Clothing

What: Strategies for managing clothing can make time outside easier, more comfortable, and less messy for everyone.

How: There are several challenges related to clothing that can impact opportunities to take students outside. Students may not have weather-appropriate outdoor clothing, may not have the right gear on the day you want to go outside, or may get wet/dirty during outdoor activities. Different strategies can help address these concerns.

Weather-appropriate clothing: Make sure both students and staff have appropriate clothing for different weather conditions. Include rain (raincoat or poncho, splash suit, rain boots) and winter gear (coat, boots, hat, gloves, scarves, snow pants) on the list of school supplies at the beginning of the year. Remind students to bring their weather gear the day before you plan to go outside, so everyone is prepared for outdoor activities. Ask students to bring an ‘extra’ set of clothing to store in their cubbies in case they get wet. This is a common practice at many pre-schools, and could be continued through the elementary grades. School administrators, nurses, or PTA can help make sure all students and staff have the gear they need through clothing drives, clothing banks, or purchases. Remember that staff also need appropriate clothing to take students outside in all types of weather!

Clothing bank: Set up a clothing ‘bank’ in your school where students can get items of clothing if they need them. In some schools this is maintained by the school nurse, main office, or other administrator, where students can drop in when they need a piece of clothing. Students can borrow or keep the clothing, depending on the item and situation. Many schools run a winter clothing drive to provide cold-weather gear (coats, boots, hats, gloves, scarves) for students who may not have their own. Clothing banks can be stocked through donations or clothing drives. If possible, have an individual or small group take responsibility for keeping it stocked and organized.

If you set up a clothing bank at your school, consider how to structure it to meet needs respectfully, and not ‘out’ students who may not have wither clothes. Kids are perceptive, and wearing borrowed clothing can be uncomfortable or stigmatizing for students. Work with school staff to set up discreet ways of checking which students may need winter gear, connecting students with clothing, and returning borrowed clothing when it is no longer needed.

Class or school set: Keep a set of rain ponchos or shoe covers to use when it is wet out. Clear plastic ponchos are inexpensive and don’t take a lot of storage space between uses. With large sizes or tent-style ponchos, kids can keep their arms and a notebook inside the poncho and use it as a see-through writing tent for outdoor writing. Ponchos can also be used as tarps so students can sit on wet ground. Share a set of weather-gear with your grade-level, or have school sets that teachers can borrow from the nurse or main office. This can help make sure all students stay dry even if they don’t have their own rain gear, and can stop a wet day from keeping classes inside. Having items for everyone in the class can also reduce stigma around borrowing gear and support equal access to time outdoors.

“Closet” or wet gear storage space: Outdoor gear can quickly fill students’ cubbies, and can become wet and messy after playing in the rain or snow. Try setting up a ‘wet gear’ area near the classroom door, in the hallway (if allowed) or near the school entrance. This could include hooks for wet clothing and plastic mats for wet boots, and would help contain the water and keep the rest of the classroom dry. If there isn’t space for this in each classroom, administrators can help by setting up spots for each grade to use near the entrance. Collapsible clothing racks could be set up temporarily when they are needed, and stored when they are not.