Baby outdoors, summer and winter

Fresh air does good to your baby, and to the parent who has been stuck indoors all day. For a walk, all you need is to dress your baby for the weather and know the signs of being too hot or too cold. The rule that works in any season: check the back of the neck or the chest with your palm, not the hands and feet.

In winter

• Thin layers, not one thick one: a bodysuit, a sleepsuit, a warm layer (fleece or knit) and, on top, a snowsuit or a pushchair footmuff.
• A hat that covers the ears.
• Mittens and booties, or a closed footmuff.
• In the pushchair, a winter footmuff is safer and warmer than blankets, which slip (see also pushchair for rough roads).
• In a baby carrier, your body does the warming; dress your baby more lightly and zip a loose jacket over both of you. See the baby carrier guide.
• In the car seat, no thick snowsuit. The harness has to be tight over thin clothes; the blanket goes on top (see how to choose a car seat).
• When you go indoors – to a shop, to visit someone – take off a layer. Babies overheat quickly.

Signs of being cold: a cold neck or chest, pale or mottled skin, restlessness. Signs of being hot: a sweaty neck, red cheeks, unusual drowsiness.

In summer

• Shade, especially between 11 and 16 (summer time). Walks in the morning and in the evening.
• Thin, loose clothes, cotton or linen, with long sleeves and long trousers if you are in the sun.
• A wide-brimmed hat that shades the face and the back of the neck.
• The pushchair’s sun canopy and an insect net that lets air through.
• Don’t cover the pushchair with a blanket, a muslin or a cover that doesn’t breathe. The temperature inside rises quickly.
• Hydration: breastfeed or give the bottle more often. Babies under 6 months don’t need extra water; ask the doctor if you have doubts.
• Never alone in the car, not even for a minute.

The sun in the first 6 months

Babies’ skin burns easily. Under 6 months, the main protection is shade, clothing and a hat, not cream. If you can’t avoid the sun, many guidelines accept a small amount of high-SPF cream on the small exposed areas. Over 6 months, high-SPF cream, reapplied, on everything that isn’t covered.

What to take on a walk

• an extra layer and a thin blanket;
• nappies, wipes (see choosing nappies), a foldable changing mat;
• water for yourself;
• in summer, the hat; in winter, spare mittens;
• for longer trips, consult travelling with a baby.

Our recommendation

Go out every day, in almost any weather. In winter, thin layers and a pushchair footmuff; in summer, shade, loose clothes and a hat, with nothing draped over the pushchair. Check the back of the neck with your palm and take off or add a layer accordingly, not according to how cold you feel.