I finally found cute cloth masks for my kids, and we’ve ordered more for our friends, classmates, and family!
Since the CDC released new recommendations for universal masking, I wanted my kids to have comfortable cloth face coverings to encourage compliance.
We are extremely thankful that my husband’s patient made and gifted a few masks for our kids!
However, the elastic bands are a bit tight for my 6-year-old daughter, and only one mask fits my 3-year-old son.
We also tried making no-sew pleated face masks with hair ties and our Sarah’s silks (due to lack of cotton fabric at home). While it was fun for my daughter to practice folding, this didn’t feel secure.
Since I cannot sew (a recent attempt triggered severe migraines!), I’m grateful that we can buy cute cloth kids’ masks and stylish coverings for adults, too!
In this post, I’ll discuss:
- Why kids and adults should wear masks
- What age can kids wear face masks?
- How to wear cloth masks properly
- Tips for encouraging kids to wear face masks
- Where to buy cute cloth masks for kids and adults
- Preliminary review of cloth face masks for kids and adults
Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, other qualified health provider, and local public health department with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the internet.
1. Why kids and adults should wear masks
According to the CDC, masks might protect surrounding people by preventing germs from spreading out of the mask.
Of course, physical distancing and proper handwashing are also necessary to reduce infection risks, and masks alone are not enough.
We try to go to empty places and avoid crowded places, but other people may unexpectedly wander too close to us. Therefore, cloth masks provide a barrier between us.
Related: Talk to Kids About Coronavirus in Chinese with NPR’s Comic (Printable)
We’ve also noticed that wearing our cloth masks publicly encourages others to do the same.
Note: If you’re very far from others and don’t touch surfaces (eg playground, bench) that infected people might have touched, masks might not be needed.
2. What age can kids wear face masks?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children over age 2 years can wear face masks.
Babies and toddlers under age 2 years should not wear masks due to the risks of suffocation, strangulation, and choking.
Per the CDC, cloth face coverings should also be avoided in persons who have trouble breathing or those who cannot remove the mask without assistance.
3. How to wear cloth masks properly
Ideally, masks should:
- Consist of multiple layers of fabric
- Allow for breathing without restriction
- Fit snugly but comfortably
- Cover nose (including bridge), mouth, chin, and sides of face
- Be washed and dried after each use
Do’s and don’t for wearing a mask
Remember to wash hands before and after wearing mask.
Avoid touching the front of the mask.
Remove the mask by the straps when safe at home.
Parents may need to help with these steps and gentle reminders to keep hands away from face.
The New York Times has a great visual examples explaining how to avoid common mistakes with wearing a mask.
overall slightly loose despite washing in hot water and drying on high heat
4. Tips for encouraging kids to wear face masks
- Model to your child how you put on a face mask
- Talk about why wearing masks is important
- Browse pictures of other children wearing masks
- Wear masks with cute designs that relate to the child’s interests and style
- Reiterate the importance of wearing masks
- Practice wearing cloth face mask at home, such as while playing pretend doctor and nurse
- Consider making this part of the daily routine when going out to the park
5. Where to buy cute cloth masks
To support businesses that have donated masks to hospitals and healthcare personnel, I’ve ordered masks from the following:
- Everhart
- Kids and adults
- Cotton cloth
- Pleated design
- Ear loops
- Slot for filter (filter not included)
- $18/mask
- Elestory
- Kids and adults
- Cotton +/- cotton blend
- Convex design and nose bridge wire for closer fit
- Ear loops
- Slot for filter (filter not included)
- $18/mask
- Vivian Chan
- Adults only
- Cotton +/- cotton blend
- Convex design and nose bridge wire for closer fit
- Ear loops
- Slot for filter (filter not included)
- $30/mask
6. Preliminary review of cloth face coverings for kids and adults
So far, we have received masks from Everhart and Vivian Chan.
Since shipping times have been much slower than usual, we’re still waiting for our Elestory order.
Everhart
I was immediately drawn to Everhart due to their variety of adorable, kid-friendly designs. Many patterns have sold out quickly.
In comparison to the lovely masks made by my husband’s patient, Everhart masks feel lightweight and comfortable for warm weather.
My kids like how the pleated design gives more room around their lips. However, without a wire, there are slight gaps beside the nose. Thankfully, when they wear their sunglasses, this gap closes.
Otherwise, the masks fit my 6-year-old well with room to grow due to the pleated design.
Although the mask is slightly loose on my 3-year-old, washing it a few times in hot water and drying on high heat helped the mask shrink slightly for a better fit.
We received these masks about 1 week after ordering, so this may be a good option if you want masks soon.
Elestory
We have a few dresses from Elestory, and the quality has been excellent, so I expect the masks to be as well!
Their shipping time is approximately 2-4 weeks.
Vivian Chan
This is my first order with designer Vivian Chan’s website, and her team was wonderful about communication
Her masks are made from fabrics from her chic dresses, and the masks seem to be much thicker than Everhart’s masks.
Mask design 1 seems to be larger than mask design 2 and fits me better. Unfortunately, mask design 2 has very tight ear loops. Therefore, it is too painful for me to wear. If you have a narrow face, perhaps this design might suit you better.
These makes took about 3 weeks to arrive.
Have you ordered masks for your family or are you sewing your own?
What cloth masks do your children wear?
If you’re one of the many people sewing and donating masks, thank you on behalf of my family, friends, and healthcare community.
We’re all in this together!
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Rita at Yippy BeBe says
Hi Betty! Sharing my mask link here as asked from FB. https://yippybebe.com/collections/masks/ I’m donating proceeds from the masks at the $25 level to BStrong. They’re a disaster relief org that’s currently sourcing PPE for essential workers. In one week our an amazing community has raised $1,200.00. Our goal is to raise $2,000. Thank you for sharing!
Betty says
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful resource and cause, Rita!