Layers, layers, layers. There are so many wonderful, warm, thin fabrics out there now (thanks to skiers, mountain climbers and bikers, runners, and the like) that I think a kid can get away with no coat if you put on three or four layers of insulating shirts, especially if your kid likes the underarmour clothing. Check out one of the outdoor enthusiast websites, like campmor.com, theclimb.com, backcountry.com (just do a search for childrens outdoor clothing.) Instead of shopping in a kids or department store, shop at a place like Sports Authority or Dick's Sporting Goods, and you can get great deals on kids ski wear that's very warm, thin and light--not PUFFY! Good luck. Fortunately for me, my daughter is always cold, so she loves her puffy coat.