Published on January 7th, 2014 Updated on January 10th, 2023 By Linda McGurk
‘Tis the season for snow storms, record-low temperatures and winter weather advisories – so do we all just have to roll up in a ball and pull a blanket over our heads? Not so fast. Spending time outside in extreme temperatures can certainly be dangerous to newborn babies, the elderly and those with certain medical conditions. But when adults use good judgment and dress kids appropriately, there’s no reason for them not to play outside when it’s cold. If the storms mean school closures for you and your kids, all the better! Why not look at it as an opportunity to play outside together?
In Scandinavia, where I grew up, most people stay active outdoors throughout the cold season (that’s how they produce so many great winter athletes!), rain or shine. Winter storms come and go, and you learn to live with the climate. These are the things I learned from growing up in Scandinavia that to this day help me and my kids play outside in the cold on a daily basis:
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Dress for the weather
I cannot overstate how important it is to wear good gear to stay warm, and it all starts with layering. The standard advice is to wear three layers: a base layer to keep you dry, a mid-layer to keep you warm and an outer layer to retain the heat and protect against rain, snow and wind. If it’s very cold I sometimes double up on my mid-layer on the upper body to make four layers total.
I layer everything, including socks and mittens, since hands and feet are particularly vulnerable to frostbite. For example, try wearing a thin pair of gloves under a pair of thick mittens that are lined with wool or fleece.
For the kids, I prefer Stonz Mittz, which are warm, waterproof and go over the sleeve of the jacket to keep snow out. To keep their necks warm, fleece turtle necks are warm and stay in place. And, of course, don’t forget the hat. I like the kind that come down over the ears and have snaps or velcro under the chin, to keep it in place. For more advice on layering, check out this post from earlier this year.
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Protect your face
On extremely cold days, or days with very low wind chill, the face is especially vulnerable, since the skin is exposed to the elements. On those days, don’t wash your kids’ faces in the morning – the oils in the skin will help protect against frostbite – and avoid using moisturizers or other creams on the face. You can also let your kids wear a balaclava under their hats to prevent their faces from getting cold. If wind chill is a concern, you can combine it with ski goggles to protect the whole face from exposure to the elements.
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Keep moving
When you move, your body generates heat that gets trapped under your clothes and make you feel warm. Stand still and you’ll inevitably get cold. Younger children are usually more likely to stand around in the cold, as they sometimes have a harder time moving around in heavy clothing and tire more easily, so try to keep them as active as possible. Standing still can also be a sign that they’re cold, so be observant. In extreme cold, choose activities that keep you moving without sweating, since perspiration will cool you off.
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Stay closer to home
If road conditions are dangerous or you’re worried that your kids will get cold quickly, stay home and explore your own backyard or neighborhood. Playgrounds and parks can be a lot of fun in the winter, especially if there’s snow! If you’re close to home, you can get inside quickly if somebody gets cold.
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Keep it fun
When it’s very cold, the snow is usually not conducive to building snowmen, but there are many other things you and your kids can do together outside. Sledding, ice art, snow paintings (using food coloring in squirt bottles), blowing bubbles and tracking animals are a few simple outdoor activities that make for cold weather fun. Or hand them a snow shovel and ask them to help clear the driveway – I was surprised to find out that my kids actually love helping out with that chore. As a carrot, tell them to put the snow in a big pile that they can play in later.
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Bring hot drinks
Hot chocolate has been a great way for my kids to warm up and recharge their batteries outside on cold days. Since it’s something they don’t drink every day, they’ve come to associate it with our outdoor adventures, which makes it an even more special treat. Plus, this mamma likes it too! Hot cider is another good option for the little ones.
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Use your judgment
When the weather forecasters call for the Winterpocalypse, Snowmageddon and Arctic Blast all at once, it’s easy to get caught up in the alarmist rhetoric. Sure, it’s always good to be prepared for extreme weather and know when to stay off the roads, but that doesn’t mean that you and your kids have to stay cooped up inside. If you’re concerned about frostbite, check out the National Weather Service’s wind chill chart, to get an idea for what is safe and seek out sheltered areas outside. The wind speed can vary greatly between different locations, so use good judgment and be observant on your kids’ signals. In general, you can always go outside for a little while, even if it’s cold, as long as you’re properly dressed and minimize skin exposure.
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Stay positive but know when it’s time to call it quits
If you’re excited about going outside, chances are your kids will be too. In my experience, kids are less fazed about challenging weather conditions than adults anyway – especially if there’s snow to play with. If they start to complain about being cold once you’re outside, troubleshoot. Where exactly are they cold? Is it because their mittens are wet from snow? If so, change them. Do they need a warmer hat? How about a hot drink? If nothing helps, go back inside. At the end of the day, playing outside is supposed to be fun – not a pain!
If you’re looking for more tips and inspiration for playing and staying active in cold weather, check out these posts by my fellow outdoor bloggers:
The Pine Project explains how playing outside in cold weather makes children more resilient in this great article.
Kari at Active Kids Club has put together a really neat video that shows how to dress kids properly for winter in a few simple steps.
