Gloves or Mittens for 2 1/2 year old?

[kara97210]

It's starting to get cold here and our daycare has asked for us to send gloves or mittens there for outdoor play time. Which would you recommend for this age? Also, if you have a brand that you like, let me know. Thanks!

[TwinFoxes]

I would say mittens. Getting 10 tiny uncooperative fingers into gloves is a pain. Or in my case, 20. I can't imagine a whole class of gloves.

[Canna]

My DD is has great fine motor skills and is a year older (3.5, getting close to 4) and though she likes to wear gloves, it is really tough to get all her fingers in the right spots. She seems relieved when we go for mittens and that's definitely what I send to school.

[lhafer]

Mittens absolutely!! I've found it very hard to actually find gloves small enough for tiny hands like that. Get some good mittens with grips on the palm for when he's playing outside.

[hillview]

I tried gloves with DS1 every year. He is 6 and this is the first year it is working out.

[shawnandangel]

DD gets frustrated with mittens and prefers gloves. I do as well. We did mittens when she was a few months old and a year old but last year and this year are doing gloves.

[daisymommy]

I refuse to deal with all the fingers on a glove, with a child under the age of 4-5. It's just to frustrating and difficult for parent and child, and takes forrrreeevvver to get on!
We usually get the Old Navy fleece mittens.

[lizzywednesday]

Hand's down, I say mittens. They're also warmer than gloves, IMO.

We have 2-pair of knit ones from OshKosh for DD (1.5 y/o), 2-pair of knit ones from Target (Circo) that came as part of a hat-and-mittens set, 1 pair (on a string) from Hanna and 2 pair from Columbia outlet that no longer fit.

I think getting inexpensive knit ones would be fine until it snows, then I'd look into waterproof ones.

[wellyes]

Gloves get torn off immediately, I think because at that age they have to be pretty skintight to fit. A big fat pair of mittens (with a tighter wrist cuff) is somehow more acceptable. I think because they can still wiggle their fingers like normal, just that the fingers are inside a cocoon.

[Dream]

I was able to find wool gloves for DD couple of years back, which was great. I haven't been able to find them since. She's 3 now and still can't get her fingers into insulated gloves but I think she'll be fine getting her fingers into wool gloves. I don't like mittens for her since she can't hold things if she's wearing mittens.

[cono0507]

Definitely mittens for a 2.5 yo. And also for my 4yo, 6yo and this 35yo! :) Hate having cold hands and mittens keep them warmest! :)

[lil_acorn]

Mittens..my kids didnt' do gloves until they were 4.5

[ABO Mama]

Mittens for sure!

[maestramommy]

My 6yo still wears mittens. I find them much easier to get on in the early years than gloves. My favorite ones are a pair I got for Arwyn from the LLBean outlet last year. They are Thinsulate, 100 gram. Very easy to get on and off, and with some length beyond the wrist so snow can't get in.

[MontrealMum]

Mittens are much warmer. Also, most daycares are big on teaching kids how to do things on their own and your DC will have a much harder time learning to put on gloves than mittens. We like the REI type that have velcro across the top for easy on/off. They're also waterproof which is key.

[BayGirl2]

My 2.5yo can't even get his thumb in the thumb hole of a mitten. No way I'd try gloves yet.

Any tips for teaching the thumb in the hole thing?

[MontrealMum]

Any tips for teaching the thumb in the hole thing?

We used to tell DS that he needed to make "crabby hands". So that he'd keep his fingers stiffly together and his thumb separate. Then you ask him to pinch you (gently!) after the mitts are on just to be certain the thumb is in the right place.

[MamaInMarch]

Not many of us in the gloves camp, but add me! My DS is 2.5 and there is no way he would tolerate the lack of dexterity mittens cause. Last winter he was just a little guy but oh how his mittens pi**ed him off! He couldn't do what he wanted with his hands so he spent most of the time outside trying to rip off the mittens.

I had a hard time finding gloves in a size that actually fit him but finally found a nice small pair at JC Penney. They were part of a set that had gloves, a toboggan and a scarf.

[Nooknookmom]

It's still hard for our 4yo to stuff her little fingers into gloves. She gets it but not b4 frustration sets in. I found her HA mittens on sale when she was 2 for like $8! Then I thought she was ready at 3 and got some H & M gloves for $4 and it took a year for her to get them on w/out going kookoo!

[mommytoC]

Definitely mittens for a 2.5 yo. And also for my 4yo, 6yo and this 35yo! :) Hate having cold hands and mittens keep them warmest! :)

:yeahthat: Mittens for all! (I have gloves for warmer days, but love my mittens when it's really cold.)