Family Travel: Best Toddler Ski Gear Packing List

The Best Packing List for Toddler Ski Gear

Most of these ski essentials packing list for your toddler's first ski trip already appears in this post sharing tips for planning your first ski trip with a toddler or toddlers, but I wanted to post just the packing list of the best toddler ski gear somewhere to make it more easily accessible. This list covers all the essential toddler ski gear your need for your toddler, pre-schooler, or school-aged kid to start skiing or snowboarding on their first ski trip, or if they're not old enough for that yet, this winter-proof gear will make sure they are ready to have lots of fun in the snow.

DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission off any purchases made but they don't cost you anything extra, and often I do a lot of research to find you the best possible deal in the link - yay!

The Best Places to Buy Toddler Ski Gear

Most of the links are for products on sale in or delivered to the UK but hopefully they are easily available in your country too. I find Amazon is a great place to search for stuff if you have Amazon where you are, if not try Ebay or companies that deliver internationally like Marks & Spencer, H&M and Gap as they also do ski wear for children of all ages!

If you are in the UK (or Europe) a great shop to buy pretty much everything is Decathlon as  their products - including their own brand Quechua - are built for both winter and sport conditions. I also like Millets and Snow and Rock though they don't have so much stuff for younger children.

FURTHER READING: You can find more family travel blog posts here and my ultimate list of toddler travel essentials here. And be sure to check out this list of the best airlines to travel with kids, this guide to ski or snowboarding holidays for beginners (adults!), and this essential packing list for your first ski or snowboard holiday.

Packing List of Toddler Ski Gear

Snowsuit

We've just invested in a really decent snowsuit for our son's first trip to a ski resort and did so because I really want to ensure it keeps him warm and dry. This is very similar to the one we've got for our son (now aged 2). We've also previously borrowed a Trespass snowsuit like this one that kept him warm and we've heard good things about Marks and Spencer snowsuits for toddlers.

Now our eldest son is 4.5 years old, we have got him a trousers and jacket combination from Decathlon, like this one.

Snowboots

I think warm snow shoes for a toddler are just as important as the snowsuit, especially if they're going to be sledding or sitting around and not actually moving much (so their blood won't be pumping as much). We're yet to buy a pair for our son - he has really wide feet so we need to try them on! - but I'm currently looking at ones like thesethesethese and these.

Snowboots are one of the most important pieces of toddler ski gear to get right because no toddler is going to want to be playing or even standing in the snow when they have freezing, soaking wet feet so as much as possible go with a reliable brand and make sure they fit and stay on your kid well.

Helmet

At the risk of sounding old, in my day helmets on the slopes were a rarity but in the past ten years attitudes have really changed and it's almost completely unthinkable or unseen to put a kid on a pair of skis without a helmet. We'll be taking the helmet our son wears on his bike with us, but Decathlon and Snow and Rock both have a great selection of ski helmets.

It's possible you'd rather hire a helmet at the resort which is a great idea as kids grow quickly and it's very likely that any helmet you get one year will not fit the next.

Thermals

Good thermals are worth at least two or three bad layers of clothes and again I would check out what Decathlon has on offer as their prices are decent and you really don't want to spend too much on them as kids grow so quickly they may not last more than one or two seasons.

Wraparound Sunglasses or Goggles

If you think your kiddo will keep an expensive(ish) pair of goggles on these will provide the best protection from sun and snow, but you'll find most will suit a pair of wraparound sunglasses better as they stay put easier. These are the ones we'll probably get for our youngest son (plus some elastic!) who will be nearly 18 months on this first ski trip for him.

Our 4-year-old also wears glasses so we will be getting him some so-called OTG goggles (Over The Glasses) because standard ones will not fit comfortably for a long period of time.

Warm (Woollen) Socks

Wool or a wool-mix will be the best material for your little ones' socks as it will help keep their toes warm. They're well worth investing in and wool stays naturally clean and err... scent free so don't worry about putting them on a few days in a row! I can recommend  Falke (as I wear them myself!) and Decathlon also have some very affordable pairs in really fun kids designs.

Mittens AND Gloves

I would have at least one pair of mittens and one pair of gloves for your little one as these are the things that are most likely to get lost. Mittens will keep their hands warmer, but there may be a time when they want to play in the snow and gloves will help them do this. These are the mittens we have for our son which we like him to wear when outside in the cold for a long time and we have several pairs of gloves like this for other shorter activities but they will get wet and cold quickly! (They dry quickly once put on a radiator!). 

For our 4-year old's first year at ski school, we are packing three pairs of gloves (2 x mittens and 1 x gloves which we bought at Decathlon) and I honestly don't expect him to come home with a single pair in tact. Such is life!

Woollen Hat(s)

Again choose wool or a wool-mix to keep your kid's head warm. If it has a fleece lining that is best so then it won't be so itchy. It's also worth having several with you for your trip as kid's lose hats (and parents do too!). It's worth having a thinner hat or balaclava for going under their helmet if they are skiing or snowboarding. Our son has a nice wool-mix Barts one like these.

Neck Warmer

We find our son hates wearing a scarf and/or it comes loose and he runs around with a bare base of the neck. You can avoid this by putting their hood up but for an extra cosy neck I highly recommend getting one of these Buff neckwarmers or a baclava and of course, Decathlon do them very affordably too.

The best part about these neck warmers is that you can put it on your kid before they go to ski school or play in the snow, and it's highly unlikely they'll take it off so you don't need to worry about them losing it... hopefully!

Sun Cream and Lip Balm

Putting on a good sun cream or block for their face every morning will avoid sun burn (even on cloudy days!) and be sure to have a lip balm on hand as the cold (and fingers crossed sunny!) weather may give your little one chapped lips. We use this sun protection (the roll-on is a dream!) and I just share my own lip balm with my son (he says it tastes like chocolate) but this is a really good soothing one with a higher SPF.

Packets of Tissues!

Toddler plus cold weather equals a snotty nosed child so prepare ahead with several little packets of tissues tucked in your many skiwear pockets! Bulk buy before you go because they weigh nothing for your luggage.

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Frances M. Thompson

Londoner turned wanderer, Frankie is an author, freelance writer and blogger. Currently based in Amsterdam, Frankie was nomadic for two years before starting a family with her Australian partner. Frankie is the author of three short story collections, and is a freelance writer for travel and creative brands. In 2017, she launched WriteNOW Cards, affirmation cards for writers that help build a productive and positive writing practice. When not writing contemporary fiction, Frankie shops for vintage clothes, dances to 70s disco music and chases her two young sons around Amsterdam.
Find Frankie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google+.

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