Ways To Keep Kids Safe Outdoors in the Snow

Outdoor safety is always important for children to learn, but the unpredictability of snowy winter weather can add an extra layer of danger to any outdoor activity. It’s healthy for your kids to spend plenty of time outdoors in the fresh air with you or their siblings, but it can be challenging finding a happy medium between allowing them to have fun and smothering them with rules and guidelines. For a fun snowy season this year, keep these ways to keep kids safe outdoors in the snow in mind as they play.

Teach Kids Snow Pile Safety

Snow piles and tunnels are all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Make sure that your children stay away from the large piles of snow caused by passing snowplows. The temptation to make snow tunnels in the large mounds is strong, but the danger is stronger. Plows can easily cover children in more snow than the tunnels can handle, especially since the children won’t be visible to any passing vehicle. Another snow danger children should avoid is burying each other in the snow—especially burying each other’s faces. Whether it’s a joke or a game, the danger is very real and shouldn’t be messed with.

Dress Children Up Warmly

As soon as the snow builds upon the ground, children will want to go outside and explore. Always make sure to dress them up for the occasion, even when it takes extra time. They don’t need to be so bundled up that they waddle like a penguin, but you should layer their clothing in a way that keeps them dry and warm so they can make the most of their time outside. Remind them that if any layer of clothing gets wet and stays wet, they need to come back inside to change out of it or remove the layer. Wet clothes are dangerous in freezing weather and can cause hypothermia.

When buying their winter clothes, always ensure that your kids love them before you purchase them. Children who associate winter clothes with annoying, itchy, puffy coats may fuss if you tell them to bundle up!

Make Sure They Take Breaks To Warm Up

Once you’ve been outside for so long, you may ignore the signs of frostbite or hypothermia. A child may want to stay outside to sled and play all day long, but it’s important that they come inside regularly to warm up. Entice them with hot cocoa as they rest before jumping back into the wintery playground outdoors while you watch contently from inside. Children may not fully understand the dangers of cold weather, but you can find the best ways to keep kids safe outdoors in the snow that make you seem like a superstar mom and not an overprotective warden.

Sincerely,