What should kids wear?

They should and can wear whatever is comfortable....I have friends who live in Madrid and have a three year old son. When I see him, he looks just like the three year old boys here in the states in his outfits.

So shorts and short-sleeve shirts? I don't mind to dress a little differently myself (will be taking jeans, capris, and a long skirt with some tops that will go with any of the bottoms), but I hate for them to be so uncomfortable...

They should wear the exact same clothes they wear in the States. Make sure you have strong sunscreen! I've seen some very badly burnt kids in the south of Spain.

Rachel.. they are basically babies and can wear what ever the heck they want and is comfortable .. sunscreen is a must.. cool clothes as it will be very hot in summer months...

Do you really think Spanish folks dress up kids in strollers the exact same way as they do themselves.. they are babies and toddlers!

You will see lots of shorts anyways.. on adults too. Tourists of course mostly.. but you are a tourist. Men and women may have to cover their knees in some churches though.. but capris will do.. or knee lenght skirts..

I suggest you go on the" Tours" section of this website and look at the scrap books for the tours.. thats the real scoop.

When are you there?

If it's summer, by all means put the kids in shorts. I don't think it's uncommon at all to see children wearing shorts. I've never taken kids younger than seven to Europe, I doubt they enforce dress codes to cover the elbows and knees (in churches) for very small children.

If it's fall or winter, remember it can get really cold everywhere in Spain, but especially in the northern mountain areas. We were there during an unusually cold April. Normally it would be comfortable but we drove through snow between Jaen and Granada and everywhere north was still freezing.

I agree, kids can get away with wearing anything. Last summer in Spain my 11 year old daughter wore comfortable tops, sun dresses, shorts, capris and sandals. To dress up at night she would throw on a light, short-sleeve sweater over a sun dress (if it was a cool evening). In your case, with such young children, I would only put comfortable shorts on them.
And yes, pack the sun hats for everyone.

Oh, I noticed you mentioned wearing jeans in another post. I'm not sure if anyone else agrees with me, but If you are planning to travel in this region in the summer months, I would avoid jeans. Capris in a light fabric will work very well.

You're on the right track with the advice above. Happy travels.

Kids all over Europe wear shorts. Adults too. Where does this "no shorts" idea come from?

My intention was never to cause a problem or for people to think I was "out of whack." I was simply asking a question because I hear and read all the time about adults not normally wearing certain things and I was curious because I couldn't imagine kids wearing those things in heat. I also think that people are used to the climates they live in and that heat and sun are different in different parts of the world. I am a mother, too (obviously), and I would never do anything that would make my kids sick or uncomfortable, nor would I think other parents would do that. I'd like to think that most parents would do what they feel is best for their children.

Because I was curious. In just about every guidebook I have ever read on the subject it states that people do not typically wear shorts except for in the beach towns. That is where the idea comes from. If it's not true, then people should maybe stop writing that in the guidebooks. Unfortunately, the books rarely mention children, so I was curious. Obviously, the guidebooks are not always correct, which is why I seek out information on forums like these. What I was really looking for was people to just answer my question about what kids in Spain normally wear; there is no need to berate me and make snide comments about my parenting.

In just about every guidebook I have ever read on the subject it states that people do not typically wear shorts except for in the beach towns.
Sure... in the 1950s!!!!

Nope. I have seen it in much newer guidebooks than that. The 1950s were way before my time. I was also told by a friend who studied abroad within the last 10 years that they were all told that very same thing before heading to Europe. That information may not be correct but I have definitely seen it in guidebooks since the 1950s.

This actually came from Rick Steves' site:

If you're trying to blend in, realize that shorts are not common streetwear in Europe. They're considered beachwear, to be worn in coastal or lakeside resort towns. No one will be offended if you wear shorts, but you might be on the receiving end of some second glances. Shorts are especially uncommon on older women and in big cities, and the cutoff temperature for "hot enough for shorts" is much higher than in the US. Especially in southern Europe, women can blend in with the locals by wearing Capri pants or a skirt instead; men can pack a pair of as-light-as-possible pants.

And it goes on to talk about not wearing shorts and tank tops in churches, etc. Not sure when the article was written, but his website looks to be copyrighted from 1996 to 2014.

A lot depends on whether you're in a city or in the country. Cities are frequented by people going to and from work, so expect most people to be wearing at least slacks, button up shirts and dress shoes. If you're wearing shorts, you are going to look and feel out of place.

When you get out to the country, everything is less formal. Even though most men are still wearing long pants, no one will look at you funny if you're wearing shorts.

If you're on a hiking trail or at the beach in nice weather, more people will be wearing shorts than pants.

That makes sense, Brad! We normally don't wear shorts on our trips except for when we did bike tours and needed to be comfortable, etc. I read some information about that as well.

Kids should wear what they are comfortable in and if it is summer and too hot then there is nothing better than shorts for kids. Shorts are quite comfortable and you can get a wide range of such shorts at the salty liquid surf store.

My daughter attends USI and will be in Spain this summer, do you need a babysitter?
Stop, i am just kidding.
Wear what you desire with a mind towards appropriate dress for entering cathedrals etc. Suggest you pass on the jeans as they are heavy to pack and can be uncomfortable on warm days.
Please focus on staying hydrated and with sunscreen protection.

A babysitter actually sounds like an awesome idea....it's such a small world, isn't it?

I am actually packing right now. The kids will be wearing shorts for the most part. I did pack a pair of capris and a pair of long jeans for my daughter just in case it gets cool at night or there is a cold front that blows through. I am also packing just one pair of long pants for my son. They will be in the stroller most of the time when we are places like cathedrals, so I don't think anyone would even see what they are wearing to say anything about it. Plus, I just checked and saw that it is in the 90's in Seville, so I want them to be comfortable!

Think this trip is probably long over.....

It was bumped up by a spam post, now removed.

Well... of course everybody has its own opinion in this one...

You mention southern towns and cities only, I wouldn't dare to speak out for them as I'm not so much "acquainted" with their customs. But I can speak out for Barcelona -should you ever drop by- so these are my two cents:

While certain trends are global in many Western countries, each one has its own "particularities". In some cultures in Europe you dress up a lot to go out for dinner, in others you don't; in some you wouldn't be caught dead in shorts, in others it's normal attire in summer; etc. The point is whether you want to blend or you just want to stick out as a tourist. If the later, then wear what you want. On the other hand, if you want to blend, know that in big cities (ie. Barcelona, Paris, Madrid) local adults (say, over 25) don't tend to wear shorts -in general!- unless you're either doing some sort of sport, going to the beach -if there's one :)-, or in some cases maybe can be simply "your lifestyle". Other than that you are unlikely to wear them. Full stop. There was a saying in Barcelona about people wearing shorts in the city: either you're a "young adult" (word was different, but it has no translation in English!) or you're a tourist. Having said that, you see more often now, but every now and then only, local adults wearing shorts "in" the city, but that's by no means the norm. Still, most of the people you'll see in summer wearing shorts are indeed tourists. Furthermore, try dinning out in some restaurants wearing shorts and there'll be "no available tables I'm afraid sir". Like it or not, there are some local idiosyncrasies one should be aware of, and this is one of them. Children are a different matter of course. Children and teens wear shorts all the time if it's hot ;).

Note that what I just mentioned applies mostly to cities, if we're talking about towns and villages that's a complete different 'way of life', especially in coastal towns, so you'll find a much more relaxed ambiance regarding attire.

But a I said, it all boils down to how you want to be perceived and this is often a judgmental issue even among travelers themselves.