One of my biggest pet peeves once fall and winter come around is when parents don’t send warm enough clothing for children at school. I understand that it can be a little confusing what to send because you don’t want to send too much but you also don’t want them to be cold. (Make sure you also check out my post about winter tips from a Minnesota mama. I talk about some great mittens and boots to keep your little one warm!)

Weather Guidelines

Here are the guidelines my school goes by:

• 60 degrees and warmer: Short sleeves are okay
• 50-60 degrees: Child must wear long sleeves
• 40-50 degrees: Child must wear a jacket
• 30-40 degrees: Child must wear a winter jacket, hat and mittens
• Below 30 and if snowy: Full set of snow gear (winter jacket, snowpants, hat, mittens, and boots)

Every child is different. If your child tends to be cold or is very skinny, they may need a thicker jacket at 45 degrees than other children need. Make sure you use these guidelines as a minimum, adding layers if your child needs them.

Temperature Guidelines for Outdoor Play

Another important thing to know about your child’s school is what their temperature guideline is for going outside. I work at a school in Minnesota, so we are used to cold and snow. We go outside unless the wind chill (feels like temperature) is -10 degrees. Toddlers are a little different and they go out unless the wind chill is 10 degrees. It is important to know the temperature guideline because we have had parents assume we aren’t going out because it is “too cold.” Well, our school places a high priority on outdoor play, so we go outside and unfortunately have cold children who aren’t dressed warm enough because their parents thought we would stay in. (If you want a tip on some good mittens and boots along with other tips, check out my winter tips from a Minnesota mama.)

Do you have guidelines like this at your child’s school? Or are they a bit different?