One of the most common things that keeps parents from getting their kids outside in the winter is the fact that they don’t want to spend money on gear that their kids will grow out of and need to replace the very next season.
There are ways to be economical about it all.
1.) Buy used. Trade in your items that don’t fit anymore for used ones that do. Check PlayIt Again Sports or Kid to Kid. I’m sure with a little research you’ll be able to find a store near you that provides this type of service. I’ve also had great luck with yard sales in high end resort areas.
2.) Hang onto gear from older siblings until the younger ones can use it. That means try buying non-gender specific items if you have both girls and boys in the family. (No not everything has to be yellow) Black is very neutral in my opinion.
3.) Shop end of season sales.
4.) Jimmy-Rig as best you can. One of our boys put his snow pants on this winter and he looked like he was waiting for a flood. But that’s nothing a pair of gaiters can’t fix. And they are cheaper than buying a new pair of snow pants. Also when coat arms shorten up and leaves a gap between gloves and sleeves try taking a pair of old socks, cut the toe portion off for fingers to go through and then cut a little hole in the side for the thumb. the sock covers the gap. I’d recommend something besides a cotton sock (wool or a blend would work best).
In our experience with young kids, cheaper equipment seems to do the job fine. Right now they are only out long enough to build a snowman or maybe sled for one or two hours at a time. But our oldest is beginning to snowboard and we’ll probably start investing in higher quality items that will be effective throughout an entire days worth of outdoor recreation.
Do any of you have some other thoughts to share about gear and growing kids? Let us know by leaving a comment. Also don’t forget to subscribe!
nature for kids, outdoor gear, save money, kids, snow pants
