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Gear Up for Winter Outdoor Learning: Must-Have Gear and Tools for Cold-Weather Exploration

Blog Cover: Child snowshoeing in deep snow.

Winter doesn’t mean outdoor learning has to stop—it’s an opportunity to embrace the season and engage students in exciting, hands-on exploration. However, teaching outside in cold weather comes with unique challenges, and without the right gear, both students and teachers can quickly become uncomfortable. The key to a successful winter outdoor learning experience is preparation. By equipping yourself and your students with the right layers, tools, and safety essentials, you can turn chilly days into memorable, educational adventures. In this guide, we’ll cover the must-have gear for winter outdoor learning and exploration, ensuring your class stays warm, safe, and eager to learn all season long.

Dressing for the Winter Weather

Before we start talking about gear, we need to talk about dressing for the weather. Dressing properly for winter weather is key to being safe and comfortable while you are outside in the winter. As the teacher, you need to remember that you are also modelling proper dressing for your students.

Take some time to educate your students and their families about how to dress for the weather. As I teach a lot of newcomer families, I like to provide specific examples of winter clothing as well as inexpensive places to find good quality winter gear. Also ensure that you are prepared to help out families that forget to send proper clothing or do not have the means to provide the clothing for their children right now.

Knowing your Location

Depending on your location and learning space, there may be some specific winter safety must-haves or even desirable gear that is area-specific. For example, if there is an ice-covered pond in your area, you may need a way to create a boundary to prevent curious kids from venturing out onto the ice. Or if there is a snowy hill in your school yard you may wish to have a set of sleds. Not all of the suggestions here may apply to you and your space. Think about your learning space and what your students will need to be both safe and have fun while outside in the winter.

A group of 9 children laying in the snow. They are dressed in warm winter clothing.

Safety Must-Haves for Winter Outdoor Learning

  • A First Aid Kit- even in the winter you need to have a first aid kit. You may need to remove any liquids from the kit before going outside in the winter as they may freeze and burst the container. If possible, keep the first aid kit in a space where it is warm so that adhesives or liquids in the kit do not freeze.
  • Extra Layers- have a few extra layers and extra mittens/scarves for “just in case.”Students may get wet mittens or a soggy scarf. At our school we also have a clothing closet with various sizes of outdoor clothing for kids that may not come ready to be outdoors.
  • Hand Warmers- when I’m outside all day, these are a necessity. This is especially true if I have to remove my mitts often to do up snowshoes or help little ones put their mitts back on (for the 1000 time.) You can buy reusable ones or disposable ones. I have both!

Equipment for Staying Warm Outside in the Winter

  • Shelter– If your outdoor learning space doesn’t have a sheltered space, you will need to create one. This sheltered space is meant to protect students from the wind or from snow. You can get creative with tarps and rope if you are only using the space temporarily. If you plan on using the space over a longer period of time, you may wish to create a more permanent shelter, such as a lean-to or a covered area.
  • Firepit- A fire is a great way to create physical warmth as well as a gathering spot for your students. A safe firepit with a cover is required if you will be building fires. While building fires ensure that you are modeling safe fire building skills and have fire boundaries/expectations in place.
  • Mats/Stools– A foam mat or portable stool can help create a comfy space for kids to work in the snow. The mat or stool helps get students off the ground so that their body heat is not leaving them for the ice and snow and keeps them comfy for longer.
  • Blankets– A set of blankets can be used in so many ways. Students can use them to build shelters, get themselves off of the snow, or curl up in if they are getting cold. I often find inexpensive blankets at thrift stores or even at the dollar store.
  • Warm drinks- My daughter’s favourite part of forest school is drinking hot chocolate. A thermos of a warm drink and reusable cups can help keep warm both bodies and spirits when kids are outside. If you have a fire you can also cook your own hot chocolate in a large cast iron pot.
A girl roasting a marshmallow over an outdoor campfire in the snow.

Exploring the Snow

  • Magnifying Glasses– Magnifying glasses will allow students to look carefully at the crystal structure of snowflakes. Take these out on a day when fresh snow is falling from the sky and see what your students discover
  • Black Cloth– Black cloth (or black paper will work too, it just gets soggy) is great to create a backdrop for snowflake viewing. Simply place the cloth out and allow the snowflakes to land on it. Students can then use their magnifying glasses to explore the snowflakes.
  • Snowflake Charts or photos– These are a great resource when studying the structure of snowflakes. Students can use the charts to compare or identify the snowflakes they are viewing.
  • Rulers/Metersticks– It can be fun to measure the depth of snow throughout your learning space. Wooden rulers or metersticks (avoid thin plastic ones) are great for sticking in the snow and seeing how much has fallen in different areas.

Active Winter Fun

  • Snowshoes– snowshoes are a great way to get out and explore the snow. Many organizations have class sets of snowshoes to borrow. Additionally, your school may wish to purchase their own set of snowshoes for kids to use.
  • Sleds- Sleds are a great way to get some exercise, have some fun, and explore motion. During the winter inexpensive sleds, such as “crazy carpets” are easy to find and work just as well as more expensive sleds.

Snow Building

  • Small Shovels- Kids love digging in the snow. A set of snow shovels are great for encouraging active play or helping kids get a head start on building their snow fort.
  • Brick Builders– These are a fun way for students to work with snow as a construction material. Snow brick builders allow students to create their own snow bricks which they can use for making forts or other snow creations.
  • Sleds– I have seen students go to the extremes of our learning space to find the perfect snow “brick.” Having sleds available allows students to haul snow bricks or other building materials. They create opportunities for students to work together as well as share materials.
  • Tarps– A few tarps and some rope are great for older students to build their own shelters.

Ice Play/Art Tools

  • Ice moulds– There are so many cool and creative things you can do with ice in the winter. Having a set of ice moulds can help you create all kinds of different science and art experiments
    • Pie Plates- these are great for making frozen bird feeders or “ice art” using found objects
    • ice cube trays- use food colouring to create an outdoor math manipulative or “jewels” for kids to play with
    • Buckets- These are great for creating larger ice bricks. Add for dye to create different coloured bricks for creating sculptures and castles

Practical Tools for Winter Outdoor Learning

  • Sled– Wagons don’t always work in the winter. A sturdy sled will help you to carry gear to your learning space.
  • Clipboards and Pencils- Learning doesn’t stop in the winter. A class set of clipboards will help keep students with completing learning tasks outdoors. During the winter pencils work better than pens as the ink in pens will sometimes freeze.
  • Science Tools– Take science outside. Study the weather using weather instruments or heat using thermometers. Use your imagination and take things outdoors.
  • Animal tracks or bird guide books– Winter is the perfect time to look for animal tracks in the snow. Guidebooks can help you with identifying who has been visiting your space.
A group of 3 children looking at tracks in the snow in the winter.

Now Get Outside and Enjoy Winter Exploring

There is no need to stop going outside, just because there is snow on the ground. Use some of these winter gear ideas to help you get outside for outdoor learning with your students, even during the colder winter months. Set the example for your students that nature can be enjoyed in the winter, not just during the spring and summer.

What is your “Must Have” piece of gear or equipment for outdoor learning? Let us know if the comments below!

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