Benefits of Sauna for Kids: A Gentle Introduction to Steam Bathing
From long ago, the bathhouse has been a special place, as it was here that babies were born. White-polished walls, warmth and water to wash the newborn all created favorable conditions for childbirth even during the most severe frosts. Thus, a baby’s introduction to the bathhouse began since their very birth and continued throughout childhood, as taking a steam bath together was a family tradition in village life. Times have changed, and today Jägala Juga’s guests often ask: “What are the benefits of sauna for kids?” We wrote this article to address this question. In it, we’ll discuss why it’s worthwhile to accustom your children to steam bathing rituals and how to turn them into a safe and exciting experience.
Key health benefits of sauna for children
Going to the sauna is not only safe but also beneficial for children, allowing them to become accustomed to its special atmosphere with unique sounds, the scent of whisks and herbs, and the high temperature and humidity. Thus, children can grow to love steam bathing traditions early on.
Sauna for children has the following perks:
- Spending time in nature in the calming, pleasant atmosphere of a sauna complex together with parents, relatives, and friends helps strengthen family bonds, build a culture of shared recreation and care for health, and make warm memories that your children will cherish for a lifetime.
- When little ones regularly visit a warm, cozy, and light steam room filled with the delicate fragrances of linden, birch, and oak whisks, mint, marjoram, eucalyptus, and pine, this helps them to calm down and relax muscles, has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, and improves their mood and sleep. According to a large-scale survey of children who regularly go to saunas in Finland, 43% said their sleep had improved.
- The warmth of the steam room, herbal infusions, and particles of premium-quality salt in the air help to cleanse and strengthen the respiratory system, so that children catch fewer colds and recover more quickly. Sauna sessions improve skin health, relieve allergy symptoms, and help strengthen the musculoskeletal, immune, and cardiovascular systems.
If you introduce kids to steam bathing rituals under the supervision of caring sauna masters, at a mild temperature and with gentle steam, their time in the bathhouse can be truly beneficial.
At what age can you take your child to the sauna?
To begin with, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. This age is individual for each child and depends on their health, their willingness, recommendations of their pediatrician, and the decision of their parents. The aforementioned study of children's steam bathing in Finland provides interesting statistics: 12% of newborns are taken to a sauna in the first month of life, and 70% of children are introduced to the sauna during infancy.
So, can kids go to the sauna, especially really young ones? It’s important to keep in mind that in children under the age of three, the thermoregulation system doesn’t function as fully as in adults; at the same time, their metabolism is several times faster. A small body heats up easily, and if the temperature and humidity in the steam room aren’t properly adjusted, the child can quickly overheat. Babies have sensitive skin and are more prone to allergies than adults. So, you need to be very careful with hot steam, whisks, and aromatherapy in the steam room.
The best age to start introducing your little ones to sauna rituals is around three to four years old. At this age, children can already communicate their wishes and well-being to the sauna masters, who will cater to the little guests.
Most often, kids under the age of five simply spend time in the steam room with their parents, participating a little in the joint steam bathing. The age at which children are ready for steam bathing with whisks is individual. As a rule, after the age of eight, they enjoy full-fledged steam bathing and are happy to take part in it.
Steam bathing for children: what you should know
As we’ve already mentioned, a child’s body, unlike an adult’s, is still developing, including thermoregulation and the cardiovascular system. Children are more sensitive to temperature changes, and their smaller body weight and skin area mean that their bodies heat up more quickly.
With this in mind, we at Jägala Juga take a special approach to steam bathing for children by shortening the session time and conducting it in a very gentle, playful manner. Our goal is to create a comfortable environment so that children can relax and have fun. Positive emotions and the caring attitude of our sauna masters will help them grow to love going to the sauna, so they’ll look forward to going back again and again.
Taking into account children's physiology, we gradually increase the time our little guests spend in the steam room, with several short sessions to help them get used to the heat. We make sure that the temperature doesn’t exceed 60–65 °C, and that children are in the cooler parts of the room.
When it comes to sauna whisks for older children, birch and linden are ideal choices. They are softer than oak whisks and offer many health benefits, helping children catch colds less often and improving skin health. When giving gentle whisk massages to older children, our sauna masters use only soft techniques: fanning, warming, and light stroking.
To help your child get used to the steam bathing culture with its atmosphere, high temperature, and traditions, as well as maximize the health benefits, we recommend visiting the sauna with children regularly, but no more than once a week.
How can you help your children love the sauna?
At Jägala Juga, our goal is to turn your family sauna session into a special experience that will bring your child only positive emotions.
To ensure a comfortable and enjoyable sauna experience from the start, we recommend that children wear clothing made from natural fabrics. The program at our complex includes tasty snacks that children love — homemade jam, natural farm honey, nuts and dried fruits, and fragrant herbal tea.
Our sauna masters gently introduce our little guests to the steam room with low heat and soft, tender steam. Thanks to a playful and friendly approach, children feel comfortable, enjoy the experience, and want to return to the bathhouse again and again.
