Three layer principle

As the winter draws nearer and the temperatures drop, it is important to dress children using the three layer principle.

Layer 1 should be a layer of long sleeved and long legged underwear in a fast drying material, like synthetic material or wool - never cotton. The garments should transport moisture away from the child’s body and on to the next layer. Cotton does not have this ability so when the body gets warm and releases moisture, the garment will get moist, and your child will get cold!

Layer 2 should be a heat insulating, moisture transporting and fast drying garment. It can be a fleece, micro fleece, wool or similar material. This layer should be adjusted according to the outside temperature and wind.

Layer 3 is the outer layer that protects against wind, rain and snow, so it needs to be water repellent and wind proof. This layer also needs to breathe to release the moisture that has been transported by layers 1 and 2.

Hats, mittens and shoes are of course important complements to the three layer principle and helps to keep the body heat. When it comes to mittens, a layer approach is recommended here as well (an inner mitten that provides the warmth and an outer mitten that is waterproof to keep the snow and water at bay). Alternatively, a lined mitten is good during cold weather. It is also important to make sure the socks are dry. Wooly socks are the best but regular cotton socks work too as children rarely get sweaty feet. Tip of the day! If a shoe or boot gets wet, pour in some dried peas into the shoe overnight, the peas will absorb the moisture and the result is dry shoes in the morning.

The idea of the three layer principle is to create an insulated and ventilating layer of air between the layers. The principle also gives great flexibility. You can simply adjust the three layers depending on activity, temperature and wind conditions.