At ChicaDee, one of our goals is to help children develop a love and appreciation for nature.
For that reason we created a selection of adjustable hats for toddlers and youth that feature places, plants and animals from British Columbia. It is our hope that our brightly coloured designs pique their interest and inspire children to inquire and learn about the plants and animals that live in the forests beyond their homes and schoolyards.
We loved cartoons as children and suspect that all children are intrigued by the magical quality of cartoon characters, which is why our designs employ a cartoon-esque aesthetic.
Our Mountain Cottontail Rabbit design includes clover and dandelion greens because these are some of the foods that Mountain Cottontails eat. Our idea is to create images that capture the attention of young children and then pair that with content that can serve as teaching points for parents. Children can learn about Cottontails, their habitat, what they eat and develop a foundation for connection when they see one in person.
Chipmunks are ubiquitous in British Columbia, which is why we chose to feature them. Besides being incredibly cute little creatures, they can be easily identified by children. Our Chipmunk design features two chipmunks sharing some grasses in a patch of crocus flowers. Grass seeds are a source of food for Chipmunks and in spring crocuses are some of the first flowers to bloom in British Columbia.
Similarly, our Black Bear and Blueberries design features a black bear cub in a patch of blueberries with a boreal forest in the back ground. Using this image, parents can discuss bears, their habitat, what they eat and potentially incorporate how to safely travel in terrain where bears live.
We received quite a few requests for a unicorn hat and could not resist creating a design that would celebrate the mythical magic of the unicorn. I remember being enthralled by them as a child! In keeping with our theme we adorned our ChicaDee unicorn with BC wildflowers and incorporated Monarch butterflies into the design. We have a small population of Monarchs in southern BC that are now considered a species at risk. Changes in temperature due to climate change, the use of pesticides and herbicides as well as threats to their overwintering grounds are just some of the factors that have endangered this beautiful butterfly. Gently explaining the concept of species at risk to our little ones cultivates appreciation and connects children to nature and the creatures that inhabit it. 
Our Chipmunks, Bear Cub, Cottontail Rabbit and Unicorn & Monarchs snapback hats are all available on our website in youth sizing (ages five to thirteen) and are coming soon for toddlers (ages two to four).
We are excited to be adding four new designs to our ChicaDee children’s adjustable hat line and will be releasing those designs soon. Stay tuned for fox, wolf, owl and deer in youth sizing!
We send out a huge thank you to all the parents who helped to guide and inspire our children’s hat designs. These vetted, intentional designs are largely due to your longstanding love of nature and the desire to pass that love onto your children. We wish you warm, sunny days adventuring in the breezes!