Manage Winter Clothing for Kids Without Losing Your Mind

When I first began my outdoor learning adventures, I would have dreams of lost gloves, missing socks, and Houdini hats that seem to always get lost. I would sit down after bundling or unbundling kids and wonder why was that so hard? I felt like I had just run a marathon or did a cross-fit workout. Something had to give, so I did some serious reflecting and came up with a plan for managing winter clothing for kids.

Let’s get down and dirty with how to actually make outdoor winter activities enjoyable without losing your sanity.  Outdoor Learning has so many benefits. A quick google search will show you why it is important to get kids outside to learn. Check out my Podcast Episode if you want to learn a bit about why Outdoor education is amazing, but It also creates challenges you don’t realize until you live it.

Create A System for Winter Clothing For Kids

 I found when I put a system in place, I can overcome any challenge.  Now that I have these systems in place, I have 4- and 5-year old’s putting on snow pants, hats, boots, gloves, and zipping coats all by themselves. My hope is after reading this you feel empowered to put the practical systems in place to make outdoor winter activities for kids, in the cold months, less chaotic because it is so WORTH IT!

 I had to start with a system for storing and managing the gear.  If everything has a place, and we teach our kids those places, you will find your flow and cut down on a heaping pile of gloves, socks, and hats.  These 4 tips will help you get started. You will find your groove and find areas you will need to tweak depending on your group and the developmental stages. This is what works for my 4- and 5-year old’s.

#1 Boot Boxes For Each Child

They do not need to be fancy, but they need to be sturdy and wipeable. I have taught my students that boots, socks, hats, and gloves (If they aren’t attached with glove clips) go into these boxes.  Everything is on a hook or in a box.  Kids need this structure to be successful. Check out the Boot Boxes here I currently use.

#2 Label Everything

You will have 40 gloves and 25 are black and 10 will look almost identical. You will quickly learn whose gear belongs to whom but in the beginning, you will be dreaming of lost gloves and random socks!

#3 Model How to Layer Winter Clothing

• Think of this as a mini-lesson.  You will need to teach it, whole group first, then a small group for the kids that aren’t quite independent, and then with 2 to 3 kids you are going to need to do a straight-up 3 tier intervention.  Trust the process. If you take time at the beginning of each season to model it and reteach it, your time will pay off. After a couple of weeks, everyone will be independent, and you won’t be out of breath and sweating before you even hit the door.
• Give students a qinter clothing list with the order they get dressed. For winter gear, there is a sequence that should be followed for optimal bundling. We need to teach kids how to layer winter clothing so they stay safe and comfortable. Click  HERE to check out the poster I hang near our gear area.

#4 Provide Winter Clothing Activities For Kids

I have found having opportunities for winter clothing activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners has helped them become independent. I provide a winter clothing checklist along with winter clothing activities. Here are the winter clothing printables I use in my classroom.  

• Winter Clothing Worksheets
• Winter Clothing Activities For Preschoolers

#5 Celebrate Their Wins And Make It Fun

My Students LOVE our Bundling Hall of Fame. Students can be inducted into this highest honor by bundling head to toe completely and independently 3 days in a row.  We hoop and holla and make it a big deal.  We take their picture, hang it in the hallway, and post it in our class social media group.  I found this makes bundling a fun challenge and not a chore.  I share with parents their child’s goal if needed as well. For example, Suzy is almost in the Bundling Hall of Fame (See my certificate below); she just needs to zip her jack all by herself.  This makes it a team effort and gives parents a tangible skill to work on and it might encourage them to not always zip it for them. So, make it fun for the kids!

Lessons for How To Layer Winter Clothing

My best tip is model EVERYTHING in the beginning and then revisit! Think of it as mini-lessons and interventions! When I switched my mindset and think of bundling as skills, it became less exhausting that little David won’t get on his snow pants and that Suzy keeps whining about getting her gloves on.  I would have to stop and say what are most students struggling with and how can I teach them to be independent.It is important to teach our students what to wear for extreme cold weather. Here are my most used mini-lessons that I have found that will save my sanity and sweat if I can get them to independently master these skills: 

1. Zipping and sleeves
2. Putting on and off rain suits or snowsuits
3. Pulling rain suit pants over boots and velcroing
4. Putting on and taking off gloves
5. Where do they put gloves when they are wet to dry for the next day?
6. How to clean off boots before entering. No Boots in the classroom. This cuts down on clean-up.

 Pro Tip: Never bundle yourself before bundling the kids. You will be a hot, sweaty, and grumpy mess before you even get outside.

Class Jobs For Managing Winter Clothing

In my class, we are all doing our part. Every single person has a job that helps our room run smoothly and we have class mottos that go along with each to help our room run smoothly. One of our mottos is “Together is better and many hands make light work!” Here are the class jobs that help lighten the load and control the chaos with outdoor gear and our Class Motto we use to remember them!

1. Gear Inspector- They check the gear as students line up to make sure each student has what they need. Class Motto: “Be proactive and having everything you need to learn.” “
2. Floor Monitor- They check the hallway for any misplaced item and return it to its home or finds the student who needs to put it away. Class Motto: “Everything has a home!”
3. Problem Solver- Students go to the Problem Solver first before asking an adult for help. They try and solve the problem together. Students become very good at helping each other.  For example, the last glove is sometimes hard to get on by ourselves, so they need an extra hand, or getting our bootlegs over our boots is sometimes tricky. These are all things they can help each other when we empower them.  Class Motto: “We are problem solvers, not problem causers!” 
4. Kid Counter- This person counts each person in line before leaving any space to make sure everyone is safe. Class Motto: “We are better together”

Our overall bundling class motto is, “If it’s covered, it’s not cold!” Are you wondering where to buy kid’s winter clothes? I have tried and tested so many and I now have my favorite winter Clothing List. These are the winter clothing my kids have tried, tested, and approved, check out my Winter Clothing List here! I have found the best winter outdoor gear to help our kids feel warm and comfortable so they can stay outside longer!

What is your current situation? What system you can put into place to make your Winter Clothing for kids more manageable? The goal is to focus on the experiences you provide your students, not the struggle of getting dressed! If you want to learn more about starting or expanding your outdoor learning for your class, grab my Free Video series, Outdoor Learning Blueprint. 

Stay well and go get outside!

 ,

Elizabeth