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Essential Snow Gear for Families to Enjoy Winter Adventures with Kids
- Elyn Fullen
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
How to get outside, stay outside and thrive in the snowy season with your littles
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For some reason, it wasn’t until I had young kids that I actually believed that phrase “there’s no such thing as bad weather.” Winter looked mostly like hibernating down with my indoor hobbies (yes I still love to knit and do puzzles) and waiting for the world to thaw.
Guess who doesn’t understand the fine art that is hibernation. Children. Those little bodies and brains need to MOVE!
Now that we have three such wiggly little ones, winter outdoor play is a huge part of our family life. My kids inherited their father’s Minnesotan love for the snow, and it’s been a lovely gift to me to learn to enjoy the winter magic.
So… how do we get outside, stay outside, and love it? We dress for the weather. And how do we dress for the weather in winter? LAYERS. For EVERYONE. The right winter gear is truly essential to enjoy the season. I’m mainly here to outline how I dress my kids, but a moment for the parents- I recently got myself a pair of snow pants. Second hand, nothing special, probably something like this. And it was such a good decision. Flopping down in a heap of white fluff is just as fun as it looks when the kids do it!
I’ve learned a lot from nature schools, outdoor-loving friends, and some good books. One of my all time top 5 favorite parenting books? “There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather” by Linda Akeson McGurk. She makes you fall in love with the real-ness that is the seasons and teaches you how to embrace it in the Scandinavian way.
Here's my collection of how to dress your family for the winter weather. I don't do all of these things all the time. As I've gotten more parenting winters under my belt, I've learned which layers to pair for what parts of the season. If you're a seasoned nature-loving parent (heh heh, pun intended), share more tips in the comments! If you're just jumping in, you've got this! It's worth while. My kids still have to be wrestled into the gear and spend plenty of time whining about it. But guess what. Why whine indoors when you can whine OUTDOORS?!
Without further ado, let’s go!
Winter Gear Essentials List
BASE LAYER
Materials: wool is ideal, or synthetic (eg polyester- think under-armor)
Fit: thin, stretchy
Purpose: these materials keep heat in and moisture out, both of which are KEY
We have wool sets from H&M for all the kids that they no longer sell- keep an eye on their seasonal stuff to see if they do again!
MID LAYER **I only add this layer if it’s VERY cold out. I often just do base + bulk layer
Materials: cotton
Fit: thin/ medium weight
Purpose: add a layer in between
Eg: loose fitting pants, long sleeved shirt
BULK LAYER
Materials: cotton or wool
Fit: thick, bulky, loose fitting
Purpose: cozy up! Insulate and keep warm
Eg: hoodie, sweater
SNOW SUIT
I’m a BIG FAN of the snow suit (over the snow pants + coat combo). Why? 1. Ease and 2. Warmth. Fewer steps to getting outside is a BIG WIN. It’s so simple for the kids to slip it on, zip it up, and be good to go. And once you're out, there are fewer gaps for snow, slush, or a cold gust to get in. Also... they’re super cute.
You can spend a lot of money on a snowsuit. If you want to spend hours in the snow regularly, invest in one of the top 2 listed here. If you just want to enjoy snow-play sometimes, simply find one that’s as waterproof as possible. Re-enforced knees and butt area helps a lot.
*As kids get older it can be tricky to find a full snow suit. Here are ones we've used, have been recommended, or have rave reviews.
$149 Oakie Waterproof Snowsuit (our 4yo has this and it's AMAZING)
$55 (on sale for $46 right now!) Artix Snowsuit sizes 2T - 4T
$79 (on sale for $36 right now!!) Arctix Snowsuit sizes kids XS - XL
FEET
Wool socks
Waterproof boots that are slightly oversized
We’ve gotten bulkier wool socks and thinner ones. They’ve both worked great depending on our kids’ ages and what fits best with their boots.
My favorite boots are Boggs… they’re easy to get on and off, keep water proof so well, and last long.
KEY: don’t do too many socks! Keep space for air in their boots- air is an amazing insulator.
BONUS: if their boots are big enough you can toss in a hand/ foot warmer for the long hours outside.
$15 Toddler + Kids 45% Wool 6 Pack We've used these for years and they hold up great
$50 (sale for $30 now!) STONZ Waterproof Toddler Booties Game changer if you have a crawler in the winter.
$60 BOGS Kids Waterproof Rainboots They're called "rainboots," but these are insulated for snow. I always keep an eye out for second hand BOGS and have a good collection for my kids as they grow.
HANDS
Always mittens- no gloves! The fingers keep each other warm. We’ve used these for a couple years and they do so well.
KEY: waterproof, extra long sleeve, cozy soft inside
$20 Helly Hansen Lightweight Lined Rain Mittens for start of winter and spring days
*A moment for the Stonz mittnens- we have these and they are worth EVERY PENNY. They're super warm, waterproof, and they go on over top of the coat/ snow suit sleeves instead of having to be tucked inside of them. Those high wrists go all the way up their forearm, and cinch at the wrist and the elbow.
HEAD
For those bitter cold days, a couple layers here goes a long way.
Fleece balaclava
Hat
It’s always like Christmas when we bust out the balaclavas! The kids run around the house like ninjas… it’s so fun. These ones fit our kids really well (ages 6, 4, and 2).
KEY: hugs the head, neck, and chin tight and is very soft.
I have no big tips for a hat. Cute and cozy :)
My Must-Have Favorites
That's a lot of information! I hope it helps you and your family get out and fall in love with the world of nature in winter.
Of all the items listed above, here are the ones I would rank as the most important and my personal favorites:
Snowsuit!! I do love the Oakie, but honestly it's more about having a snowsuit than having a fancy snowsuit. The more waterproof, the better.
STONZ mittens. The cinching high-wrist design is truly life changing. No more ripping off your own mittens to tuck theirs back in.
The wool baselayer- both on the feet and on the body- gives me peace of mind that they're plenty warm.
The balaclava really cuts the chill on those cold days. It hugs the face and neck in a comfortable way that they're not whining about being strangled by a scarf AND aren't getting snow and slush down the back of their snowsuit.
xo, El
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