Sauna with children: from what age, and with what rules

In the Nordic countries children go to the sauna from an early age; it is part of family life. But the rules differ from those for adults, and what is right for your child is decided, in case of doubt, by a doctor, not by the internet.

Basic rule: lower and shorter

The child sits on the lower bench. Between the lower and upper bench there can be 20 °C, and a child is closer to the floor anyway, where it is cooler.

Duration: a few minutes, not a quarter of an hour. They go out when the child wants to, with no persuading and no “just a little longer”. Children regulate body temperature less well than adults and overheat faster.

Never alone

An adult stays in the sauna the whole time, without exception, not “next door” and not “I'll be right back”.

The door has no lock inside and opens outwards. That goes for every sauna, but with children it stops being theoretical.

Milder conditions

Lower the temperature when a child sauna-bathes with the parents: 70–80 °C instead of 90 °C is a very different intensity and is still pleasant for adults.

Be careful with steam. The sudden rise in felt temperature hits a child much harder than an adult, and children cannot always say it is too much.

Cooling down

Gradually and gently. A cool shower or fresh air, not ice-cold water and not a jump into an ice hole.

In winter a short step into the fresh air is fine, but short and accompanied.

Hot surfaces

The stove, the stones and metal parts cause burns on contact immediately, and children grab things by reflex.

In a sauna that children use, a stove guard is not an extra but a must. Check this when buying, as not every stove has one as standard.

Comfortable benches matter here more than anywhere. Alder or aspen is the most comfortable; spruce is fine but should be knot-free and sanded smooth, because knots get hot at 90 °C and a child sits wherever they happen to be.

When not to

With a fever, an infection or feeling unwell, exactly as for adults.

Not for the first time without checking with a doctor if the child has any health problems.

When the child does not want to. You never talk anyone into a sauna, and one unpleasant experience can put a child off for years.

How to introduce a child to the sauna

Start with a very short visit: two or three minutes on the lower bench at a reduced temperature. Go out together before the child asks to.

Lengthen it slowly over the next few times and watch the reaction. A red face is normal; limpness and apathy are not.

What to change in the sauna if children use it

A stove guard: a must.

Benches ideally of alder or aspen; with spruce, knot-free and sanded smooth.

A lower temperature, 70–80 °C instead of 90 °C.

A clock in plain view, so time is measured rather than guessed.