In this post, Sharon Koch of Active Kids Active Family shares how her son geared up for playing outside for over an hour every day during an extreme cold spell recently.
Michael Lanza at The Big Outside blog has some great ideas for how to stay warm while keeping active outdoors.
Tanya Koob of Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies was in for a very cold weekend in Banff recently – read about how she and her family handled it here.
Brilliant post & you are speaking from real experience.
Thank you, Kierna! And yes, I think growing up in Scandinavia and living according to the motto “There’s no bad weather, only bad clothes,” was good preparation for extreme weather and I think it will be good for my kids to have the same experience.
Really great post, Linda! You’ve shared some excellent, practical advice. 🙂
Oh, and my son looooves shoveling snow too!
Thanks, Ann! We’ve had a lot of snow to shovel here in Indiana lately, which is somewhat unusual. Meanwhile, Sweden is actually experiencing a record-warm winter with temps in the mid-40s range and rain instead of snow. I’m enjoying every minute of the snow, in part because it makes the kids so much more excited about going outside.
We took our kiddo up to Rocky Mountain National Park last weekend and spent about two hours out snow shoeing in temps just above 0F (about -17C). I wrapped him up in lots of protective layers and kept asking him if he was cold, and he kept saying “No”. But his little cheeks kept getting pinker and pinker. And then they stayed really bright pink for more than an hour after we got warm! I was really worried he had frostbite on his checks, and he’d get bruising, and I would look like this terrible mom who was “too stupid to stay inside when it was cold out.” 🙁 Luckily, the pink went away by the evening and he didn’t have any bruising or marks.
LOL…I think it’s normal to get really red cheeks after being outside in such cold weather, but I can see why you were worried! Frostbite can be insidious in that you may not notice it until it’s too late. One thing to look out for is white spots on the skin, since that’s usually the first sign of the skin being really cold. I was a little bit worried during the “Arctic Blast” last Monday, when the forecast called for -40F wind chill temperatures here, but it turned out the area around our house was fairly sheltered and I was able to stay out with my well-bundled 5-year-old for an hour in -12F. In the end, I was the one dragging her inside because MY hands were cold:o)
Thank you very much! This is exactly what I needed. I am from Paris but live in Canada and it has been FREEZING. This is so very helpful. Layering is what I will remember from now on. Also love the pictures of the girl on the slide – food for thoughts 🙂
I know, we’ve had a pretty extreme cold snap in this part of the world lately! One thing that I didn’t mention in this post but in the other post about layering that I linked to, is that wool is THE BEST material for your base layer. It’s a little more expensive but so worth it. There are also some good wool blends out there, but if you want to stay warm it’s best to avoid cotton for the base layer. I’m a huge fan of wool socks too, I actually wear them around the house all the time in winter because I get cold so easily! Thanks for stopping by and I’m glad you found the post helpful:o)
Great information. We love getting outside in the winter, but you are absolutely right…you have to use your own judgement. Thanks for linking up to the outdoor play party.
Jen – Thanks for stopping by and I’m glad to hear you find the information useful. I plan to keep joining the OPP with more posts in the future; it’s awesome to have found fellow bloggers who all work for similar causes!
Great post! I totally agree that kids are way less fazed about the weather than we are. Thanks again for sharing with the Outdoor Play Party. Hopefully see you there again from tomorrow 🙂
Thanks, Leila! And yes, I just linked to the OPP with a new activity.
I whole-heartedly agree on all points! I am always amazed when people say, “You went outside in THIS?!” Yes, we did. We dressed appropriately and had an absolute blast. The (few) days that we do not get out for illness or what have you, my kiddos (and myself) are miserable!
I know it – a lot of people think I’m crazy for going out in cold weather but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I couldn’t imagine being cooped up all winter, plus I think it makes the kids more resilient to experience all types of weather. Thanks for stopping by – I’m so glad we’ve connected:o)
I’d go crazy! I can barely stay in for one day (we have one of those absurd delivery windows today and have construction going on in the yard so it’s not safe to play outside… I’m stir crazy!).
Glad we connected, too! Love your blog.
I’m so thankful to find your site. We have been cooped up for weeks and I finally started googling to see if it was safe to go outside. The high today was about 46 degrees so we went out during the warmest part of the day. I need to learn how to layer appropriately and buy a few things. It rarely snows here.
Great! I’m so glad you found my post helpful. I find that both my kids and I benefit immensely from going outside every day. There’s just something about that fresh air! Layering is a great way of keeping warm and saves you money in the long run, since you can use the pieces either on their own or together.
I was wondering if you had any advice for getting a baby outside in the winter? My little girl is 5 months now and we have been going on walks everyday all summer and fall, with her in a carrier. I think she really enjoys it. Do you have any advice on how to dress her once it is below freezing (and colder) and if there is a point when you would just stay inside? Thanks!
Hi Juliane – I’m so glad to hear that you’re planning to get outside with your baby this winter:) I wrote a post a while ago that talks about this specific topic: https://rainorshinemamma.combaby-its-freezing-lets-go-outside/. Hope this helps!