How to Dress Kids for Cold Weather

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Related: Bundle Up In Style with These Winter Layering Tips

Ah the cold. I love it. I decided I can’t live anywhere that it doesn’t get cold for at least part of the year. Actually, let me amend that. I love the snow. Watching a beautiful white blanket cover the earth is truly breathtaking. The cold just means more days cuddled under a blanket without feeling guilty for not going out.

When you have kids though, going out in it becomes a must. This past weekend we were supposed to get 6-8 inches of the white stuff. Instead it rained for a day, then froze, then snowed about 2 inches on top.

That didn’t stop the kids from waking up and declaring it an outside day. On the contrary, I believe it encouraged their desire for outside play. So off to the closet of winter coats we went first thing in the morning. Ask any mother, and they will tell you that getting kids dressed to go out in the cold takes more time then the actual playing in the snow.

Here’s some tips to help you get those kiddos out and enjoying the winter weather that will help keep them out longer, and make that time spent bundling up worth it.

But First! Watch this stop-motion video of my toddler getting bundled up!

How To Dress Kids for Cold Weather

1. Start by laying everything out.
   By laying everything out before doing anything else you know what you have, and what you still need to find. This eliminates having a half dressed kid and finding a boot is missing. It only prolongs the madness by skipping this step.
2. Have your kid use the bathroom.
   Once you know you have everything, send your child to use the restroom. Nothing is more frustrating then a fully bundled kid who needs to go pee. Even worse when they haven’t even stepped outside yet. Don’t skip this step, whatever you do! It’s important that it comes second. If you do this first, then gather their clothes – they will inevitably need to pee again before making it out the door.
3. Bundle them up in layers.
   Finally, the last step before the fun – bundle them up! Be on hand to help with stuck zippers, untied laces, and gloves that struggle to go on. Helping your kids bundle up, even if they are old enough to do it themselves, speeds the process and gets them outside sooner – maximizing the time they spend outdoors.

Cold Weather Layers

So just what should you layer your kids in before braving the cold outdoors? For the especially cold days, the more layers the better. Here’s my suggestions.

Get a good set of thermals for the kids. They fit snugly, and don’t tend to bunch up under their normal clothes. Put long sleeve shirt and pants on top of the thermals.

Next, layer on the outer gear. Bibbed snow pants are fantastic at keeping the snow from finding it’s way inside. Follow that with a good thick coat.

For the extremities, 2 layers of socks (3 isn’t a bad way to go either) can really help keep the toes warm and toasty. A high top pair of water proof boots is absolutely necessary for cold weather play. If you are worried about the water proof capabilities, add a plastic bag layer over the socks before inserting their foot. They may complain (as the childhood me did), but they will thank you later (thank you Nana!). When putting the boots on, make sure the inside lining of the snow pants are tucked inside the boot, while the outside lining, is pulled over the top.

It’s not a bad idea to layer on the gloves too, especially on little hands. If they don’t plan on touching snow, mittens will work nicely. However, for playing in it – which they will do – you’ll want a pair of cold weather gloves. Go ahead and stick on the fingered mittens, and then slide into the gloves if you really want some warm fingers. If you plan on doing this though, you’ll want to get a size bigger on the water proof gloves. Make sure to pull the shirt sleeve into the glove, and then layer the coat sleeve on top of the glove.

Last, but definitely not least is the hat! My kids balk at this, claiming their coat hood to be good enough. It’s not. Grab a nice soft winter cap to cover those ears, and then pull the coat hood over the top.

Finally you’re kids are ready to go outside and play in the snow. And you’re probably ready to take a long winters nap. Just make sure you lay out some towels and clear a space by the floor heater first. When the kids come in 5 minutes later complaining of the cold, you’ll want a clear path for them to peel off all the layers without strewing them across the whole house.