How do you protect babies and children from smoke and bad air?

Short answer. Children under 2 should not wear any mask ⁵⁶; protect babies with a closed room and filtered air ¹. For older children, U.S. school guidance adds breaks and eases off longer outdoor activity from AQI 101 and moves all activity indoors from 201 ³⁹. Get medical help right away if a child has severe trouble breathing, is very sleepy or will not eat or drink ¹.

Why are children more exposed than adults?

Because of how they breathe and how they live. The American Academy of Pediatrics says children "breathe more air relative to their size, and are more active than adults" ². Manitoba's public health guidance adds that infants and children take more breaths per minute at rest than adults and are still developing their lungs ⁶. NSW Health points to time outside: children "spend more time outdoors" ⁸. The U.S. EPA says children's lungs are "still growing and developing," which makes them especially vulnerable to smoke and ash ⁴.

Children with asthma or other chronic conditions may have more symptoms, including trouble breathing, according to the CDC ¹.

How do you protect a baby under 2?

With clean air, not with something the baby wears.

• No mask. Canada says respirators should not be used by children under 2 ⁵. Manitoba explains why: the risk of smothering, suffocation or choking, and masks must never be worn during naps or sleep ⁶.
• A room with filtered air. The CDC says to keep children inside with windows and doors closed and to run a filtered HVAC system or a portable air filter ¹. How to set up and size that room is covered in the clean-air room guide.
• Heat comes first. When heat and smoke hit at the same time, Manitoba says to prioritize a cool environment over a clean-air one; fans can run indoors ⁶.
• Strollers and carriers. None of the agencies cited here mentions a stroller cover or a carrier as protection against smoke; their answer is cleaner indoor air ¹⁴⁶.
• In the car. Keep windows closed and set the air conditioning to recirculate, says the AAP ².

What should schools and daycares do with the air quality index?

The clearest official example is the AirNow School Flag Program, run by the U.S. EPA with the CDC. Schools raise a flag matching the day's AQI colour and adjust outdoor activity using this chart ³; the number ranges come from AirNow ⁹:

The chart stops at purple; "Hazardous" starts at 301 ⁹, by which point every activity is already indoors ³. Indoors, children can keep moving: windows closed keep ozone much lower inside, and a well-maintained filtered heating or cooling system lowers particles ³. Reading the colour scales of other countries is covered in the air quality index guide.

Outside the U.S., guidance is less precise. Canada lists schools and daycares among buildings where indoor air should be kept as clean as possible and asks organizers of outdoor camps to weigh air quality ⁵. NSW Health encourages childcare centres to monitor local air quality and follow smoke health advice ⁸. The CDC tells parents to check for school closings during smoke events ¹.

What if a young child has asthma?

Make the plan with the child's doctor before smoke season, then share it. NSW Health says to discuss the child's Asthma Action Plan with their doctor and to give updated plans to the preschool, childcare centre or school ⁸. An asthma action plan is "a written plan developed with a student's doctor" covering medicines, triggers and how to manage worsening symptoms ³. The CDC suggests planning how the child can stay indoors more during smoke, talking to the child's healthcare provider, and storing a 7 to 10-day supply of prescription medicine in a waterproof, childproof container to take with you if you evacuate ¹.

At school, students with asthma keep quick-relief medicine handy from the orange level up ³. In the UK, the official advice for higher pollution levels is to adapt physically demanding outdoor activities and to follow an agreed management plan "for example, an asthma action plan" ⁷. Advice for adults and other sensitive groups is in the guide on sensitive people and polluted air.

Which signs mean a child needs a doctor?

These are the signs agencies list; they do not replace a doctor's judgement.

• Get medical help right away: severe trouble breathing, being very sleepy, or refusing to eat or drink, says the CDC ¹.
• Go to a medical facility: chest tightness or pain, shortness of breath or trouble breathing when the child's usual medicines are not helping, says the AAP ².
• See a healthcare provider: new or worsening symptoms during or after smoke, if the concern is ongoing; first get the child to clean air, says Manitoba ⁶. At school, if symptoms do not improve after a break, rest or quick-relief medicine, get medical help ³.
• Emergency: call 9-1-1 in the U.S. and Canada ¹⁵, or Triple Zero (000) in Australia if symptoms do not improve or get worse ⁸.

Is a city pollution episode different from wildfire smoke?

