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Keep Little Feet Warm with These Socks

3/24/2017

2 Comments

 
I tried everything, but my 2-year-old’s feet were STILL COLD after 3 hours of outdoor school. I tried thick wool socks with loose boots. I tried 2 thick pairs of socks with an even bigger size of boots, but the bend of the Bogs wouldn’t let his thick foot inside. I tried thin, polyester liner socks under thick wool socks. The boots we have are supposed to be “comfort rated to 5 degrees fahrenheit,” but my son’s feet were cold at only 30 degrees fahrenheit and I was getting FRUSTRATED! 
Finally I realized we needed something warmer but still as thin as a liner sock, so I bought a pair of men’s XL Thermawool socks on Amazon (because that size was on sale!). Not only are they keeping his feet warm, but they act as almost a second layer of wool pants, since they’re so big they cover his knees (I roll them down above the knee so they’re not too tight on his thighs). This combo of warmer feet and warmer lower legs seems to be working - HOORAY! Our coldest day has been about 28 degrees (f), and our new combo worked well.

I hope you will have warmth and success with wool liner socks as well!

- Teacher Kendall
2 Comments

Preparing for Preschool: Cold and Wet Weather

3/1/2017

6 Comments

 
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After 2.5 years of getting my son ready for outdoor preschool, we have some pretty refined routines for getting ready. While I am able watch what other parents do with their kids when they arrive at school, we rarely get a chance to discuss what they're doing at home to get ready. I've never even THOUGHT about asking what they do the night BEFORE school, but the other day a parent posted a photo of her 3 kids wearing their base layers to bed. We also wear our base layer shirt to bed (because my son tends to get too hot at night for both top and bottom), so it was fun to see them doing something similar. Then I realized, what if other parents hadn't thought of this time-saving trick yet?

Here are a few tips about how to prepare for outdoor preschool the Night Before School:
  1. Use your child’s base layer shirt for pajamas (unless you plan to eat a messy breakfast before school in the morning). Pants are pretty easy to change in the morning while diapering or going to the bathroom. 
  2. Pack snacks. Try to include foods that help regulate internal body temperature (whole grains, lean meats, bananas, nuts, chocolate, and foods with coconut oil). Also, avoid foods that will make kids’ hands cold (they usually remove a mitten to eat the snack, so if the food is wet or cold they will quickly start to feel cold). 
  3. Prepare backpack with snack, water bottle, and back-up gear. If their mittens or hat get wet, they’ll need an extra pair available in the middle of the school day to avoid getting too cold.
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I also wrote recommendations for what to do in the morning and once you get to school (whether you're walking, biking, or driving to school) on cold and wet days. These are available as a free download through the Kinder.Earth Newsletter.

​Click here if you'd like me to email you this free PDF! It describes what we do the night before school, the morning of school, and when we get to school.

​- Teacher Kendall

Send me the Free Download!
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    Dr. Kendall Becherer

    Kendall is an author, photographer, teacher, and learning scientist who loves helping parents & teachers find new ways of connecting with their children.

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