Community Voices for Health

By: Kris Berry

It’s late December in New England and that can only mean one thing – it’s getting cold around here!  We’ve been lucky so far to have a mild fall and early winter (although I’m sure skiers would beg to differ with me), but we all know it is coming.  While I’d love to beg and plead with the snow Gods to hold off this year, I know that’s not going to happen.  So, rather than ignore and hibernate through another New England winter, I’m going to have to just accept it and go with it.

Here are a couple of my favorite cold weather gear items and tips I wanted to share with you.  Please note I’m not being endorsed or compensated from any of these companies, they are just items that we love and use frequently.  Hopefully you will try them and love them too!

Snowstoppers Mittens – Seriously, where have these mittens been all my life?  I found them last year while searching online after being completely exhausted by replacing mittens over and over again on my three kids.  These things are amazing.  They are waterproof, warm, and they really do stay on.  They need to be put on prior to putting on coats, which can make getting the coat on a bit tricky, but it’s so worth it.  My kids’ hands stay warm, and no snow gets stuck in that uncomfortable area in between gloves and coats, which means we can play outside for a longer period of time.  I recommend buying the size up because they seem to run a bit small and this way you can get another season or two out of them.  These gloves are made right here in Massachusetts so you can feel good about supporting a local business.

Long Underwear – Do you know that they make wicking long underwear for kids?  It’s important if you have really active kids (as I do) to have their first layer of clothing something other than cotton.  If they are running around outside wearing all their winter clothes, they are likely to sweat.  If they do and they are wearing cotton, they will get very cold very quickly because there will be nothing to pull that moisture away from their bodies.  Sure, this might be more appropriate for children who participate in cold weather sports than just kids who are building snow forts in their yard, but I’m all for keeping my kids comfortable.  This year I’m going to use Wickers, I’ll let you know how we like them.  There are several other options out there in all different price ranges and sizes.

Bring the Outside In – On the days when it’s just too bitterly cold to play outside, but the children are getting a bit stir crazy (or want to go out anyway) just bring the snow to them!  Grab a few buckets full of snow and dump them into the bathtub.  Kids can be in the warm comfort of their home, but can still throw on their mittens and build a snowman right in their own bathroom!  This can also lead to an interesting science experiment about melting.  My kids are always interested in seeing how much water is produced from all that snow.

Anyone else out there have tips to help stay warm?  I’d love to hear them!