Dress to impress

Before you begin  

Ask everyone if they own any equipment or clothing of their own which they could bring for the activity. If you can’t find the exact clothing, you can use other things to represent it.

The clothing you’ll need includes: Base layers, warm layers, waterproof layers and coats or overalls. For equipment, try and bring along helmets, goggles, masks, gloves, boots and skis or snowboards.

Prepare to dress

1. The person leading the game should show everyone the clothes, and explain the process of getting dressed for skiing. While they’re explaining, a volunteer should show everyone how to dress correctly.

In general, the best way to dress for snow sports is using the three-layer rule. Base layers go first, to regulate body temperature and fit close, trapping a thin layer of warm air against the skin. Mid-layers go next and trap body heat through insulation. Outer layers act like a shell, keeping out elements such as wind, rain, and snow. Combining layers maximises warmth while letting you remove or add layers in the changeable mountain weather.

2. The person leading the game should explain that boots keep your feet dry and warm, but they also support your ankles and keep your feet safe from hazards such rocks. 
3. Finally, the person leading the game should explain that other equipment is also important when skiing or snowboarding. Helmets keep in warmth, but more important they protect your head in case you crash. A specially painted or colourful helmet can also help you be identified once your face is covered. Goggles or a mask shield your eyes from the bright snow, the sun, and debris that comes when you move fast. Some masks also keep faces warm.

Dress to impress

1. Put all of the clothing and equipment in the middle of the space.
2. Split into small teams. Each team should stand in a different corner of the space. 
3. One person in each team is the model – they’re going to get dressed to go skiing. The model cannot move from their team’s corner. 
4. The other team members should take it in turns to run to the centre and collect an item or clothing or equipment. They should bring it back to their corner. 
5. The model should put the clothing or equipment on correctly. Only the model can dress themselves – no one else can touch the clothes or equipment once they’re in their corner.
6. After five minutes, the person leading the game should make a signal to tell everyone to stop. Teams take anything their model isn’t wearing back to the middle, then stand still around their model. 
7. Teams should take it in turns to explain which items they chose. The person leading the game should check that everything is on correctly – especially things like gloves and helmets. 
8. Each team should finish dressing their model so they’re ready to hit the slopes. 

The model should try to complete some everyday tasks. For example, open and drink from a water bottle, take off their helmet, pick up a small sweet  and put it into a pot or butter a cracker.