36 Free Knitting Patterns for Children's Hats (and Scarves)
Check out this wonderful collection of knit children's hats and find the perfect way to keep your little one's head warm all winter long.
The best thing about knitting for kids is that they’ll wear almost anything – that is, until they reach the tender age of twelve. After that, cooties disappear, boys are cute, and girls are hard to talk to. But up until then, kids don’t care about clothes - as long as they’re comfortable. They have to be loose enough to let them beat the next door neighbor in a race and warm enough to keep them focused during a competitive game of capture the flag.
With winter right around the corner, it’s important to remember that kids don’t always think about getting sick when romping about in the snow. All they care about is building the best igloo on the block or throwing the most snowballs. This collection of warm knit hat and scarf patterns is sure to dash any hint of a cold and keep your child warm all winter long. The patterns below are both mother-tested and kid-approved, so knit for your kids while you still can! It won’t be long until they refuse to wear an adorable cable knit hat with a fluffy pom pom on top.
FIRST! Check out how to knit a hoodie hat for any age, so your little one can bring their favorite hat with them from infancy to adulthood!
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Table of Contents
Playful Animal Hats
Knit an entire forest of fuzzy creatures with this list of animal knit hat patterns. These cozy hats are not only adorable, but a great way to spot your little one while out ice skating, playing at the park, or going sledding at the neighborhood snow hill. Kids will love these playful animal hats for a number of reasons, but you’ll love them because they’ll keep their ears nice and warm. Let your child take his favorite animal with him wherever he goes with one of these playful animal hats.
There's no better way to keep little ears toasty than with an earflap beanie! If your child is a fan of foxes, this one's a no-brainer.
Happy Puppy Dog Hat Knitting Pattern
Who doesn't love dogs? For an adorable hat that your child is sure to love, knit him or her this dog hat. Your child will be so excited to match the family pooch!
Sometimes it's better to not be specific. If you give your child a hat with a pair of ears, they can decide which animal they want to be!
Your little bear cub will never be better-prepared for the winter than with this bear hat. He's more likely to actually want to wear his hat outside when it's this cute!
Polar bears are some of the animals best-suited for the frigid cold out there, so why not give your child a fighting chance with a little bit of that polar bear spirit?
I have never met a child, boy or girl, who didn't love dinosaurs. Have you? Just because they're extinct doesn't mean that your kids can't play pretend.
If ears on your child's hat is just a little too mainstream for you, suit him up with a pair of eyes! These giant googly-eyes are bound to elicit giggles from his classmates.
Is your child a fan of Donald Duck? He can pretend to be the famous duck himself every day if he wants with this cute duck hat! You can even knit it in black if they're more of a Daffy fan.
The only thing she'll love more than a cute, eared hat for winter is getting to match with her favorite doll. Can you imagine tea parties with their matching hats? Precious!
Looking for even more kid-approved knit hat patterns? Check out our popular free eBook,How to Knit a Hat Volume 2: Free Knit Hat Patterns for the Whole Family
Warm Winter Hats
This collection of warm winter knit hat patterns is just as cute as the playful animal hats above. There’s a cozy hat to suit every child’s needs in this list. Keep that sweet little head warm in a classic cable knit hat, such as the Chill Be Gone Hat. For a colorful look, try the Farmer’s Market Hat or another striped beanie. There are so many ways to get creative with a child’s knit hat pattern – all you need is a little inspiration from this list of cozy, kid-approved hats.
Ready your little viking for the winter with this unique horned helmet-style hat.
We love this hat for early autumn trips to the farmer's market. If he's warm, he's less likely to complain when you're deciding which variety of apple butter to buy!
Nothing in this world is cozier than cables. It's a scientific fact. For a no-nonsense, classic hat that's perfect for the winter, knit your child her very own Chill Be Gone Hat.
Pom poms help keep winter hats fun, but the cords at the end serve a utilitarian purpose. Your child is less likely to lose his or her hat in the wind if it's tied beneath his or her chin!
If there's any way to get a little girl excited about wearing her hat, it's to make it colorful and pretty. Slap a flower on some fluffy, rainbow-colored yarn and you have yourself a keeper.
You want a classic cabled hat. She wants rainbows. Compromise with this hat that has the best of both worlds! Even with the variegated yarn, you can see the lovely braids.
Texture is so fun while knitting. In order to keep the hat exciting enough for the child to wear and for you to knit, try knitting up a hat like this one with a bubbly texture!
