on despite the weather outside.
Kids Winter Gear Checklist
- Base Layer: Thermals in tops and bottoms, sized so they fit snug against the skin
- Mid-layer: Fleece lined pants and fleece sweater along with down jacket for very cold days
- Outer Layer: Waterproof coat or waterproof suit for babies and toddlers. Waterproof pants may also be wise depending on the activity
- Wool socks
- Waterproof Boots
- Hand Protection: gloves or mittens. You may also want to buy a box of hand warmers
- Hat: Wool is best and be sure that it will cover their ears well. I look for ones with ear flaps especially for babies
- A Sense of Adventure!
Dressing In Layers
The best way to dress children for the cold and during winter is in layers. It is important that you are able to remove a layer or two as they heat up from playing or as the day warms up and vice versa.
The general rule for dressing a child for winter is to use four layers:
Base Layer
This is the layer that is closet to the skin. This post goes into depth about the best types of thermal base layers for kids and I highly recommend that you give it a read. You want to have a base layer that is good at insulating the body, and at wicking away moisture. This will ensure that your child’s body stays toasty and warm.
Merino wool is fantastic as a base layer. The natural fibres and are incredible at regulating body temperature and it wicks away any moisture so little ones are always dry against their skin. One great benefit to merino that many parents love is how soft it is against the skin. Many wool products can be very itchy but merino wool is so fine that it is beautifully soft and gentle on delicate young skin.
Mid Layer
This your child’s insulation layer. Depending on the temperature fleece is a good option here. You can get great fleece lined pants these days which are super cozy for little legs. We really like these fleece lined leggings especially for younger children. They are super comfortable and their basic design means you can match them with lots of outfits. Complete the outfit with a fleece jumper on the top.
If the weather is very cold we tend to opt for down jackets. Down offers a huge amount of warmth and insulation even when it is blowing a gale outside. We just returned from New Zealand and I can assure you the wind was intense but we didn’t feel a thing through our down jackets. They can be expensive but the will last for years and years to come.
Outer Layer
The third and final layer for dressing your kids for winter is to water and wind proof them. A frigid wind that blows right through you can be felt in your bones for days. The type of clothing and winter gear you want here are waterproof rain coats and wind breakers. The North Face brand is well known and respected for a reason and that is because they are smart and know what works for adventure seeking families. This waterproof coat has a built in fleece mid-layer which I am sure you will agree is genius. You can easily separate the two pieces if needed however.
You might want to think about waterproof boots for your kids at this point too. If you live in an area or spent a lot of time in an areas that is wet these are vital to your kids winter gear check list.
Winter Gear For Dressing Babies and Toddlers
Winter gear for babies and toddlers is slightly different than that of older children. You need to take extra note as babies and toddlers are often sedentary more so that active and able children. This could either be in a backpack while hiking, or a trailer behind a bike. Even on the snowfield babies and little ones are usually carried around therefore they are not exerting as much energy and generating as much extra heat.
Protect their heads and ears with a warm insulated hat that covers the ears. Your older toddlers may do well with a balaclava but we would not suggest it for a baby.
You will find that little hands will become very cold if not covered. Mittens or gloves are essential for your winter gear arsenal for kids. You don’t need to worry about finger gloves or mittens for babies as they won’t need that flexibility. Instead just invest in some warm fleece lined mittens, minus the thumbs and finger spaces. It will also save your sanity too!
When it comes to feet be sure to avoid cotton socks. Just avoid cotton all together as it is not great at keeping children warm and horrible at keeping them dry. Wool socks are going to be your best friend here, invest early on and you won’t regret it.
Tips For Dressing Kids In Winter Gear
- You can check the temperature of your child by feeling the back of their neck just below their hairline. This will tell you if they are nice and warm. Just use your hand to feel.
- For children and babies who are mostly going to be sitting and not being active add one extra layer of clothing
- Before you head out on your adventure check that you have all the bits of skin cover that you can. The is especially important around the ankles and wrists of babies. Tuck their sleeves into their gloves and make sure their pants and inside their footwear.
- We always try to keep a spare change of comfy clothes in the car incase, in spite of our best efforts they become wet and cold. It is always nice to jump into fresh warm clothes to travel home in.
- Pack a warm thermos of hot chocolate for when you are finished your adventure or head through the drive thru on the way home. Our kids love a frozen drink in summer and a hot chocolate in winter from the nearest drive thru.
- Check your kids regularly to make sure they are comfortable. From my experience kids will play and play and play despite being uncomfortable. My 3 year old did a 2 hour hike last week with a big ball of newspaper in his shoe! We didn’t notice until we were home. I am sure he was uncomfortable but he didn’t say a word!
- Invest in good quality gear. You don’t need to buy new but look for good quality brands as they will last you forever and provide the best result. You can always find great deals online at the end of the season as well as places like facebook market place.