Last updated on September 26th, 2022 at 05:36 pm
Snowshoeing is quickly becoming a go-to family sport for fresh air and sight seeing. And, while it’s a fantastic aerobic activity for adults, snow shoes are just as fun for youngsters. Here is everything you need to know if you’re thinking about snowshoeing with kids.
How to Teach Kids Winter Safety
What better time to teach and practice basic safety lessons than in the winter when it really counts?
In fact, some lessons go hand in hand with winter. Such as, learning to navigate trails, to stay hydrated, and how to pack the right essentials, including sun protection.
Furthermore, one of the best lessons, is to follow the trail or your own footprints in the snow back to the beginning. This is an easy lesson to avoid getting lost.
Additionally, this is a great opportunity to teach the importance of dressing and preparing their pack for a safe trip. We go over these in further details below.
Above all, we like to teach kids how to properly use a compass, read trail markers, and stick to the marked trail. Also, breaking branches helps mark your path when lost.
Children love responsibility. And, it is never too early to teach important lessons that establish respect for the great outdoors, self-confidence, and independence.
How to Dress Kids for Snowshoeing
As a rule, kids should be dressed in warm, dry layers. Enough layers that some can be shed if they get overheated.
Additionally, cotton should not be worn as a part of their winter wardrobe, only moisture wicking materials like athletic wear, fleece, and merino wool.
Especially if they’re expected to trek in the snow for longer lengths of time. Moreover, children have smaller bodies that get cold quicker. And, they are less likely to come inside from playing when they’re cold and wet.
Starting from the ground up for snowshoeing, children need:
- waterproof and insulated boots with some toe flex like a hiking boot
- wool socks will keep their feet dry and warm
- if snow is deep, a set of snow gaiters
- waterproof pants or snow pants over thermal leggings (or fleece-lined athletic leggings)
- a warm, long sleeve base layer with a thin, fleece jacket or vest
- waterproof gloves or mittens and a hat or ear muffs are a must
- sunglasses that block 100% UVA/B, preferably ones that protect your periphery
- trekking poles with snow baskets (ideal, but not necessary for kids)
For a comprehensive guide for newbies, check out our post Snowshoeing’s Ultimate Beginners Guide.
RELATED: Best Kids Backpacks for Hiking
While coats are optional for adults if it is sunny, we recommend adding a coat to your child’s layers.
A winter coat adds an extra break from the wind and can be removed as the activity picks up.
And, because you’ll need your arms free to use trekking poles, bring an empty pack to stow their discarded layers.
Where to go Snowshoeing with Kids
Next, where to go depends on whether you’re tethered to a park where you’ve rented your snowshoe.
For instance, if you are able to buy your own, local golf courses or bridal trails are ideal for snowshoeing with kids. However, we would suggest sticking to a short trail with access to a bathroom or near the car to warm up every 30 minutes or so. In fact, trails near nature centers are our favorite for this reason.
How to Make Snowshoeing Fun for Kids
While winter trails may seem less exciting than summer or spring, we look at it as a new opportunity to explore the world. And, snowshoeing with kids, there’s never a dull moment. For example, hiding animals, strange sounds, and animal tracks are all your mystery to solve in the winter.
As such, we recommend bringing binoculars to enjoy spotting wildlife with little travelers. This can also aid in a fun game of I Spy. To help, we have found the best binoculars for the family in our Best Lightweight Hiking Binoculars post.
Stop and Listen is a good game that’s particularly fun to do in the deafening silence of winter. Count and speak aloud the things that you can hear.
If snow permits, building a snowman is always a fun option. Or a good old snow ball fight. However, keep in mind that you can’t run or step backward in snow shoes, turning is done by wide arching steps. Which can be hilarious.
Additionally, we like to play Follow the Leader, stepping only into the foot prints of the person in front.
Finally, Red Light, Green Light and Simon Says are very fun and funny while snowshoeing with kids.
