Clothing Overview

Paint. Dirt. Milk. Glitter. Grass. Tomato sauce. Marker. Chalk. Pet hair. Anything can end up on a young child’s clothes throughout the day – if not multiple times per day – and reactions can be mixed. Some families revel in picking up a student covered in mud – “I can tell you explored a lot today!” – and some expect their student to be ready at pick-up as neat and tidy as they were dropped off. Many of these expectations are cultural and can vary within a diverse community. Families might send their students to school in ‘good clothes’ due to the respect they place on a school environment, or in preparation for their after-school activities. Others might not think to change their student out of pajamas in the morning if the student didn’t want to.

When creating a clothing policy, consider the environment and program. If the expectation is that students will go outside rain or shine, ensure that families understand that they must provide rain boots and hooded jackets. If children are often encouraged to engage in water table play, they will probably get wet and need a new shirt and pants. Children are learning to use their bodies safely, and often step on each other – closed-toed shoes can help prevent injuries.

Young children can mix up clothes frequently, and some clothing might be special to a family. Encouraging families to label clothes with first and last names (by permanent marker or with purchased labels) can prevent treasured jackets from being lost. Lost items should have a clear ‘home’ (such as a Lost-and-Found) where families can search for possessions. A program may wish to donate all unclaimed items at a specific point in time (at the end of the school year, etc.)

Many programs ask families to provide an extra set of clothes that can be kept in the classroom in case a wardrobe change is needed. However, not all families have access to many changes of clothes and might not be able to send in extra sets. Asking current families to donate clothes their children grow out of, or taking a trip to a local thrift store, can help stock up a ‘clothing closet.’ Having a few sets of clothes in the main office or each classroom can be useful in a pinch (accidents, water table spills.) Some families will return these clothes automatically; others might assume they can be kept unless explicitly asked to send them back.

You may find these links helpful: 6 Ways To Dress For Early Learning Success and 3 Helpful Child Care Clothing Tips

Where To Include

At Playvolution HQ, we recommend using the Three Handbook Method.

Consider adding this policy to your Operating Handbook.

Considerations

• Clothing brought from home should be switched out periodically due to changes in weather and children’s growth.
• Providing smocks (traditional or just large t-shirts) can ease some stain phobia.
• Some young students have their ears pierced or like to wear other jewelry, which may need to be checked against licensing policies in your state/region.
• Hypothermia (and hyperthermia) can be a threat year-round, and some young children can’t express if they’re too cold or too warm.
• Not all classrooms can control their temperature, and some students might get warm or cold more easily. Encouraging layers of clothing can let each child stay comfortable.
• If students are expected to manage toileting independently, they should wear clothes that they can take on and off with little assistance.

Sample Policies

NOTE: The following samples are real-world examples relating to this post’s topic and are provided as a reference for creating your own policies and procedures. Sharing them here is not a recommendation of their content.

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

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