Keeping kids safe in cold weather: layers, hypothermia signs and frozen water

By Mariessa and Evan · 27 October 2026

• Heat and cold
• Health

As the nights draw in, it's worth a quick refresher on keeping children warm and safe outside, and what to look out for when the cold starts to bite.

Why children get cold faster

Babies and young children lose heat faster than adults, and they're often too busy playing to notice they're cold until they're very cold.

Dress in layers

A few thin layers trap heat better than one thick one. A good rule of thumb is one more layer than you're wearing, plus a hat, gloves and something round the neck. Swap wet clothes and socks for dry ones as soon as you can, because wet clothes pull heat away fast. At home, aim to keep living rooms at least 18°C, and a baby's room between 16°C and 20°C.

Signs of hypothermia

• Shivering, and cold, pale skin.
• Slurred speech, fast breathing, tiredness or confusion.
• Being unusually clumsy.
• Babies may look healthy but feel cold to touch, and be limp, unusually quiet or not want to feed.

If someone who is very cold stops shivering, that's a sign it's getting worse, not better.

What to do

Call 999 in the UK or 911 in the US. While you wait, get them indoors, take off any wet clothes, wrap them in blankets, and give them a warm drink if they can swallow normally.

Stay off frozen water

Ice on ponds, lakes and canals can look solid and still crack without warning. Children are the most likely to be tempted onto it, so talk about it before the cold snap, not during it.

If someone falls through, don't go onto the ice after them. Call 999 and ask for the fire service, and try to reach them from the bank with a branch, a pole or a rope. Fire services point to RoSPA figures showing that more than half of ice drownings involve someone trying to rescue a person or a pet.