Salt therapy for children: playful and safe

A large share of families interested in salt therapy start looking into it because of their child. Little ones are often ill, many have allergies or asthma, and parents look for natural complementary options. In this article we have gathered how to make salt therapy a pleasant experience for your child, what to watch out for, and what you can realistically expect.

Why is salt therapy popular with children?

For children, time in a salt climate does not feel like treatment but like play: a calm room where they can draw, build or listen to stories. There are no needles, no masks and no unpleasant tastes. That is why many salt room visitors are families with small children, and a large share of salt therapy studies have also been done with children.

What does research say?

Studies on childhood asthma have been small. A 2017 controlled pilot study described a moderate improvement in airway hyper-responsiveness in children with mild asthma, but according to the authors larger studies are needed. A Cochrane review found too little reliable data on the effectiveness of salt mine therapy in children with asthma. In short: in children, salt therapy is an encouraging but unproven complementary option. Read more: Salt therapy and asthma: what does the research say?

How to turn the salt room into play

• Bring their favourite toy! Cars, dolls, building blocks, colouring books: whatever keeps them busy at home.
• Salt sandpit: many climate rooms have a sandpit filled with clean salt, where little ones can play just like at the playground.
• Stories and audiobooks: a quieter activity suits calm breathing well.
• A shared experience: if a parent stays in too, the child feels safe.
• At home: with a family salt generator, a salt climate can be created in the child's own room, in familiar surroundings. We write about this in our article on home salt therapy.

Age-specific advice

Babies (under 1 year): only after consulting the paediatrician, and for short periods.

Young children (1–6 years): the most common visitor age group. An adult should be with them, and they should start with shorter sessions.

School-age children: can spend the time more independently, reading or studying, but adult supervision is still recommended.

Teenagers and adults: a salt climate fits well into relaxing or evening reading.

Safety rules for parents

1. Talk to the paediatrician first, especially if your child has asthma, allergies or recurring respiratory illnesses.
2. Do not stop medication. Salt therapy does not replace the inhaler, nasal spray or antihistamine.
3. For a child with asthma, always keep the fast-acting inhaler at hand.
4. Do not take a sick child to a salt room: during a fever, acute infection or croup, rest and, if needed, medical care are what matter. It is a shared space, so think of the other children too.
5. Watch how they react: if they start coughing, wheeze or feel unwell, end the session.
6. No eating the salt: remind little ones not to put salt from the salt sandpit in their mouths, and to wash their hands afterwards.

Nursery, kindergarten, school

When starting nursery or school, almost every child gets ill more often; this is the immune system's natural "training". The most important things at this time are rest, a balanced diet, outdoor activity, handwashing and the recommended vaccinations. Many families also like to use a salt climate as a complement during this period, because their child enjoys it.

Do you have a question about salt therapy for your child? Our team is happy to help, but nothing replaces talking to your paediatrician.

This article is for general information only and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. AREC salt generators are not medical devices.