How to Make Sure Your Kids Stay Warm During the School Day
Temperatures in schools can be unreliable—some days the heat is roaring, other days it’s barely on. It can be hard to plan your kids' outfits when this is the case, and even more so if they have outdoor activities like recess and gym class, too.
And not only does being cold impact kids’ comfort, but it can also negatively impact their output at school. An article on Entrepreneur.com stated that “when you're cold, your body expends more energy trying to keep warm. Unfortunately, this can make it difficult to focus and maintain energy and power..” In other words, if your kids are chilly at school, they may have trouble focusing on that math assignment or listening during an important reading lesson.
Now, it’s even more important to make sure your children stay warm at school. So, we have some ways to keep them warm as they’re learning and socializing this school year. Here’s what to know.
Put Them In Layers
On a chilly day, you probably wear multiple layers of clothing—a women’s tank top underneath a turtleneck, which is then underneath a women’s cardigan sweater. For your kids, you can employ this same practice to ensure they’re staying warm at school.
Start their outfit with a cotton undershirt that will serve as a warm base layer. Then, layer one of their favorite kids’ graphic t-shirts on top followed by a fleece, crewneck sweater or cardigan... whatever they will feel most comfortable in! You can really layer whatever works best for your child, whether that’s a t-shirt underneath a turtleneck and flannel or just an outfit with a fleece pullover added as an extra layer of warmth.
Pack A Sweater
A sweater, kids’ hoodie, sweatshirt, or cardigan is an easy way for your littles to warm up during the school day. They can even keep one in their locker to grab on days when they need it (and this way they won’t run the risk of forgetting their sweater at home). Plus, this is helpful on days when the mornings are chilly but the afternoons are warm, or when an unexpected winter breeze rolls in just in time for recess.
Send your kids off with a sweater they won’t miss at home in the weeks to come and have them leave it tucked away in their locker or cubby. Make sure they know they can wear it whenever they need to at school—but just encourage them to bring it home for a wash from time to time, too!
Rely on Flannel
Flannel is a staple in fall and winter wardrobes for good reason, the fabric keeps you warm by keeping your body’s heat in the shirt—not outside of it. To keep your kids warm at school, get them a few flannel shirts to rotate throughout the month. There’s a wide selection of girls’ flannel shirts and boys’ flannel shirts so it shouldn’t be hard to pick out a few options for your family.
Get Them A Good Winter Coat
While they won’t be wearing their winter coat in school, staying toasty on the way to and from and school is just as important as staying warm in class. Plus, it’s awfully hard to warm up after a cold commute to school is hard—and can throw off your kids’ focus during the first part of the day.
There are many kinds of kids’ winter coats you can get for your littles, depending on their preference. There are insulated puffer jackets, down parkas, quarter-zip fleece jackets, wool peacoats and more. When picking a winter jacket, just be sure to get one that matches the weather in your area. If you live in a particularly cold, rainy and snowy area, you’ll want to go with a down parka over a non-waterproof peacoat. If you’re somewhere with milder seasons, a fleece jacket may do the trick.
Purchase Winter Accessories
While your child likely should not be wearing gloves or a hat during the school day, it is perfectly appropriate to wear a wool scarf as part of their outfit or a pair of warm, wool socks. For the colder seasons, make sure you have an assortment of kids’ winter accessories that they can choose from for their day at school.
A plaid winter scarf looks great as a girls’ turtleneck in a solid color like white or navy. And a pair of cozy wool socks are great underneath a pair of boots.
With just a little bit of planning, you can ensure your children are warm throughout the colder months at school. This way, they’ll be able to focus on their schoolwork throughout the year and not worry about being chilly.