7 Practical & Fun Free Mitten Knitting Patterns for Children

These adorable free mittens for children are the perfect patterns for the children in your life, or for charity

Do you love making mittens as much as I do?

Because I absolutely love making mittens.

For children who love to play outside in the chilly months of autumn and winter, they are absolutely essential.

Especially if it’s snowing.

Especially when snowmen, snow forts, snow angels, and snowball fights are called for!

Gotta keep those sweet little fingers warm, right?

The Joy of Mitten-Making

In addition to their sheer practicality, there’s a lot to love about making mittens.

1. They are the perfect size for practicing new knitting techniques. Compared to knitting a sweater with fancy cables or complicated colorwork, mittens are a breeze.

2. Mittens are also fun to embellish. You can easily turn a simple mitten pattern into something a little more unusual by adding stripes or blocks, or even by adding an applique.

3. They can be very simple, or they can be quite complex.

So if you’re a newer knitter, or you want some mindless knitting, mittens will have you covered. On the other hand, if you’re looking for more of a challenge, mitten patterns can do the trick there as well.

This collection offers both the simple and the challenging. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Looking for fingerless mitts for kids?

Super-Easy Children’s Mittens

Basic Pattern for Children’s Mittens

• What you’ll need to make them: 100 to 200 yards worsted weight yarn; US Size 6 or 7 DPNs and/or circular needles, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round

• Why you’ll want to: This pattern comes courtesy of the wonderful knitting charity known as Afghans for Afghans. It comes in three different sizes, for young children to teenagers, and you can easily send them to this great charity.

Classic Mittens Pattern

• What you’ll need to make them: 200 to 300 yards worsted weight yarn; US Size 4 DPNs, circular, or straight needles, depending on whether and/or how you prefer to knit in the round

• Why you’ll want to: This vintage knitting pattern has two versions: one four-needle for knitting in the round, and one two-needle for knitting flat. It also comes with a chart for embroidering a cute snowman on the back, if you feel the urge to embellish further!

Mittens for All

• What you’ll need to make them: 240 to 370 yards worsted weight yarn; US Size 4 and 5 DPNs and/or circular needles, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round; 3 stitch markers; stitch holder/spare needle/scrap yarn

• Why you’ll want to: This Red Heart knitting pattern is perfect for beginners! It comes in sizes for children, women, and men. The pattern link even includes a video tutorial.

No Swatch, No Gauge Bulky Mittens

• What you’ll need to make them: 100 to 120 yards bulky weight yarn; circular needles and/or DPNs, in whatever size feels comfortable to you and produces a dense fabric (the designer used size 8), and depending on how you prefer to knit in the round

• Why you’ll want to: Knitting with thicker yarn can take some getting used to, but it’s so rewarding to see knitting projects come together more quickly! No bulky yarn? You can use two strands of worsted-weight yarn held together. The result: seriously warm mittens for little hands.

Some Spicier Mittens

Dainty Bubbles

• What you’ll need to make them: 150 yards light worsted weight yarn; US Size 8 DPNs and/or circular needles, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round; cable needle or spare DPN; stitch holder, spare needle or scrap yarn

• Why you’ll want to: This charming pattern features beautiful cables that weave in and out to look almost like a stream of bubbles, hence the name. Perfect for older kids (or women with tiny hands!).

Stars or Stripes

• What you’ll need to make them: 160 yards light worsted weight yarn in one, two, or three colors depending on the variation you choose; US Size 4 and 6 DPNs or circular needles, depending on how you prefer to knit in the round

• Why you’ll want to: This adorable pattern has three variations: solid colored, striped, and dotted with little stars. You can use this pattern for all your child knitting needs and change it up as you wish.

Houndstooth Check Mittens

• What you’ll need to make them: A total of 200 yards worsted weight yarn (divided into two colors, 114 yards main color and 86 yards contrasting color); US Size 2 and 4 or 4 and 6 circular needles or DPNs, depending on the size you want and how you prefer to knit in the round; stitch holder, spare needle, or scrap yarn

• Why you’ll want to: This pattern creates a classic and lovely checked design in an adorable mitten. (Note that the blog linked to no longer exists; however, the pattern is still available as a free Ravelry download, which you can access by clicking on the download link.)

Any and all of these free knitting patterns for mittens for children would make both great gifts and wonderful charity knitting projects!