Doesn't the cuteness of a toddler in a holiday hat just melt your heart? Before he's old enough to be embarrassed by hand-knit hats, put him in a Pumpkin Hat, one of the cutest options for a little boy.
Speaking of cute hats for children, not only does this one tie under the chin, but it comes to a tiny little point at the top, like the stem of a pumpkin! This hat is great for autumn and winter alike.
Rolled brims are a quick and easy way to give a knit hat some intrigue. Since all it takes is knitting in stockinette stitch, nobody will believe how little time it took you to knit your child's hat.
Sometimes, simpler is better. The Happy Hat will do just that: keep your child warm and happy without attracting any unnecessary attention.
If you live in a particularly chilly or snowy area, ear flap hats are really the way to go. Your little one won't be pulling her hat down every five minutes to keep her ears warm.
Another benefit to ear flap hats is that they better trap the heat from your head. The adorable little Yoshis running around this Super Mario Color Charts hat are just a bonus.
Everyone knows that blue is the color of winter. Combined with the classic pale brown color, this hat is great for children in the winter.
Stripes are an easy and quick way to put together a hat for your little one that looks like it could have come straight out of a department store.
While everyone else's kids are freezing with their cheap hats, your child will be cozy and toasty with her handmade-with-love rainbow striped beanie. Plus, she'll be easy to spot with the bright colors!
For the girly-girl out there, flowers are an absolute must. Just because the ground is icy doesn't mean you can't channel springtime!
Looking for a hat pattern for your baby? Check out these75+ Free Baby Knitting Patterns
Children's Knit Scarves
Sometimes kids are too fussy to wear hats, and other times, they're too cold to wear just a hat! In either case, a knit scarf is a great next project for your little one. These scarves are incredibly quick to knit compared to adult knit scarves, and they'll help keep your little angel warm on his way to and from school, as well as playing outside in the snow.
If any scarf is bound to make your kid the hit of the playground, it's the Cool Kid's Knitted Scarf. Rainbows are so popular with little ones, and its short construction means your kid is less likely to get it tangled up somewhere.
Cowls make an excellent option for kids who are clumsy or otherwise have a tendency to ruin dangly bits of their clothing. Since this cozy moss stitch cowl stays close to your kid's neck, it can go tucked under his coat, forgotten while playing, but still keeping him warm.
If your girly girl thinks that the more bedazzling, the better, she'll be obsessed with this Pom Pom Kids' Scarf. This scarf stimulates the senses with its bright color and soft, fluffy feel. Plus, it's super girly, which makes it perfect for super girly-girls.
Kids Loop Scarf Knitting Pattern
On the other hand, some kids seem to think that the simpler, the better. An easy garter stitch scarf is quick to work up for your kid with the incoming chill of the winter, and this pattern has a built-in loop so your kid doesn't have to mess with any complicated knots.
A twist on the loop scarf above, this Stylish Pom Pom Scarf is worked up in simple stockinette stitch with a little dose of "happy" in the form of a couple of adorable pom poms on the end. This scarf is perfect for the unique child who does want to stand out from the crowd... but not TOO much.
Just because your child is small doesn't mean he or she shouldn't be able to wear a beautiful lace knit! For the slightly warmer days, show off a gorgeous handknit cowl on your child, and get them to start appreciating lovely lace early on.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, let your children's imaginations run wild with a snake-inspired scarf! You only get to be a kid once, so why not have some fun with your wardrobe before you have to show up to work with whatever you're wearing?
Everybody loves a matching set! If you're looking to knit your child both a hat AND a scarf, but you hate how none of them seem to match, then knit them up a set like this Knit Hat and Scarf.
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with fantasy novels and movies. For the adorable little nerd in your life, you HAVE to knit this Fiery Dragon Scarf. Just don't be surprised if your child names his scarf and grows attached...
If you don't typically love knitting for children because the style can be rather juvenile or simplistic, this is the cowl for you. Not only can you learn and practice a brand new stitch, but the end result is absolutely stunning.
Keep those ears warm with this pattern for Clever Fox and Wild Deer Headbands!
Note: This project is from I Like Knitting digital magazine. Non-members can access 3 free patterns every month. Subscribe to the I Like Knitting Gold Club for unlimited access to their entire pattern archive, featuring hundreds of exclusive patterns.
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66+ Knit Hat Patterns for Winter
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