Starting kids early with herbs as spices, teas, glycerites, honey’s and syrups helps build a strong relationship between kids, plants and holistic health. Below is a list of some of our favorite herbs we keep on hand, use with our kids and how we use them.
Arnica (Arnica montana or cordifolia): Arnica is a wonderful herb for assisting the body in healing from bumps and bruises. It is a strong plant, so we recommend using the homeopathic Boiron Arnica 30C Pellets
. The low dose homeopathic arnica can be given to children as young as 3 or 4 years of age when they have a fall or hurt themselves. They love putting the little balls under their tongue. I take arnica after any trauma to the physical body such as a fall or even after I go to the dentist for a cleaning.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis): A bright yellow-orange flower with the power to heal many skin problems. It can help heal wounds, bruises, and strains externally. It may sound odd, but the Weleda Calendula Diaper Rash Cream
was our favorite remedy for treating chicken pox. It seemed to dry them the fastest without any burning or pain like some of the other remedies. Plus, my daughter could apply it herself with a cotton swab. Nothing like encouraging self-care and healing. We also use the Weleda Calendula Toothpaste
. I recommend all the Weleda Calendula products.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum): We buy the organic Cinnamomum verum or Sweet Cinnamon Powder from Mountain Rose Herbs (it is preferable to use true cinnamon rather than cassia cinnamon’s due to coumarin content). We mix cinnamon in sugar and make cinnamon sugar toast. This is a favorite from my childhood! We also sprinkle it on vanilla ice cream. Yum!
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla): We started our daughter on a weak (very light yellow) chamomile tea at 6 months to 1 year in a bottle. She loved it and it is soothing for teething, calming to the stomach and an all around gentle healer. The chamomile flowers are widely used as a tea to help decrease inflammation particularly in the digestive system. Wonderful to add to a bath too!
Chaparral (Larrea tridentata): This is an essential if your child starts to host any type of fungus such as ringworm or athlete’s foot. Our daughter had little red fungus bumps under her armpits at about age 3 to 4 and the salve was a natural remedy for these. It is great for grownup fungus too! Email us if you are making this salve for the first time and would like some tips!
Elderberry (Sambucus species): Elderberry has been a favorite of mine since childhood. If you don’t have it growing around where you live the syrup can be purchased at most health food stores. It is wonderful for helping the body fight off viruses, and kids like it. I give my daughter a teaspoon of elderberry syrup if her nose starts to run or at the first signs of a cold and I take one too!
Currently, we are purchasing the Dr. Dunner Sambu Guard For Kids
(elderberry echinacea syrup). We also purchase good quality dried berries from Mountain Rose Herbs for teas, infusions and adding to fire cider (vinegar).
Read here for additional herbal helpers for cold and flu season!
Lavender: My daughter loves to make her own teas with dried lavender and chamomile flowers. Organic lavender essential oil is a lovely way to introduce children to essential oils. It is gentle and can be used to soothe stings and heal scars or burns on the skin. We used aromatherapy diffusers in the car to keep the children mellow when they were young and it also helps keep the car smelling good! Organic lavender essential oil is a must for us at bath time. Smells good and is so relaxing!
Turmeric: Commonly used to help the body fight bacteria, yeast, and viruses. The fresh, bright yellow-orange root can be cut up and simmered for 10-20 minutes to make tea. We add fresh turmeric root to our tea whenever we can, and our daughter loves it. We also buy the organic dried turmeric powder which we use with food such as homemade french fries. I sprinkle the raw fry with turmeric powder and then put it in the oil to cook.
Resources
- The Herbal Handbook: A User’s Guide to Medical Herbalism
by David Hoffman - The Herbal for Mother and Child by Anne McIntyre
- Mountain Rose Herbs for good quality organic dried herbs and essential oils
by David Hoffman
by Anne McIntyrePlease consult the list of Herbal Resources for trusted quality herbal products and brands we use and recommend
Disclaimer: All information provided on this site is intended as educational.
I love the idea and sometimes practice gathering plants and talking about the usage..or essential oils or the like with my children..like I just bought 5 bundles of herbs and added the sweet peppermint and sage to my Apple herbal tea.. and when I do a tea party with my 5 yr old girl and 8 boy it will be fun to add to tea
Aloha Hailey! Herbs are wonderful to share with children. And herbal tea parties are the best! Be careful with essential oils as they are the concentrated form of the plant and should always be used with caution. Usually safer to add the fresh or dried herb to teas instead. However, I’ve made personal perfumes with young children and they love it. Be safe and have fun!