Dressing a toddler for winter outdoor play
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When I was a child in the ‘90s and early 2000s, the only time my siblings and I played outside in “cold” weather was when it snowed.
Growing up in rural Tennessee, the prevailing school of thought surrounding wintry temperatures seemed to be that you’d inevitably catch your death if exposed to any type of cold air for too long. While we spent time outside almost every day in the spring, summer, and fall months, winter was largely spent indoors, except for during unseasonably warm days and the most magical days of all— snow days.
I am not placing any blame on my parents or trying to insinuate that they kept us cooped up all winter. Most everyone I knew growing up was the same way— people in the South operated (and many still do) under the belief that cold air and “being cold” makes you sick.
Being a kid before the Internet and social media meant that parents weren’t super (overly?) obsessive about every single minute decision they made for their children. Most weren’t frantically devouring parenting books on any available topic and scouring blogs for every tidbit of best practices in parenthood. Now, as a millennial parent, I have daily access to research on parenting topics that weren’t even thought of by my parents’ generation.
Enter modern parenting movements such as 1,000 Hours Outside and countless books on the importance of getting your kids outside in all weather, all year. My latest read, and one that is so timely for this winter season, has been There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather by Scandanavian-American mom Linda Åkeson McGurk. As a Swedish woman who married an American and moved to Indiana to raise her children, McGurk writes about the stark contrast between Scandinavian and American parents when it comes to getting their kids outside. She details her culture shock in being considered the weirdo of her new hometown in Indiana when locals would see her out and about walking and playing with her daughters in all weather and all temperatures. She even notes that multiple times people would stop and ask her if she needed a ride as she walked into town with her kids on snowy days.
The basic premise of There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather is simple: our bodies need fresh air every day, no matter the temperature or weather; getting kids outside for a significant amount of time every day is essential to their physical, mental, and emotional well-being; and there is no such thing as bad weather— only bad clothing.
As a mom to an almost-3-year-old daughter, one of my main parenting goals has been to get outside with my child as much as we can— every day, for at least an hour, if possible. It has been such a joy to watch her discover and fall in love with the natural world around her; I’m constantly in awe of the ways young kids stop to marvel at the little things adults take for granted outdoors.
Although Tennessee isn’t known for its extreme winter weather, there are plenty of days in January and February that reach below freezing temperatures and require special clothing that isn’t needed on milder winter days. If you, like me, are a Southerner who had an ungodly fear of the cold ingrained in them since childhood, or if you find yourself living for the first time in a region that experiences true winter weather, I hope you will benefit from my list of how to properly dress a child (in this case, a toddler) for outdoor play in winter weather.
Dressing a toddler for winter outdoor play
Tips:
Layers are key.
Staying dry is as important as staying warm.
Well-fitting clothing is essential.
Layers:
Base layer— thermal or merino wool pants and long sleeves, snug fitting. Merino wool socks— tuck pants into socks.
Mid layer— fleece jacket, water-resistant snow bib (overalls) with either a foot stirrup or elastic fitted ankles
Outer layer— fleece-lined waterproof mittens with an elastic band (put on underneath coat sleeves), sherpa or fleece-lined waterproof coat with hood, sherpa or fleece-lined waterproof hat with chin strap, waterproof boots with good traction
Basically, the best thing you can do with your clothing is layer it to create seals and make sure the top layer is waterproof or water resistant. Even if your child is wearing the warmest clothing, they will start to get cold as soon as they get wet!
Below is a list of my family’s favorite outerwear for cold and snowy winter days.
Toddler/ Child Winter Outerwear
Remember: “There’s no such thing as bad weather— only bad clothing!”