Where to Find Snowshoes
Snowshoeing is a great winter activity for families. However, the question on most parents’ minds is whether to purchase or rent snowshoes for their little ones.
Should I Purchase or Rent Snowshoes?
Firstly, we like to purchase our own gear to check that it meets our safety standards and to ensure availability before leaving the house.
Especially since snowshoes are based on weight and less on the size of their feet. You are more likely to get what you need if you purchase for everyone in the family. For instance, toddlers can get a few years of use out of these adorable stomper-style snowshoes, while children under 50 lbs generally fit into a 16 inch shoe.
Furthermore, kids between 50 and 90 lbs should try a 17-19 inch snowshoe, and children over 90 lbs should fit into a women’s snowshoe.
Additionally, if you own your snowshoes, you can hike wherever you like. Whereas with rentals, you are forced (in most cases) to hike the resort, park or golf course from which you rent.
RELATED: Best Snowshoes for Kids
However, with how quickly children grow, it’s understandable to rent things like snowshoes and poles.
In fact, many municipal parks or local golf courses offer snowshoe rentals for use on their grounds on a per hour basis. For example, our local park system rents snowshoes at $10 for the first hour and $3 for each additional hour over the weekend (source).
Moreover, anywhere that rents cross country skis is likely to also offer snowshoe rentals. But, before bundling up and heading there, we suggest calling first to ensure they have the right sizes for the whole family and that they rent poles.
How Long Can Children Stay Out in the Cold?
Usually it’s pretty easy for a parent or caregiver to tell when it’s time to come in from playing in the snow. However, since you’ll be renting or purchasing gear for this trip, it bears mentioning.
We recommend keeping kids under ten out only on short sessions of about 20-30 minutes when the temperature drops below freezing (32°F). This can be a couple different ‘out and back’ trails to start, which can help with attention span, bathroom trips, and snack breaks, as well as warming up.
Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends using your best judgement, but when the thermometer reads 0°F, 15 mph winds create a wind chill temperature of -19°F.
In these conditions hypothermia and frostbite can begin to set in after around 30 minutes of exposure (source).
Moreover, HealthyChilden.org advises that playing in the snow in temperatures and/or wind chill that reach -15°F should be avoided (source).
What to Bring Snowshoeing with Kids
When heading out onto a winter expedition with children, we like to bring just the basics to keep room for the kids clothes in our pack. Most of your necessities will help fight the sun’s UV rays that sneak through even overcast days and reflect off the snow. Plus, winter is the worst season for chilly wind whipping your faces.
You’ll need to pack:
- chapstick
- sunscreen
- plenty of water
- snacks for the multiple breaks (kids can carry their own water and snacks in a small pack)
- compass, gps watch, or smartphone
- emergency whistle
- binoculars
RELATED: Best Hiking Boots for Kids
For snacks, we like to bring:
- cheese and crackers
- granola
- peanut butter and apple slices
- a thermos of warm soup on really cold days
While you don’t have to go all out, unless you’re in avalanche country, we usually also pack an emergency whistle.
Additionally, keep your phone in a plastic bag in an inside pocket close to your body heat, as cold temperatures will drain your battery throughout the day.
Make a Plan and Gear Up
The best, most exciting wilderness hikes are just at your fingertips in winter when the snow is over 3 inches deep. If you’ve got an adventurous family, snowshoeing is a great way to get out and explore. And, as an added bonus, snowshoeing with kids keeps children that like to run ahead, walking safely near the group.
Whether you choose to rent or buy equipment for the kiddos, a snowshoe expedition is an affordable opportunity to make the most of nature when everyone else is indoors. And, maybe now more than ever, we all desperately need some fresh air, a break from our stuffy indoor environments. So, gather up the family’s outerwear and fleece and do a bit of research into your local parks, resorts, and even golf courses to plan your route. And, have fun!
Image Credit: USFWS Midwest Region | (source) | Public Domain Mark 1.0 — reduced file size and image