How to Dress Kids for Cold Weather

Roots Wildschool A Guide To: Dressing Your Child for Cold Weather / A Tribute to Wool

The Story

We've all been there. We've all had the best of intentions to get outside with our children in the colder months but inevitably spend 10 minutes getting everyone situated only to last all of five minutes before someone is complaining that they're cold. We don't blame them, we're pretty cold ourselves. Everyone goes back inside feeling frustrated, defeated and, like there's really no point in trying when it's that cold anyways. Might as well stay inside and wait for a warmer day! 

I'm here to tell you there is hope for being outside in all weather,especially the winter! I'm going to walk you through how to easily be extremely warm and comfortable - even on a freezing cold day! Let me take you on a journey first, though. 

I'm an outside girlie through and through. I don't care what's going on with the weather, I crave to be out in nature. Then I had a child. Looking back I'd say we were outside a good bit but I had no idea how to truly dress him for the temperatures that winter would bring. We did just fine his first winter...he was only a few months old so no need to take him on extravagant adventures. His second winter however, I was determined to get outside with him everyday, no matter what. I knew how good it was for his health and well-being, as it was for mine. I came across a "1000 Hours Outside" challenge (1000 hours spent outside in 365 days) on Facebook and set forth on my mission. Through that group, I learned about the magic and warmth of: wool. Finding out about wool all those years ago completely transformed mine and my family's lives. Suddenly we could be outside in the middle of winter HAPPY and WARM. Excited to be out there, planning all sorts of adventures and outings in the freezing cold. Imagine that! We completed the challenge in less than a year! My son was 17 months when we started and 27 months when we hit our goal (I was also 7 months pregnant!). We wound up logging 1077 hours by the end of 365 days. I was obviously very proud of us but also so grateful I had discovered this seemingly secret world of wool. Why is that, by the way...not a thing here? We live in a four-season climate. I cannot understand why wearing wool is not the norm here like it is in so many other countries. It's always so disheartening to be outside from basically fall to spring, alone, no one but your own kids outside except for a few sprinkled here and there but only on days when the sun was mostly shining. I'll never forget meeting my best friend, Libby. It was early April, my son and I were three months into our Challenge. I had met Libby a few days prior and we decided to meet back up with our husbands in tow and go to the community park. Our boys were in the baby swings next to each other and I noticed they had the same gray midweight wool Disana sweaters on. I won't get into the theatrics BUT, we've been the very best of friends ever since. Anyways, the point is: wool unlocked so many wonderful possibilities for me and my children and I'm here to finally get it all on paper and share the warm, happy hope that is wool, with you. See you outside!

A couple things to mention before we begin: first being cost. Wool can be a sticker shock, I'm not here to argue or convince you that it's not. However, there's a few things you should know before you feel like it's unjustifiable. Wool clothing runs BIG (most brands do, that is). Every piece of wool clothing I've gotten for my children has lasted them many years. For example, my son's very first base layer he wore: Dec 2020-April 2021 and again Oct 2021-April 2022. My daughter then wore it from Oct 2022-April 2023 and is wearing it again for this cold-weather season, Oct 2023-present day Feb 2024. That's four seasons and counting for one base layer. Don't think of a base layer as just a shirt and pant that you will need 5+ of to last all winter. You could easily get away with buying ONE set that will last you years. So yes, while $30 might seem like a lot for a "one piece"...it's so much more than that and I can guarantee you you'll get your money's worth and more, whether it be the time worn or the memories made. I looked back at my very first wool order in November of 2020 and am happy to report that my son wore everything in that initial order for 2 years and my daughter is now on her second year of wearing it all, too. If you don't plan on having more children to pass the wool down to, the resale value is fantastic and there are tons of BST groups as well as apps like Mercari that you can post to, OR buy from! Lastly, when I mentioned that you could buy only one base layer for the season - I meant it. I'll disclaim that we keep 2 sets per child but if money is tight - don't sweat it, you'll be just fine with a single set. Wool is miraculous in that you don't need to wash it but maybe once a season. After wearing, hang to air and it'll be fresh and clean by morning.

"Mother Nature endowed merino wool with some pretty amazing qualities. Imagine a fabric that helps regulate body temperature, keeping your child warm in the cold and cool in the heat. Imagine a fabric that resists odor. Imagine a fabric that wicks away moisture. Imagine a fabric engineered and perfected by nature."

More on that here.

Base Layers

Base layers act as the layer worn directly on the skin. Base layers should be moisture-wicking such as 100% merino wool or a wool blend. Best to avoid cotton! The base layer is your most important layer for true warmth and if you can only afford to invest in a few pieces, invest in base layers. They can be worn alone in warmer weather (we wear them year round for protection from the sun/bugs in spring and summer), or under a mid layer in the spring and fall, or under a mid and outer layer in the much colder months.

Brands I love: Siskin, Engel, Chasing Windmills

Brands I've heard are also great: Nui Organics, Wheat Kids

Shops I love for even more brands of base layers (and other wool): MamaOwl, Chasing Windmills, Little Spruce Organics, Cheshire Horse, Warmth and Weather

Mid Layers

A mid layer can be a midweight wool pant and/or sweater or a thick cotton sweater and/or pants. You will put this layer on top of your base layer.

Brands I love for wool mid layers: Disana

Brands I've heard are also great: Jan and Jul, Wheat Kids

Shops I love: MamaOwl, Chasing Windmills, Wheat Kids, Nui Organics, Cheshire Horse, Warmth and Weather, Little Spruce Organics

Outer Layers

Your outer layer will depend on what type of environment you are in. If it's cold enough to be wearing an outer layer however, best to have it be water and windproof. This could look like a rainproof shell (lined or unlined). Or a boiled wool coat and/or dungarees. If it's not cold enough for all three layers but still a pretty cold day, you can always just skip the mid layer or make it a thinner one!

Brands I love: Disana, Wheat Kids 

Shops I love: MamaOwl, Wheat Kids, Little Spruce Organics

Boots, Mittens and Other Accessories

Waterproof and lined options are needed for boots and mittens in the colder months. For shoes this could look like snow boots, lined rain boots, or waterproof covers such as Stonz booties. For mittens this could look like wool or cotton mittens with a waterproof cover or wool mittens alone.

Other accessories could include a hat, snood, and balaclava (my #1 accessory recommendation!).

Brands I love for (barefoot) boots: Vivobarefoot and Be Lenka for snow boots. These rain boots.

Other brands worth checking out: See Anya's Reviews post on that here.

Brands I love for mittens and other accessories: Disana, Siskin

Shops I love: Mama Owl, Little Spruce Organics