Why Kids Get Cold Quicker (Illustrated)

Have you ever wondered why your kiddos are getting colder much faster than you are when you're out romping around in the snow or cold weather? Below, we're sharing a few reasons why, in hopes you can stay outside all day long.

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Why Kids Get Cold Quicker Than Adults

The smaller you are, the faster you get cold. Here’s why.

Kids get colder quicker because:

• Thinner limbs allow body heat to escape faster.
• Kids have a higher ratio of surface area to mass meaning more of their body is exposed to the cold.
• Active kids get sweaty; sweat is wet; wetness amplifies the cold.
• The body needs energy to stay warm; kids running around will burn through their energy faster than their parents who are just strolling leisurely.
• Kids will often sit or lie down while playing, frolicking in the snow, and/or touching ice cold monkey bars and jungle gyms. Contact with the cold ground or cold metal conducts heat away.
• Kids are more likely to get wet from getting snow in their boots or down the back of their shirts.

Specifically for babies:

• Baby drool or spit-up makes their clothes wet, and cold
• Babies in strollers are more sedentary than those running around or receiving warmth from their parent's bodies who are moving

Tip! Babies carried close to their parent's body in a baby carrier or wrap will stay warmer than those in a stroller.