How to Dress (yourself and your kids) for Outdoor Play in Any Weather.
Long before ever reading the book, “There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather,” Edgar and I had adopted the motto. I remember taking walks down out country road in subzero temps wearing a long down puffy coat and a ski mask to protect my face from the frigid air. We’ve just kind of naturally always felt inclined to get outside no matter how “nice” of a day it was or not. Most nights of my teaching career Edgar and I would meet each other at a state park after work and go for an hour long hike each night.
All this to say, it was a given for us to spend as much time in nature with our kids as possible (without necessarily even knowing the specific reasons why it’s good for you, but more so feeling like it made sense, especially in our busy, fast paced world.)
Spending lots of time outside might require a little bit of an attitude shift. Your kids will get dirty and will likely go through a couple sets of clothes in a day (unless it’s winter) If you’re worried about their clothes getting ruined if they go play in the rain/mud/dirt, dress them in something else! They won’t remember if they were wearing an expensive trendy outfit or if they were wearing some thrifted clothes, what they’ll remember is how they spent their time.
I wrote a whole blog post about the benefits of getting outside if you want to learn more!
Anyways, while most seasons do not require an elaborate or expensive wardrobe, winter (depending where you live but I’m referring to the upper midwest) is the season I feel like costs the most for proper outdoor gear but in my opinion, it’s money well spent.
Since we plan to have multiple kids I know we’ll get lots of use out of any more expensive outdoor clothing/gear we purchase. I see it as an investment that will be reused many many times. Especially when buying quality winter gear that’s more likely to last through a few kids vs. cheaper winter gear that’s more likely to tear/lose it’s waterproofness/bust a zipper/etc.
However, I understand not everyone is planning on having multiple kids so it might feel a little silly to buy high quality outdoor gear that will only get used one season before they grow out of it. You can always resell items on facebook marketplace, ebay, poshmark, or kidizen (an app like poshmark but specifically for mamas/babies/and kids!)
These places are also a great place to look when shopping for outdoor gear. Because some of these pieces are only used for a season by some families, you can often find great deals on items that a very gently used. A very sustainable approach to acquiring the outdoor gear your family needs to safely spend lots of time outside!
So let’s go through the basics of what’s needed to spend ample time outside (it isn’t much!)
WINTER:
thick mittens (two pairs is ideal incase one gets wet..or worse, lost- this is less necessary for babies!)
wool socks
thick sweater/fleece (for babies I like a fleece two piece outfit OR a one piece zip up fleece outfit- even fleece pajamas are a good layer for babies and toddlers under their outdoor gear!)
warm hat (I personally like it to be really thick or fleece lined for babies/toddles/kids)
warm, waterproof, insulated winter jacket
warm, waterproof, insulated snow pants (with older kids or adults you could swap snow pants for waterproof rain pants and just layer a few pairs of warm base layer pants underneath!)
OR a one piece snowsuit
for babies and toddlers I personally like the one piece snowsuit best, it just seems warmer and cozier for little ones. for babies I don’t worry about waterproofness as much since babies aren’t very mobile in the snow and a lot of the time they’re in a carrier or stroller or sled not like a toddler or kid who’s going to be more actively playing in the snow/slush)
warm insulated winter boots
(for babies I LOVE these boots!! they’re warm but flexible and not rigid which isn’t good for babies foot development. and they’re SO easy to get on and off.)
optional:
balaclava (I love this for keeping babies/toddlers/kids necks good and warm. A scarf isn’t ideal for young kids but a balaclava stays in place nicely and keeps them nice and warm. No one wants cold air blowing on their bare neck all afternoon! so a scarf (for older kids), a balaclava (for any age), or a gator (for toddlers and kids) is something I highly recommend.
snug fitting merino wool base layer. merino wool (or even a polyester base layer) wicks away moisture and works with your body’s temperature. Cotton isn’t moisture wicking and if it gets wet (whether from a leak in outdoor gear or sweat) it just stays wet and that can ultimately make you/baby/whoever much colder and at a higher risk for hypothermia)
Alternatively, you could layer starting with a merino wool base layer, an insulated layer (thick fleece, down, or wool that isn’t too bulky), followed by a waterproof lightweight shell)
SPRING & FALL:
rain gear (rain jacket/rain pants or a one piece zip up rain suit! Size up and just roll the sleeves/pants and get 2+ years out of them!)
rain boots
thick fleece or warm sweater
mittens/hat (and some days a snowsuit/snowpants/jacket) might be necessary
SUMMER:
pretty much all you need is lightweight play clothes! (I guess unless it’s chilly then add a layer or two but not much fancy is needed”
rain gear can be handy in the summer too (or if it’s warm enough just let them get wet in the rain and change clothes when they’re done!)
a good pair of sneakers and closed toe sandals.
(or go barefoot, it’s ideal for proper foot development anyways! but if barefoot isn’t safe I personally like closed toe sandals for babies (that are walking, babies who can’t walk yet DO NOT need shoes in my opinion..it’s a waste of money)/toddlers/kids I feel like closed toe sandals protect their toes from injury if they trip. I feel like they also pose less of a trip hazard.
a brimmed sunhat (I like a linen blend hat since they’re lightweight!)
nontoxic sunscreen (I don’t put sunscreen on Ruth every single time we go outside in the summer because some sun exposure is good for you!!! but if we’re going to be in direct hot sunlight during peak hours (10-2 or so) I make sure to put this on her since many sunscreens oddly enough have carcinogenic ingredients and end up doing more harm than good.
nontoxic bug spray (no one likes to spend time outside when they’re getting eaten alive by bugs. but again, most mainstream bug sprays-even the “family” ones- contain ingredients that really shouldn’t ever go on your skin.
OPTIONAL:
sunglasses (but not all babies/toddlers will keep these on so maybe less necessary)
swimwear if you plan on doing any swimming.
When is it too cold or (too hot!) to take a baby (or toddler or kid) outside??
Looking at the daily temperature is helpful but what’s key (especially in the winter) is looking at the windchill. A low temp isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but a strong windchill is more so what makes it unsafe to go out (or stay out for long) with babies.
Their immature lungs just don’t do well breathing in such cold air.
This is the chart we generally use to understand if it’s safe to go outside or not in the winter (or again, if it’s dangerously hot in the summer.)
Unless it’s waaaay in the red, we tend to at least spend a couple minutes outside (I know, it’s a lot of work to bundle up for just a few minutes, especially if your baby screams the whole time you bundle them, but most of the time for me even just a few minutes outside makes a difference for my mental health. Or if it was too cold to take Ruth out, sometimes (after she was fed, changed, and in a good mood) I would set her in a safe space near a window and go outside by myself and just stand outside the window so I could still see here and take a few deep breaths or do a few squats/get in a little movement.)
There you have it folks! I hope this helps make it easier to spend lots of time outside with your babies and kids and show them how to love being one with their environment!