The reflexes are similar but the timing differs. Ozone is often worse on hot, sunny afternoons and early evenings, so the U.S. school guidance moves outdoor play to the morning ³. Particle pollution can be high at any hour; the same guidance says to limit activity near idling cars and buses and busy roads, especially at rush hour, and when there is smoke in the air ³. In the UK, the advice at high and very high levels is to reduce exposure, especially with symptoms, and for children with lung or heart conditions to adapt strenuous outdoor activity ⁷. Smoke itself, and when to evacuate, is covered in the wildfire smoke guide.

What official agencies recommend

• United States (CDC, AAP, EPA/AirNow). Children inside with filtered air when the air is poor ¹; school activity adapted by AQI colour ³.
• Canada (Government of Canada, Manitoba). No respirators under age 2 ⁵⁶; clean indoor air in schools and daycares ⁵; a cool room before a clean one when heat and smoke combine ⁶.
• United Kingdom (Defra DAQI). Children with lung or heart conditions adapt demanding outdoor activity at higher levels and follow their management plan ⁷.
• Australia (NSW Health). Postpone some outdoor activities while it is smoky, share the Asthma Action Plan with childcare and school, call 000 if symptoms worsen ⁸.

Where they differ:

• Masks from age 2. The CDC says children 2 and older can wear respirators or masks ¹, and the AAP agrees ². The EPA's children's page says masks, even N95s, "are not made to fit children and will not protect children" from wildfire smoke ⁴. Fit details are in the masks for smoke guide.
• Recess at orange. The school guidance says short recess and PE are OK at orange ³; the AAP says it may not be safe to go outdoors once the AQI is orange ². A child with asthma or symptoms is where caution matters most ³.

Frequently asked questions

Can my 18-month-old wear a small mask in the smoke?

No. Canada says respirators should not be used by children under 2 ⁵, and Manitoba cites the risk of smothering, suffocation or choking ⁶. Keep the child in a closed room with filtered air instead ¹.

Should I keep my child home from school on a smoky day?

Official U.S. guidance keeps children in school but changes what they do outside according to the AQI, moving everything indoors at "Very Unhealthy" ³. The CDC says to check for school closings ¹. If your child has asthma, follow the plan agreed with the doctor ³⁸.

Is it safe to open windows at night for a baby?

Not while smoke is outside: the CDC's advice is windows and doors closed with filtered air ¹. If the room gets too hot, Manitoba says a cool environment comes before a clean-air one ⁶.

How long can children play outside when the air is bad?

There is "no exact amount of time," according to the school guidance ³. The worse the air quality, the more breaks, less intense activity and attention to symptoms children need ³.

Air risks vary from one place to another; see the air page, country by country.

Your family's air risks, in your plan

The Phaenyx plan's "Water and air" section lists the water and air risks for your postal code, so you know which smoke and pollution episodes to prepare your children's room and school plan for. The Phaenyx Safe app keeps the reflex sheets offline. Build your Phaenyx plan.

Sources

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Wildfire Smoke and Children — https://www.cdc.gov/wildfires/risk-factors/wildfire-smoke-and-children.html (accessed 2026-10-27)
2. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) — Wildfires: Taking Care of Your Children & Yourself — https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Wildfires-Information-for-Parents.aspx (accessed 2026-10-27)
3. U.S. EPA and CDC, AirNow School Flag Program — Air Quality and Outdoor Activity Guidance for Schools (EPA-456/F-14-003, August 2014) — https://document.airnow.gov/air-quality-and-outdoor-guidance-for-schools.pdf (accessed 2026-10-27)
4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — Protect Children from Wildfires, Smoke, and Volcanic Ash — https://www.epa.gov/children/protect-children-wildfires-smoke-and-volcanic-ash (accessed 2026-10-27)
5. Government of Canada — Wildfire smoke, air quality and your health: Protecting your physical and mental health — https://www.canada.ca/en/services/health/healthy-living/environment/air-quality/wildfire-smoke/protecting-your-physical-mental-health.html (accessed 2026-10-27)
6. Manitoba Government (Canada) — Additional Guidance for Mask use for Infants and Children during Wildfire Smoke Events — https://gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/environmentalhealth/docs/wildfire-mask-guidance-for-children.pdf (accessed 2026-10-27)
7. Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (GOV.UK) — Health advice for the Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-effects-of-air-pollution/health-advice-for-the-daily-air-quality-index-daqi (accessed 2026-10-27)
8. NSW Health (Australia) — Know if you are at higher risk from bushfire smoke — https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/bushfire/Pages/know-high-risk.aspx (accessed 2026-10-27)
9. AirNow (U.S. EPA and partner agencies) — AQI Basics — https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/ (accessed 2026-10-27)