Now that your little one is on the move, keeping them warm during the chilly months isn’t easy. They are curious and learning independence, so keeping their mittens on isn’t a priority. There are some toddler essentials for winter that will not only make your life easier but help you both to enjoy the cold weather!
My daughter loves to play outside, rain or shine! Part of me is super grateful for her desire to enjoy the great outdoors and then the other part feels restricted by the cold. It can be a struggle to keep her warm.
I decided to invest in some toddler essentials for winter, so she could continue exploring and stay toasty. In this list, you will mostly find things to keep your kiddo warm, but I have included a few fun activities too.
The BEST Toddler Essentials for Winter
Before we get into this list, you will need to take into consideration where you live. For many of us, we experience snow and below-freezing temperatures for months! Because of this, I like to invest in high-quality gender-neutral pieces that can be passed down.
No matter where you live, you will most likely need these things at some point during the colder season. You may just want to buy something more affordable since it won’t be used as much. Alrighty, let’s get into my 17 toddler essentials for winter!
1. Fleece Sleepsack
Keeping my daughter warm at night has been our biggest struggle. That’s why we invested in a fleece sleep sack from Halo! This way we don’t have to worry about the blanket not covering her at night. It’s helped our whole family sleep a little better!
My FAVORITE Sleepsack: Halo Toddler Fleece Sleepsack
Cheaper Alternative: Luyusbaby Sleeping Bag for Toddlers
2. Warm Blanket
Some toddlers do quite well keeping a blanket on throughout the night. I do like to have a couple of warm blankets on hand. When we go on walks in the stroller, I like to bundle her up with a blanket. I also use it for carrying her out to the car, since toddlers aren’t supposed to wear jackets in their car seats.
3. Humidifier
Since the heat is on more, it can get really dry in the house. When my daughter was a baby, we ran the humidifier since she was constantly stuffy. This has helped her to sleep better and get a full night’s rest.
4. Clothes for Layering
When you are purchasing clothes for your toddler, you want to think about layering. This is really going to depend on your climate, how many layers you should buy.
I like to keep the base layers pretty snug and true to size. I often buy a little larger sweaters and jackets, so I have room to layer when needed!
Here are some of the staple pieces I have on hand:
5. Rain Pants
If you live in an area where it’s fairly mild throughout the winter, you may want to invest in rain pants. Typically this climate will see pretty muddy and rainy conditions. Having rain pants will allow your toddler to explore and enjoy this messy season, without ruining their clothes!
6. Grippy Socks
My daughter loves her grippy socks! She always prefers them over the regular ones. They help them have a bit more traction and get on the move a little faster.
For my next daughter, I plan on having both nice socks and then everyday grippy socks!
Note: If you live in a very cold climate, you may want to invest in a couple of pairs of wool or cotton anti-slip socks for playing outside!
7. Snowsuit/Snow Pants
If you typically get snow, you need to invest in good snow pants. If you plan to have more kids in the future, buy something gender neutral and high quality! You will be so grateful that you did.
I have always loved L.L. Bean’s outerwear. As a kid, I had these snow pants and they always held up so beautifully!
8. Jacket
We actually have a couple of jackets because where we live can range from the 50s to the low 30s. It’s important to take into consideration your temperature range.
My daughter has a thicker waterproof jacket for playing out in the snow and then a lighter more “fashionable” jacket for when it’s a tad warmer. Again, I’m keeping the waterproof jacket gender-neutral so that our future kiddos can use them!
9. Mittens
Surprisingly, my daughter loves to wear mittens. But, keeping them on for the duration of our time outside can be a challenge. I have two different pairs, one thinner cotton set and another that is waterproof.
I also invested in this adjustable mitten clip, so we don’t lose them WHEN she tries to take them off.
10. Neck Warmer
My mother swore by these when we were kids! When I first started putting together this list of toddler essentials for winter, I knew this was a must. I remember these neck warmers keeping us so warm and toasty as we played in the snow for hours!
11. Hats
You will want to have a few different kinds of hats on hand. We have three that all serve a different purpose depending on what the temperature is and what we are doing outside!
– Hat Scarf Combo for those really cold and snowy days.
– Ear Flap Hat for windy and cold days
– Knit Beanie for warmer weather and trips in the car.
12. Rain Boots
Now let’s talk about shoes. The first thing your toddler will need is rain boots. These are especially great for climates that aren’t too cold, but get wet and muddy.
You can get boot liners to make them a little warmer too!
I love that rain boots are easy to wash. They have helped me to let my toddler play and explore without worrying about getting dirty.
13. Winter Boot
If you get a good amount of snow, you will want to invest in high-quality snow boots. We really like when they have a drawstring at the top. This helps to keep the snow and moisture out, so their feet stay nice and warm!
14. Slippers
Before you skip past this one, I thought slippers for a toddler were silly too! But, this is one of my daughter’s favorite things to wear in the house. I love that they keep her feet toasty too.
15. Pull Sled
Every toddler needs a pull sled! Whether this is just to walk around in your front yard or to ride down a sleigh ridding hill, they will love it.
This will allow them to feel like they are exploring a bit of independence, while you guide them safely.
[Need some activity ideas for outside in the winter? Here are 11 of our favorite things to do!]
16. Lotion
This past winter, my daughter’s skin became really dry because of the heat in our home. I made sure to put Tubby Todd’s lotion on every night, which really helped to hydrate her skin.
This might be more of a tip than anything, but keep up with the lotion so they don’t experience dry itchy skin.
17. Medicine Box
No one wants to think about their little one getting sick, but it’s important to have some things on hand. Wintertime is prime time for colds, so keep some medicine on hand, just in case.
18. Warm Lovies
Last but not least, my daughter loves her warm stuffed animal lovey. You simply put it in the microwave and heat it up. She usually sleeps with her baby and on extra cold nights a warmed-up lovey too!
My Thoughts…
Enjoying this chilly season may not be easy, but with these toddler essentials for winter, you can spend less time worrying about them. I hope that this list of must-haves encourages you to embrace the cold and continue to learn and explore nature!
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