The arrival of winter weather has some people wondering…
“What can I do to make sure my child can be comfortable playing outside in the wind, cold, snow, and rain?”
Primitive Pursuits has been taking youth out in winter for over a decade, and at Ithaca Forest Preschool, we take preschoolers outside 5 mornings a week, year-round. So we’ve learned a few things about dressing kids for winter, and came up with these top 5 Dos and Don’ts:
DO
- dress in layers
- focus on staying dry, both from the outside (snow and rain) and the inside (sweat, pee).
- base the amount of insulation on temperature AND the amount of physical activity you expect.
- pay special attention to hands and feet: wear warm, waterproof mittens, thick socks, warm boots. Make sure boots start out dry inside!
- wear a comfortable, warm hat with good coverage. Soft fleece tends to get better compliance than rough wool. Consider scarf/neck gaiter.
DON’T
- wear cotton—it absorbs moisture and conducts heat away from the body!
- wear mittens or boots that allow snow in.
- wear fleece or flannel on the outside where they can be “snow velcro”.
- wear plastic or rubber boots that have no insulation—they aren’t warm enough and they trap moisture inside.
- wear cotton socks!
Stay warm and we will see you in the woods!