It may only be fall, but it’s never too early to start preparing for the coming winter, especially when it comes to your children. Depending on how old they are, there’s a good chance they’ve already outgrown all their clothes from last year, which means it’s time to buy them some new stuff. Before you start shopping, though, there are some things you need to know. Read tips on dressing your kids for winter activities this year to stay prepared for any cold-weather event.
Use the Proper Amount of Layers
Most everyone knows that layers are the way to go when bundling your kids up, but not many people know that too many layers can be bad. Many parents put as many layers on their kids as possible because they’d rather their children be too warm than too cold.
However, if your child overheats, they will start sweating, which gets their base layer all wet, making them colder than usual. Other than not overdoing it on the layers, another way to fix this problem is to use youth thermals as a base layer. These articles of clothing will help wick the sweat off their skin, keeping them dry and warm without overdoing it with the layers.
Don’t Forget To Cover Their Extremities
When focused on providing the proper layers, it’s easy to forget to ensure you’ve adequately covered your children’s hands, feet, and faces. These are the most important body parts to cover because they’re prone to frostbite. You need to gear them up with high-quality moisture resistant gloves, warm socks, waterproof boots, and a comfortable insulated hat.
Avoid Cotton if Possible
If possible, you should avoid cotton products for all your children’s winter gear. While this material is excellent at keeping people warm, it only works if it’s dry. Once it gets wet, it will make those using it much colder. Cotton on the external layers will immediately get wet when it encounters snow, but the same applies when you use cotton as a base layer, and your child starts to sweat through it. Finding a comparable material will be the better choice in most cases.
Think Beyond Temperature Ratings
While clothing with a temperature rating might seem like a good idea for parents who aren’t sure which options are best for their kids, this isn’t the case. Too many factors affect how warm a child will be on any day. Variables such as wind, rain, layering options, and even the kid’s metabolism can significantly alter the effectiveness of any given piece of clothing. Instead, experiment to determine what works best for your children.
Make Sure Everything Fits Properly
Our final tip for dressing your kids for winter activities is to ensure all their new clothes fit correctly before the time comes when they need to use them. Even if you know your child’s exact measurements, once you start layering up, some articles of clothing might not fit properly. You might need to buy the next size up for some external layers, but you won’t know how well everything works until you give it a test run, so be sure to do that right away.