Is it safe to bring kids in the sauna?

Thinking about bringing your kids to Sauna Camp? Good!

Some of our favorite sessions are family sessions. We grew up saunaing as children ourselves and loved the experience. It's part of why we started Sauna Camp in the first place. Here's everything parents ask us, so you can show up relaxed and ready for a session at Sauna Camp.

Is it safe for children to sauna?

Short answer: yes. Children have been saunaing for generations. It's a way of life in Finland and across the world wherever there is hot therapy cultures. Kids grow up in the sauna right alongside their parents.

The keys are lower temperatures, shorter rounds, and plenty of water.

Kids heat up faster than adults, so they naturally prefer a milder sauna and shorter stints...and that's exactly how it should be.

Once the children are done with the sauna, we have heated changing rooms on site for returning all your bodies to a neutral temperature, and so you can change back into your regular winter clothes.

Why we recommend a private sauna for families...

Most kids under the age of 13 enjoy lower temperatures, so we encourage families to book a private sauna instead of the public sauna individual passes. Here's why:

• Our staff can adjust the temperature to fit your family's preferences: cooler for the younger kids, hotter for the teens who can handle a bit more

• You can keep an eye on everyone easily. We require all our minors to be accompanied at all times by a guardian. Having your own sauna unit helps you relax so you don't have to "wrangle" as much

• You stay together the whole time. In public sessions, guests move freely between multiple saunas, so there's no guarantee your group ends up in the same one

• It's your space, your pace. Real family time, without working around anyone else

Ages, tickets, and waivers

• Kids ages 7 and up are welcome at Sauna Camp

• Every person attending, including kids, needs their own ticket and a signed waiver

• Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or adult for the whole session. No drop-offs.

• Bathing suits are required at all times. We have a strict no-nudity policy, and one of the reasons is exactly this: minors are on site

What about the cold plunge?

Totally optional and plenty of kids love it. Others prefer to roll around in the snow or just stand in the cold winter air to cool off. All of those count.

The plunge hole is hand-carved out of the frozen lake and shallow enough to stand and touch the bottom, so no swimming ability is needed. Our experienced sauna guides are right there to help first-timers ease in and also answer questions. And the bring-a-buddy rule applies to everyone: every time anyone goes in the water, bring someone with you.

What should kids bring?

• A bathing suit, a towel, and a water bottle. Hydration matters, since sauna and plunging can be physically intense

• Foot protection for the water and for walking around. Water shoes or wool socks keep little toes warm and stop feet from sticking to the ice

• Slip-on shoes for walking around camp

• Warm layers for between rounds, and snacks are welcome outside the saunas

How long should kids stay in?

Sauna is not a contest; go at your own pace. Kids usually do shorter rounds: a few minutes in the heat, a quick cool-down, then back in if they feel like it. Get out of the sauna or the plunge anytime you feel lightheaded or dizzy. Our staff can help you find a rhythm that works for your whole family.

A few tips from our guides

• Hydrate before, during, and after. We provide water refills for water bottles and have electrolytes on site for purchase

• Let kids be kids between rounds, the bonfire pits and the snow are fair game

• Bringing the whole crew? Our 4- and 8-packs are shareable, so you can split passes with family or friends

We started Sauna Camp because we loved saunaing as kids. Come make those memories with your family.

We're not medical professionals, so if your child has a heart condition or any ongoing medical concern, check with your pediatrician first.

Questions? Email us at info@saunacamps.com, call or text 612-260-2460, or browse our FAQ page.