How to Dress Toddlers for Winter Exploration

Toddlers are fascinating. They have a decent grasp of cause and effect yet they laugh in the face of it. WHY DO TODDLERS TAKE OFF THEIR MITTS WHEN THEY KNOW THEY WILL GET COLD!?!? Sheesh. I guess if I was just learning to use my hands, and wanted to check out a new texture, I wouldn't want to be impeded by giant, insulated, waterproof traps.

With toddlers, our goal changes a bit from maintaining body heat (like for babies), to adapting to curveballs like wet mitts, jacket refusal, and eating snow until they shiver.

The Basics of Staying Warm

A few important ideas to keep in mind when trying to stay warm are the ways in which we can prevent heat loss. Let's aim to avoid heat loss by combining the following:

• layering - having multiple layers of clothing and material between you and the elements

• materials - choose clothing fabrics that keep their insulating power event when wet

• wind breaks - putting barriers between your toddler and any blowing wind that can suck away the bubble of warm air their body is creating

• props - external heat sources to add, depending on activity

Layering means having multiple layers of clothing and material between you and the elements. You want to be able to easily add or remove layers depending on what the weather chooses to do while you're out.

Layers for a super cold day could look like:

• Body: base layer outfit, under long sleeve shirt and pants, underneath a snowsuit

• Feet: socks (1-2 pairs) under winter boots

• Hands: thin mitts, under winter mitts

• Head: Thin tuque, under winter tuque (that covers the ears)

• Extras:

  • neck warmer

  • blanket or stroller bunting bag

  • don't forget that a soft carrier that keeps baby's body against yours also counts as a layer, as you will share your heat with them

  • sheepskin/wool mat for under their bum

  
  

Materials means choosing the right types of fabrics for maintaining insulation around the body. Some materials do this drastically better than others. In multiple outdoor trainings, I have heard the line "cotton kills" and it freaks me out every time! This is said so often because when cotton gets wet, it loses the ability to hold air between its' fibers and it will begin sucking away body heat.

I would recommend reading the labels on your toddler's clothing and choosing the following as their go-to winter layers:

• Fleece/ Polar Fleece (made of polyester)

• Wool/ Merino wool (merino wool is thinner and can be less itchy)

• Acrylic blends (can add warmth to other materials, but are not as breathable, so use with awareness that baby could get sweaty

One trip to the zoo with my two year old ended in us leaving early and her screaming in the stroller all the way back to the car, because I didn't realize the impact of rubber boots: it wasn't too cold of a day, and she got warm and sweaty while running around with her buddy. Her rain/rubber boots trapped the moisture from her sweaty feet and as she stopped for a lunch break, that cold moisture caused her feet to feel like uncomfortable little icicles. Proper wool socks and winter boots would have made a big difference in her comfort level, as they wool would have held its heat, and the insulated boots would have kept some of the cold out, even if her feet were sweaty!

Wind Breaks include anything that can stop the wind from blowing away your toddler's protective layer of heat. Your toddler's body generates heat that is ideally trapped by their clothing/layers on cold days. If you are adventuring on a windy day, some materials will provide additional support to ensure your kid keeps the heat they generate.

Wind breaks can be:

• a wind-proof outer-shell like a rain suit or snow suit

• a soft or structured carrier: they can both break wind by putting an extra layer of fabric between your toddler and the elements

• a stroller with a windproof cover

• a stroller/chariot sleeping/ bunting bag: there's tons of these on the market. Pick one that works with your stroller seatbelt situation, and passes the breath test below

• a thick blanket

If venturing out on a windy day, test your materials by putting them up to your mouth and blowing as hard as you can. If your breath passes super easily through the materials, that means the wind will too. If barely any breath passes through and you get all dizzy and your cheeks hurt, that means your layers will beat the wind. Take that elements! That genius tip came from the Appalachian Mountain Club!

Be conscious that if something is strong enough to not let wind through, it likely will not breath well when your toddler starts running around. This is something that you will need to keep an eye on if transitioning from a stationary activity (like a ride in a stroller) to an active activity (like puddle jumping or climbing at the playground). If transitioning to active play, keep an eye on your toddler for a flushed face, or them stripping their layers. I would recommend removing the jacket but keeping gloves and tuque on as the starting point. Your toddler will have their own ideas about how they prefer to proceed and natural consequences can be super important to learn in safe environments! I talk about how I view natural consequences, and my responsibility as a caregiver in this article.

Props can be the extras you add depending on the temperature and your activities. There are a few things I find particularly useful depending on the activity:

• hot water bottle: placing one of these rubber water bag things in the bottom of a stroller sleeping bag can add a ton of extra heat. It is also quite safe as it doesn't get too hot to the touch. I do this combo often when out for stroller/ chariot walks

• hand & feet warmers (reusable or disposable): these can be dangerous as they can be too hot for kids' skin. Use caution and discretion if choosing these. The feet warmer ones should always be worn with a layer in between the boot and sock, and we should check to make sure they're not getting too hot. Same goes for the hand ones - I have used them in between a thin mitt and a winter mitt for added warmth and asked my toddler often if their hands are feeling too hot.

• a warm up space: don't forget that a place to warm up if often accessible. Even five minutes indoors can be a good reset. If you are worried your toddler got too cold while being outside, make sure to un-layer them while indoors to check temperature of fingers, toes, and their stomach. This will also help their clothing warm up if any cold air got trapped inside to help them keep their own body warm.

• body heat of a warm adult: unzipping your own coat and letting them reset their hands or feet by keeping them close to your body for bit can also help. Do not blow on the hands or feet as the moisture from your breath can make them colder after the initial warmth.

• fresh layers: If your toddler got sweaty or wet under their winter layers, swap wet items out for dry as soon as you pause for a food or bathroom break. Swap socks and mitts at the least.

Below are a couple examples of how I would use this info to keep a toddler comfortable in different settings on a -15C day. You will see that the main difference is the amount of extras I would bring on a hike, knowing that I wouldn't have quick access to a warmup space:

• Stroller walk to play at the park in -15C

  • Layers & Material: wool blend socks, base layer clothes (IF my child seems particularly susceptible to getting cold), fleece/polyester long sleeve shirt and pants, snowsuit that passes our wind test, thin mitts, insulated waterproof winter mitts, insulated waterproof winter boots, warm fleece or knit hat

  • Wind breaks: stroller (with the plastic cover made for it in case we walk facing into the wind), stroller sleeping bag

  • Props: hot water bottle in stroller sleeping bag, knowing there are coffee shops/ warm up spaces within a five minute walk I would feel confident in accessing warmth if we needed it before heading home.

  • Extras: just in case I'd bring a neck warmer, extra pair of mitts, extra socks, extra boots

• Hike in the mountains at -15C

  • Layers & Material: wool blend or merino wool socks, base layer outfit, fleece long sleeve shirt and pants, snowsuit that passes our wind test, thin mitts, insulated waterproof winter mitts, insulated waterproof winter boots, thin tuque under fleece or knit winter tuque, neck warmer

  • Wind breaks: a rain coat/ thin jacket shell if I am worried that their winter coat might get wet, structured carrier (if I plan to carry my toddler)

  • Props: sheepskin/ wool mat for carrier

  • Extras that I would pack in case needed:

    • disposable hand and foot warmers

    • a dry hat incase theirs gets too wet

    • extra waterproof mitts in case they get wet

    • extra wool blend socks in case they get wet

    • extra pants and shirt are a good idea too

    • my winter emergency first aid kit

Happy adventuring!!