How to Put on Hockey Equipment for Kids Step by Step

Your kid’s first hockey practice is in 45 minutes. You’ve got a bag full of gear you’ve never touched before and a six-year-old who just wants to go skate. This guide gets both of you sorted — fast. Here’s the exact order to put on hockey equipment for kids, piece by piece, with the tips that first-time hockey parents wish someone had told them on day one.

How to Put on Hockey Equipment for Kids Step by Step

Every piece has a job, and the order matters more than you’d think. Shin guards go on before socks because the socks hold them in place. Skates go on before shoulder pads because it’s nearly impossible to bend down and lace skates once your kid is suited up in upper body armor. Follow the sequence below and you’ll avoid the locker room scramble.

Step 1: Base Layer and Jock / Jill Shorts

Before any hard plastic touches your kid’s body, they need a base layer. A moisture-wicking compression shirt and shorts are standard. The compression shorts often have a built-in cup pocket — if yours don’t, add a separate jock (boys) or jill (girls) underneath. This is not optional equipment. A puck, stick, or fall can come from any angle.

Step 2: Shin Guards, Socks, and Hockey Pants

Shin Guards

Shin guards are side-specific — there’s a left and a right. The hard plastic kneecap should sit centered on your child’s kneecap, and the bottom of the pad should just barely overlap the tongue of the skate. Wrap the velcro strap snugly around the calf. Too loose and it spins; too tight and it cuts off circulation.

Hockey Socks

Pull hockey socks over the shin guards with the foot end at the bottom. Pull them all the way up to the thigh. They attach to the hockey pants via velcro tabs on the front and back of the pant legs — connect them before the pants get fully adjusted so nothing slides down mid-skate. If you don’t have hockey pants with velcro tabs yet, sock tape or a garter belt works fine for young players.

Hockey Pants

Step the kid into the pants and pull them up until the waistband sits at the natural waist and the bottom of the pant reaches the top of the kneecap. The pants should cover the kidneys and lower back — if you can see a gap between the pants hem and the top of the shin guard, the pants are too small. Tighten the drawstring or belt and double-check that the sock tabs are connected.

Step 3: Skates

Put skates on now, before any upper body gear. With full shoulder pads and elbow pads on, bending down to lace skates is genuinely difficult for adults and nearly impossible to do properly on a small, wiggly child.

Have your kid sit and kick their heel firmly back into the skate boot before you start lacing. You should be able to fit one finger — and only one finger between the heel and the back of the boot with the foot fully seated. Start lacing from the toe eyelets and work up, pulling each pass snug. The top two or three eyelets need to be pulled especially firm — this is where ankle support comes from.

Tie a double knot. If laces are long, wrap them around the boot once before tying. For more on skate fit and sizing by age, see our full skates guide.

Step 4: Shoulder Pads, Neck Guard, and Elbow Pads

Shoulder Pads

Slip the shoulder pads over your child’s head with the wider section in front. The shoulder caps should sit flush on top of the shoulders — not hanging off the edges, not riding up toward the ears. Fasten the chest strap and any side straps snugly. The pad should not be able to shift when you push on it.

Neck Guard (Required for Players Under 18)

As of August 1, 2024, USA Hockey requires neck laceration protection for all players under 18 in games and practices. This is not optional and cannot be waived by a parent. The neck guard should fit snugly around the throat with no gaps at the sides, but shouldn’t restrict movement or breathing. Many kids wear a collar-style guard that tucks under the shoulder pads — that’s fine as long as there’s no exposed neck.

Elbow Pads

Slide the elbow pad on so the hard plastic cup sits directly over the elbow point. The bottom of the elbow pad should overlap the top of the glove cuff when the glove is on. Strap snugly — elbow pads shift on every fall, and falls happen constantly in youth hockey.

Step 5: Jersey, Helmet, Mouthguard, and Gloves

Jersey

The jersey goes over everything. Make sure no straps or velcro tabs are hanging out — loose edges catch sticks and get yanked. Tuck the jersey into the hockey pants if your league requires it (most youth leagues do).

Helmet

Open the helmet to its widest adjustment, place it flat on the head (about one finger-width above the eyebrows), then squeeze the sides in to fit. The helmet should not rock forward, backward, or side to side when you grip it with both hands and push. If it moves, tighten the adjustment dial or sizing ring. Fasten the chin strap so the chin cup sits snugly against the chin — not hanging an inch below it. For a full helmet sizing breakdown by head circumference, see our Mites gear guide.

Mouthguard

Boil-and-bite mouthguards run $5–$15 and are available at any hockey retailer or sporting goods store. Most youth cages clip the mouthguard to the cage — clip it now, before the gloves go on.

Gloves

Gloves go on last. The cuff of the glove should overlap the bottom edge of the elbow pad by about an inch, leaving no skin exposed on the forearm. Your child’s fingertips should reach within a quarter inch of the end of the glove fingers — not crammed against the tip, not floating an inch short.

Full Equipment Order — Quick Reference

#	Piece of Equipment	Key Fit Check
1	Base layer + jock/jill shorts	Cup secured in pocket
2	Shin guards	Kneecap centered on knee
3	Hockey socks	Pulled up, tabs connected
4	Hockey pants	Covers lower back, tops kneecap
5	Skates	1 finger at heel, double knot
6	Shoulder pads	Caps sit on shoulder, chest strap tight
7	Neck guard	No gap at sides, snug not tight
8	Elbow pads	Cup over elbow, overlaps glove cuff
9	Jersey	No straps hanging out
10	Helmet	Doesn’t rock, chin strap snug
11	Mouthguard	Clipped to cage
12	Gloves	Overlaps elbow pad by ~1 inch

What to Bring to the Rink

New hockey families forget gear constantly. Build a locker-room routine around this short checklist and you won’t be borrowing a teammate’s shin guard:

• Spare laces — skate laces snap, always at the worst moment
• Hockey tape — for loose shin guard straps or a fresh blade job
• Small scissors or tape cutter — cutting sock tape without scissors is miserable
• Extra mouthguard — kids lose these like it’s a hobby
• Water bottle with a straw — helmets make drinking from a regular bottle awkward

For a printable gear checklist organized by age group, see our Mites hockey gear guide and Squirts and Peewee gear guide. For a full comparison of gear options and prices across Pure Hockey, Hockey Monkey, Amazon, and Ice Warehouse, visit our beginner guides hub.