Nature In Your Nurture

There’s a saying that “there’s no inappropriate weather—only inappropriate clothing,” and I try to live by that. It means that we try to go play outside in the any weather our clothing can allow, and we plan ahead to have clothing ready to suit 99% of weather. We try to keep out the wet and the cold (and the wind) as much as we can, even if we’re only outside for ten minutes.

In Minnesota, I’m happy to settle for “warm or dry”— wet is fine if it’s not cold, cold is fine if it’s not wet. As temperatures fall that usually means rain boots and warm jackets for morning play in wet grass on chill mornings and a change of dry pants at the ready when we come in.

Once there’s snow on the ground, it means having quality waterproof snowpants/snowsuit and insulated waterproof boots, waterproof mittens, a warm & waterproof jacket, and a warm hat that covers their ears (preferably without pompoms because it really helps if you can double their hood over their hat on cold days). I usually like to bring a jacket, hat, or mittens along in the stroller on a nice day if I think we might get some rain showers or that the wind might pick up.

And before we think we’re all ready for outdoor nature play, it’s equally important to dress warm and dry ourselves. I always, always recommend adults having a pair of snowpants in the winter. Even if you’re not planning on actively sitting or playing in the snow with your kids, you staying warmer longer means they can keep playing longer.

Rain Wear

Recommendations for Adults

Boots: Good shin-high waterproof boots are important if you want to go anywhere. They’ll also keep most of the ticks off of you if you’re wading in tall grasses (one tick on me against dozens on my friends). I wear men’s Servus rainboots that suit my very-wide feet quite well.

Rain Poncho: A quality rain poncho can be an easy add to keep you dry while allowing you to throw a sweatshirt on underneath as needed. I’ve invested in a new SaphiRose brand rain poncho this winter and I’m excited to put it to the test in the rainforest of Costa Rica in a few weeks.

Rainsuit/Rain pants: A good poncho will keep you dry in most situations on the move, but if you have any desire to stop and sit (or kneel, or crawl) in the wet, you’re going to want rain pants. I’m very happy with the fit and feel of my AXESQUIN rain pants. Frogg Toggs brand rainsuit have affordable and lightweight men’s sets starting at $20. By all accounts they sound like they hold up well to water and poorly to catching on branches. I found the Medium top much too large and the pants so tight they split at the first bend, so they never made it outside.

Recommendations for Children

Rainboots: Rainboots are great for many kinds of weather. They’re great for playing out in wet grass on a chilly morning and they’ll keep feet dry and comfortable in the rain. As a bonus, they’re usually pretty easy for toddlers to put on themselves. In Minnesota, a majority of children’s rainboots are the Cat & Jack brand from Target, and those seem to do fine.

Rain jacket: Be mindful to find a highly waterproof rain jacket instead of a water-resistant wind suit. A cool morning gets way colder once you’re soaked through. A sturdy reusable poncho also pairs easily with whatever warmth of clothing a child needs day to day.

Rain pants/Rain suit: If you’re sticking close to home, you may choose to just go inside and change into dry pants after a short period of rain play, but if you want to play in colder rain, sit on or wade through cold wet grass, or go on a longer rain walk, I highly recommend investing in a children’s rain suit.

* Note: For many families interested in all-weather play, older children are often equipped with suitable rain gear while infants and toddlers often do not yet have appropriate gear prepared, and it may take a month before requested items are ordered. I have found it worthwhile as a nanny to invest in an inexpensive early-stage poncho and rainboots that allow for a larger range of outdoor play, especially when working with mixed-age families.

Snow Wear

Recommendations for Adults

Coats: After years of busting through the shoulder seams of cute jackets, I’d given up and started wearing a cloak over sweatshirts. This winter I finally bought an OTU-brand ski jacket this year in a size large enough to fit my shoulders (so it only slightly restricts my arm movement and the sleeves and bottom hem are only a little too short for me while my torso swims in open space (but very well insulated open space). None of that is really surprising, since my shoulders are wide and my arms are extra-long.

Snowpants: Ideally you want to keep playing outside until they’re too cold– which means keeping you warm enough to stay active with them until then. Snowpants are absolutely worth it, just for that. They also allow you to sit in the snow with young children, build snow forts, and otherwise stay active in the thick of winter. Whether you choose standard snowpants or bibbed snowpants, be sure to choose a pair that is both insulated and waterproof so sitting on that snow fort won’t soak you through to the skin. I’ve been wearing a pair of bibbed snowpants for several years and have had snowmelt leach through many times, so I’m trying out a pair of Arctix brand snowpants this winter.

Boots: I’ve gotten by with my Servus rainboots and insulated socks for several years, but when it gets below 10°^F (-12°^C) my toes start to get cold. Go figure, they’re also prone to cracking sooner when worn extensively in the snow, so each pair only lasts me through about one year. I owned a pair of Bogs boots some years back and they did crack after two years or so, but they do insulate better than the rainboots. This winter I’m trying out a pair of ArcticShield brand boots, which keep my feet pretty warm but have a thick center seam that can chafe.

Mittens: This can be trickier when working with children–you’ll want warm insulated waterproof mittens that can fit easily over the ends of your coat because you’ll often be taking them off every few minutes to fix hats, adjust zippers, or put kids’ mittens back on. Any gloves thin enough to do this work in won’t keep your hands very warm or dry–and if you plan to do any amount of sitting on the snow (including sledding) you’ll be sticking your hands in the snow to balance and push yourself up again. I invested in SummitLoft brand mittens this winter and a M/L pair look absolutely enormous, but they do fit my giant hands comfortably and have kept me happily warm and dry so far.

Recommendations for Children

Mittens: This is where I get really particular. Gloves are never made well for children under 3. Even toddlers who don’t hate wearing them often struggle to keep them on if there isn’t an elastic band or velcro strap to keep them at the wrist. They should be adequately water resistant because most toddlers are going to want to eat handful after handful of snow, and all the padding and thermal tech in the world won’t keep their hands warm once they’re soaked through with snowmelt. I also recommend having two pairs at the ready in case one pair is still air drying (especially since tumble drying snow gear can quickly strip the waterproofing). Head brand mittens have some elastic at the wrist and generally do okay. Highcamp brand mittens have elastic and velcro straps at the wrists with a high rating for waterproofness.

Boots: No brand recommendations. Please invest in snowboots that are both insulated and waterproof and come up high enough to reliably keep the snow out. In Minnesota, many kids’ snow boots are from Target’s Cat & Jack brand and those have done alright so far.

Hats: I don’t have any brand recommendations for hats, but I would strongly recommend finding a hat that covers your child’s ears comfortably (not popping off it they move their heads around) and that doesn’t have a pom on top (because you’ll want to tuck the hat inside their hood to keep the winter wind off).

Snowsuits/Snowpants: A snow suit can be easy to put on and keeps snow out very effectively, but a ski jacket/snowpants combo will have a lot more give as they grow. Anything should be fine as long as it’s well-insulated and water-resistant (giving snow gear time to air dry instead of machine-drying will preserve the weatherproofing).