Thinking about the winter ahead, I’ve had a few friends reach out to get kids gear recommendations. “I am going crazy at the thought of another quarantine this winter and need my kids outside as much as possible!” To keep teachers and students safe many schools are adapting to the new normal by spending as much time as possible outdoors. With over four years at an outdoor play-based school we have refined our winter gear system over the years, and I am excited to share that expertise with you below.
**I linked all products for you below. Where an affiliate link was available for the gear that I love if you purchase through the link you will pay the same price, but they provide a small % back to the me to keep my blog running.**
Do you dress head to toe, or toe to head, this was an an age-old debate back when I worked in the footwear industry at New Balance. Instead I’ll start with the most important layer, you must never underestimate the power of base layers, they are the first line of defense in keeping kids dry and warm. Wool is rated the #1 material but that can get expensive if you don’t know where to shop, in addition some kids have allergies to wool, we use two brands of base layers in our household. For wool we use Mountain Warehouse for affordable long-lasting wool base layers. For a great synthetic version Land’s End Bottoms & Tops have become our go to. My kids wear base layers under their regular clothing (aka sweat pants) everyday of winter, we love these Sherpa lined sweats for the SUPER cold days. Finally a great pair of Vermont made Darn Tough Socks cannot be beat, this is the only brand of winter socks our family will wear.
We love Turtle Fur for well-fitting neck warmers, balaclavas and kids hats. We learned early on that a thin neck tube (on right above) actually keeps you warmer then the thick fleece ones I wore as a child because they wick moisture away and dry faster than the bulky ones. Colder days call for a balaclava that covers the top of the head (on left above), this can be a great option under ski helmets and hats. We also depend on turtle fur for their micro fleece mid-layer, this is what you wear over your base layer before your jacket. This awesome Vermont based company provided me a code to share, use MEGLILJEDAHL10 for a 10% discount on all products.
Whether you do a jacket and snow pants, or a 1-piece snow suit is really a personal preference. We did the Patagonia Down Bunting until 1 year old, and then the 1-piece LL Bean Cold Buster Snow Suit until 3 years old because they are easier to get on when you will be doing most of the dressing and kids are learning to do it themselves. After that we did bib overall snow pants from Lands End with Patagonia down Jackets. On wet snowy days you will need to add a waterproof layer on top, one great option for sledding and general out door play is a Tuffo one-piece rain suit. For skiing we add the Patagonia Torrentshell water resistant jacket. The great thing about both these options is that you’ll get spring/summer use out of them as well on rainy days.
Finally, the hands and feet. I wrote an entire blog post on the World’s Best Mittens, Stonz Mitts are warm and WATERPROOF, something many mittens cannot claim which is mind boggling. In addition, the infant size don’t have pesky thumb holes and the older kid version have cuffs that cinch all the way up to their elbows to keep snow from invading their wrists.
For their feet we have worn Toddler Bogs boots from 1 year old onward. Early on they are super easy to pull on for tiny hands and we found that they do a great job of keeping big kid feet warm and dry as well Kids Bogs boots.
There you have it, over 7 years of Lil’ Vermont adventure research has yielded a system of winter layering that will keep your littles warm and dry through all the elements. A bonus tip (not that you’re asking) don’t forget to apply these same principles for yourself. Make sure you have proper gear on while outside with your kids and I promise that you’ll enjoy that time 100% more. Now bring on the snow!
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