A Handy Guide to What your Child may need !
At Silver Birch we’ve created a guide for keeping your wee ones safe and comfortable in any weather.
Our great Scottish weather can change so quickly – it can be sunny and within a few minutes change to rain, it’s best to be prepared for all weathers to make sure children are comfortable.
Waterproofs are needed every day, even in the summer, they can be kept in a bag just in case the weather suddenly turns.
Outdoor clothing doesn’t have to be expensive either, there is cheap fantastic waterproof clothing & outdoor gear for children which are good quality and affordable and can be sourced cheaply from online selling sites; Weebay Dunoon, or in second hand clothes shops. We offer a lending service to ensure no child goes without. Our private Facebook page allows parents to take part in a swapshop to ensure we keep our costs down
Waterproofs don’t need to be washed regularly as this reduces their effectiveness & shortens their lifespan! A hose or sponge down if they are muddy or hanging them to dry till the next session is best.
Items your children will need are:
- Water bottle
- Plastic bag for wet/dirty clothes
- Wet wipes
- Suncream
- Midge repellent
- Lunch box with handle and cool pack
- Clothes from the list below!
PLEASE PUT NAMES ON ALL ON YOUR CHILDREN’S CLOTHES AND KIT
| In warm weather the children need | In cold weather the children need |
| Strong, waterproof footwear | Warm, waterproof footwear – fleece-lined wellies work well – temperatures below 5 degrees make little ones feet very uncomfortable! |
| A sun hat and/or sunglasses | A warm hat and scarf or buff, Gloves or mittens (waterproof desirable) |
| Long sleeve top and long trousers (these are to prevent scratches, bites and stings) | A thermal layer including leggings and a long-sleeve top (Merino wool or thermal clothing recommended) please do not put cotton as the base layer as this can be very cold |
| Jumper or sweatshirt in case the weather turns colder | Long, thick wool/thermal socks – heat holders are good and do children’s sizes |
| Sunscreen | A warm wool jumper or fleece |
| Midge repellent/midge net | Jogging bottoms/leggings – please avoid jeans! |
| It is important to have a couple of spare socks and pants to change into in case of any toileting accidents or mud fun! | In the winter many layers are needed as it can get very cold outside having some warm fleeces avoiding any cotton or jean materials as these will not keep your child warm |
Ideas of where you can source outdoor clothing and kit
- Locally Highland stores has a stock of children’s outdoor clothing and have a discount for locals
- Alternatively Lidl and Aldi have children’s waterproof offers and it is worth signing up to their email for offer updates
- Other reasonably priced clothing outlets are Mountain Warehouse and Decathlon and both deliver
Tips for parents/carers
- A top tip from a carer from Stramash outdoor nursery is to have an Ikea bag or bin liner in the boot of your car to stand your child to change out of their muddy outer gear before getting into their car seat!
- In the summer please check your child for ticks – see induction leaflet or go to for help and advice- https://hpspubsrepo.blob.core.windows.net/hps-website/nss/2215/documents/1_tick-lyme-disease-infosheet-20170810.pdf
- It is important to have a couple of pairs of spare socks and pants to change into in case of any toileting accidents or even from falling in the mud!
- A couple of sets of spare clothes for the wettest days as this may cause more changes
- Having sun cream is important as the sun comes out more often than you think and we ask that children attend nursery in the summer having had it applied at home
- Midge repellent helps prevent bites, Smidge is available in the local CO-OP
- Having fun outdoors can burn lots of energy so if providing a lunch and snack for your child add a wee bit extra as this may support them in their busy day
- Please ensure that food provision does not contain nuts and has a cooler/ice pack contained to keep the lunches cool as we do not have a fridge – please refer to our packed lunch guidance
At Silver Birch Outdoor Nursery we are happy to help and support with advice, please phone, email or pop in for a visit!
