Children sitting on a muddy ground wearing boots, with muddy boots and wet rain gear visible.

There’s no such thing as Bad Weather

A simple layering guide to keep your child comfortable outdoors for the entire school day (or for any cold-weather activity). No confusion! Just a simple 1-2-3 formula that weather proofs your child

Why layering?

Base Layer

Mid
Layer

Outer Layer

The goal of layering is to retain heat, wick away any moisture and keep the rain, wind, and snow out.

Clothing Recommendations

Layers Explained
What to use

  • A thinner wool top or high-tech poly top and bottom. Feet and hands need a base layer too!

  • We recommend extra socks in the backpack too for puddle and creek fun.

  • A thin Merino wool or poly hat or beanie is perfect as the first layer on the head and can easily be layered over with the outer layer for rain.

Base Layer

  • The mid layer acts as extra insulation between the base and the outer layer. Adjust here depending on weather and your child’s comfort level.

  • Think fleece zip up jacket, a sweater or light weight puffer jacket here.

  • In terms of the mid layer bottoms, ideal choices include looser knit Merino wool leggings in a long john or tube style or mid weight fleece pants.

Mid Layer

  • This is the layer that keeps the weather out and the warmth in!

  • Think an insulated, breathable water-rated raincoat. Same for rain pants or overalls.

  • And unless it’s snowing, snow gear should be avoided since it soaks up water leading to added bulk and weight.

Outer Layer

Tips for staying dry, happy and mostly clean outdoors

💧 Layers should be the same size.

No need to size up on outer layers unless it is a slim or performance cut, and your child needs a little more roominess to be comfortable..

💧 Cotton is never recommended as it traps the moisture next to the child's skin making them cold.

💧 Go ahead and mix your layers!

A mix of recommended base layers work great! Don't worry if you are mixing wool and fleece or high-tech poly – they are all recommended and can all be worn together and accomplish the goal of keeping your child warm!

💧 Teach your child to regulate comfort by removing layers as activity level or body temperature changes