Dressed right, a child copes well with a Stockholm winter: three layers, where the innermost is wool or a technical fabric, the middle fleece or wool, and the outer one wind- and waterproof. A baby can nap outdoors in the pram down to about minus ten degrees if there is no wind. Feel the back of the neck, not the hands, to tell whether your child is cold. White patches on the cheeks or nose mean you go inside straight away.
Half past seven on a Tuesday in January, minus eight degrees and a preschool drop-off. The three-year-old refuses the mittens, the baby in the pram has fallen asleep and you have no idea whether she is too warm or too cold. Dressing children for the cold is a craft every Stockholm parent is forced to learn, and it usually takes one winter. Here is what we have learnt from collecting, dropping off and playing outdoors with children every winter.
Layer on layer, and what each layer does
| Layer | Material | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Innermost | Wool or a technical fabric, never cotton for play | Wicks moisture away from the skin. Cotton soaks up sweat and turns cold. |
| Middle | Fleece, wool terry or knitted wool | Holds the warmth. Can come off indoors. |
| Outer | Wind- and waterproof overall, or jacket and trousers | Stops the wind and the wet. It is the wind that chills, not the minus degrees. |
| Head | A hat that covers the ears, a balaclava when it is windy | Children lose a lot of heat through the head. |
| Hands | Mittens rather than gloves for small children, ideally two pairs | Thumbs and fingers get cold first. |
| Feet | Wool socks and winter boots with room for the toes | Boots that are too tight make feet cold, however warm the boots are. |
The baby in the pram
A baby napping outdoors in winter should be in a footmuff with a hat, mittens and ideally a wool blanket inside, but not in an overall so thick the baby cannot move. The pram should stand sheltered, not in the wind, and you check on the baby at regular intervals. Feel the back of the neck: warm and dry is good, cold means more clothes, sweaty means fewer. BVC (the child health clinic every family is enrolled in) usually puts the limit at around minus ten degrees, and higher than that if it is windy, since wind chill then makes it considerably colder than the thermometer shows. If in doubt: nap indoors. It is not a competition.
How do you know if your child is cold?
- Feel the back of the neck or the tummy. Hands and feet are often cold outdoors without the child being cold.
- Your child goes quiet and still, or whiny for no clear reason. A child who is cold stops playing.
- Pale or white patches on the cheeks, nose, ears or fingers: that is the start of frostbite. Inside straight away, warm slowly with body heat, do not rub.
- Shivering is a clear sign in bigger children. Small babies do not shiver as obviously, so do not rely on it.
- Wet mittens or socks make a child cold within minutes. Always have a spare pair in the bag.
How cold is too cold?
It depends more on wind and damp than on the thermometer. Minus five with a strong wind is nastier than minus twelve on a still day. A rough guide: down to about minus ten it is fine to be out playing in the right clothes, between there and minus fifteen you shorten the time and go in to warm hands, and colder than that means short spells outdoors or staying in. Preschools set their own limits, and many go out even when it is cold but in shorter sessions. Check with your preschool what applies there.
The most common mistake: too warm
A child running around in the snow in an overall with fleece and a wool jumper underneath gets sweaty, and then gets cold once they stand still. Better one layer fewer and a spare jumper in the bag. Indoors at preschool, on the bus and in the shop, hat and overall come off, otherwise your child sweats and then goes out damp. The same applies to the baby in the pram: in the shop or on the bus you open the footmuff and take off the hat.
Clothes that make a difference in Stockholm
- Two sets of wool or technical base layers so that one is always dry. Cotton pyjamas under the overall is the classic November mistake.
- A winter overall with room for one layer underneath, not too big and not too small. Many preschools want one-piece overalls for the little ones, two-piece for the bigger ones.
- Lined winter boots one size bigger than the summer shoes, so the wool sock fits.
- Mittens in a waterproof material with a thinner pair underneath. Gloves for children under four are rarely worth the bother.
- A balaclava or neck warmer instead of a scarf, which comes off and can get caught.
- Reflectors on the overall, pram and bag. It is dark when you collect at four from November to February.
Frostbite and when to seek care
| Seek care | Manage at home |
|---|---|
| White, hard or numb skin that does not regain its colour after half an hour indoors | Red, cold cheeks that warm up indoors |
| Blisters on the skin after cold | Cold hands that warm up within a few minutes |
| Your child is listless, confused or unusually tired after being in the cold | Your child whines and tires but perks up indoors |
| A baby who has been cold for a long time and does not warm up | Slightly pale fingers that regain their colour indoors |
How we do it with our families
The nanny collects from preschool at four in January, it is dark and minus six. She has a spare pair of dry mittens for the five-year-old in her pocket, because she knows the first pair is soaked after a day in the snow. She feels the back of the two-year-old's neck in the pram before they set off, and takes the hat off on the bus. At home she hangs overalls and mittens on the radiator or in the drying cabinet so everything is dry for tomorrow, and on the note she writes if mittens or socks are missing. It is the same nanny every week, so she knows which day is PE and the child needs extra trousers.
This text is general information and does not replace advice from BVC (the child health clinic), your vårdcentral (local health centre) or 1177 (the national healthcare helpline). If you are worried about your child, call 1177. In an emergency, call 112.
Would you like a nanny who knows your child, knows how they usually are and notices when something is different? Book a free first meeting with the nanny in your home.
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Frequently asked questions
How cold can it be when the baby naps outdoors in the pram?
The usual recommendation from BVC (the child health clinic) is down to about minus ten degrees, provided there is no wind, the baby is in a footmuff with a hat and you check on them regularly. If you are unsure, ask at your BVC, they know how it is usually done where you live.
How do we tell if our child is cold?
Feel the back of the neck, not the hands. Cold hands and feet are normal outdoors, but a cold neck means your child is cold. White patches on the cheeks, nose or ears are a sign of frostbite and your child should go inside straight away. A child who stops playing and goes quiet outdoors is often cold.
What should the baby wear under the overall?
Layers: a bodysuit in wool or cotton next to the skin, a soft wool set or fleece on top, and then the overall or footmuff. A hat that covers the ears, and mittens. As many layers as you have on yourself, plus one, is a good rule of thumb for a baby lying still in the pram.
Does preschool go outside when it is really cold?
Yes, almost always, and children thrive on it if they are dressed right. Many preschools shorten outdoor time when it is cold and windy. Ask your preschool where their limit is, it varies between preschools, and always pack dry spare mittens in the bag in winter.
Do you need special clothes, or is a warm jacket enough?
For a child who plays outdoors for several hours a day in Stockholm from November to March, a proper base layer and a windproof outer layer matter more than a thick jacket. The jacket gets warm when the child moves, but it is the damp base layer that makes the child cold.