Every Swede grows up with “There is no bad weather, only bad clothes”. If they don’t get it from their parents, they certainly hear it from teachers all the way from preschool and up. Since kids in preschools and elementary schools go outside every day, they are expected to have rain clothes, boots, snow pants, hats etc on hand all the time. Good gear for bad weather is a must. Active Kids Club wrote about “polar bear moms”, but it is not just moms carrying on this Scandinavian tradition, it is engraved in society.
In other words, drizzling rain is not an excuse for not biking to school or work. So where do you find good gear for all weathers in the US?
Last year we found a jacket at Oshkosh that has plenty of reflective strips around hem and sleeves. Felt lined Tretorn rubber boots keep feet warm, dry and visible (see the reflective strip on the back?). This fall, we find similar products at Polarn O. Pyret for kids in their US webshop.
Tweens, teens move around a lot on their own and don’t always think about traffic safety. (And we’d be surprised to see them excited about firemen style rain jackets). Instead, fun reflectors in their favorite colors on jackets (rain jackets or not), bags and backpacks will do the job of increasing their visibility during rainy days, at night and during early mornings on their way to and from school.
The funflector team
It is good preschool habits like these that set children up for success in multiple areas of life.