All Weather Gear!

We live in NY and it will be getting cold here soon so I need to get my daughter geared up if I want to ensure she still gets quality outdoor time through the long winter. When my daughter was 3 years old I had to return to my full-time job of teaching public school. At this time, I was lucky to find a farm preschool near my house to enroll her for part time care. Being that I teach elementary school I knew that I did not want my daughter in an academically based preschool. The Little Farmers program at Suffolk County Farm is the only place I know of on Long Island where the kids are outside almost every day of the year no matter the weather, they are with animals, on acres, taking wagon rides, and exploring a completely nature and play based day. It is utopia in my opinion and if they went beyond the age of 5 years old I most likely would opt to keep her there (and believe me I have asked!).

Since she is outside for up to four hours a day even in the winter months it is so important that she is layered correctly. Here are some of the layers we have used. In addition, to being ready for winter it is also important that we have wet weather gear for the farm for the rest of the year. I love having this gear because it means that weather never holds us back from going out to play. Slides are super fun when wearing rain suits!

The base layers are extremely important. We did find a couple of wool sets because when I researched I found cotton was not good since sweat could leave moisture behind. However, wool is expensive and hard to find and Chloe has reported being warm in moisture wick blends. We have purchased at

https://iksplor.com/pages/kid-baselayers

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/513852?page=kids-base-layers&qs=3148105_GOOGLE&Matchtype=&gclid=CjwKCAjwtp2bBhAGEiwAOZZTuN3VPl3huvMJ760nSz4Csw-s7j2xot49R4eJvhEw8p0C6-wK8oQxQhoCssAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.mountainwarehouse.com/us/kids/base-layers/kids-merino-base-layers/

We have also found layering a good fleece under rain and snow suits is important as well! You can see this one is our favorite.

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/123097?page=llbean-hi-pile-fleece-jacket-infants&bc=516567-503369-518610&feat=518610-GN3&csp=f&pos=3

But now that she has outgrown LL Bean’s toddler sizes we continue to buy their fleece jackets. I love a one piece snowsuit as I know she is fully insulated but when she is going to be in and outdoors at the farm it is usually better to put her in a bib and coat so that when they are inside she can take off the coat and keep the bib on with a light layer. Here are some snowsuits we have had over the years

https://obermeyer.com/collections/kid-girls-snow-pants-and-bibs/products/quinn-one-piece

https://www.columbia.com/p/kids-buga-ii-snowsuit-1864041.html?dwvar_1864041_color=432&dwvar_1864041_size=XL&ef_id=CjwKCAjwtp2bBhAGEiwAOZZTuFKqwYp84hqhMAgSLGKWmRgj-g0ObwuWQRr8SZoc13_Pe3n-w5-BDRoCGqgQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!3937!3!550131928318!!!g!1788716201674!!1569294663!129660912162&mid=paidsearch&eid=Google+PLA+US&gclid=CjwKCAjwtp2bBhAGEiwAOZZTuFKqwYp84hqhMAgSLGKWmRgj-g0ObwuWQRr8SZoc13_Pe3n-w5-BDRoCGqgQAvD_BwE

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/83472?page=kids-cold-buster-snow-bibs&bc=516567-503369-503565&feat=503565-GN3&csp=f&pos=1

I also loved those pants from Patagonia for early or late winter when you don’t need a full suit. I can’t find them on their site but they were a waterproof shell with thick fleece inside. I’m sure similar can be found. LLBean and Lands End are our go tos. We make sure to do a base layer top and pant, a tee shirt over the base, a fleece jacket, if it’s very cold another thicker pair of pants, and a snowsuit on top. However, the most important things for keeping the warmth in are the head and extremeties. Therefore, we make sure Chloe has a very warm hat, waterproof mittens (this year she is moving to gloves), wool socks and good sturdy snow boots. Chloe has always had wide, flat feet so snow boots can be tough to get on. I like these ones from LL Bean as the shorter height is easier to get her foot into but they stay put!

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/125048?page=kids-ultralight-winter-boots&bc=474-651&feat=651-GN1&csp=f&pos=1

We might try these boots next as we love this website for good info on layering (my daughter is not happy with the color selection though LOL)

https://outdoorschoolshop.com/Trek-Fleece-Lined-Winter-Boots-24277/

https://www.muddypuddles.com/gloves/

We also give her Hot Hands to put in her pockets and I know some kids have rechargeable hand warmers. I’m hoping this year she is old enough to keep her mittens on throughout the day because when she was younger she would inevitably take them off and then it was impossible to get warm. This was our greatest challenge.

Around her neck is a balaclava

These pull up to cover most of the face and make a hood that can be worn under the hood of a snowsuit or coat. These are great for icy temps!

When Chloe was infant- toddler aged and still primarily in stroller I absolutely loved these

https://www.7amenfant.com/

I had these very warm, insulated covers for her stroller and carseat and although they are pricey I used them for a few years and they were so worth it. These are so warm you actually worry your child may overheat and you can take off panels to let air in. I also always used bunting suits and the photo above shows her first pair of snow boots when she could actually walk for the first winter season. Long before the farm I was always a mom who wanted to be on the go in any weather. I loved the stroller gloves from 7am enfant too!

For rainsuits we really like

https://oaki.com/collections/one-piece-suits

and of course rain boots are a must! We went with Hunter this year as she really gets in some deep puddles and we wanted to make sure we got quality boots that keep the moisture out.

Reframing!

This is a term that refers to adjusting our mindset to view things that may often be seen as a problem in a more positive light. It does not mean to be disingenuous or fake but rather to train yourself to see things with a more optimistic point of view. I am definitely becoming more mindful of this as a mother so that I can help my daughter to grow into a “glass half full” type of person. In the past, I complained about rainy days and winter coming. I dreaded the long, cold months and while I still much prefer the sun and summer I am embracing the four seasons. The way I see it is if we like all weather our good days will be multiplied by at least double if not triple! So, when it is rainy I tell my daughter we are so lucky we can jump in puddles and cuddle on the couch. When winter comes I tell her I can’t wait to do things by the fire and play in the snow. Being a mom has changed a lot for me and Chloe’s farm school is definitely a source of inspiration as well.