Lavender Lemon Oat Bars and other goodies are a great thing for kids to make. There are endless choices of herbs that can be added to baked goods. Ginger, basil, thyme, calendula, rose, etc.
Elderberry Gummies– are one of my kid’s favorite things to make. They can’t decide if they are a treat or to support health. I have also make them with an infusion of dandelion flowers.
Earl Gray Granola– this is a weakness of mine as I love bergamot. I sprinkle on top or yogurt or pile it in big bowl with a bit of oat milk.
Bath salts/mixtures, shampoo bars, and lotion bars make the perfect gifts that kids can easily make for friends and family.
Aromatic Herbs Beads-A bit time consuming to make but worth the beautiful end result.
Dandelion table runner-made by using fresh plants as stamps with acrylic paint.
Herb loom-weave fresh plants onto a nature loom as decorative garden sculpture or as a record of a child’s journey with herbal medicine
Herb fairy houses-cardboard tubes decorated with store bought artificial flowers, moss rocks, and moss panels. Goes well with the Herb Fairies book series written by Kimberly Gallagher.
Healing Dolls–will cheer and support the health of a child that is not feeling well.
Sleep Pillows-poppy, chamomile, catnip, lemon balm, lavender, mugwort. Filled into a felted bag.
Tea Trivets-cinnamon, dried orange peel, nutmeg, allspice, cardamon, star anise, clove and sand. Filled into a cotton bag and then sewn closed
Herbal Air Fresheners-homemade clay tiles soaked in essential oils.
Mermaid Bath Potion-is a big hit in my house during the winter when we need to be reminded of warmer and sunnier times.
Lavender wands, hearts, and bundles-there are lots of tutorials on-line for making lavender wands. I love making herb bundles with my girls. We dry them in the dehydrator to preserve their lovely colors and attach them to care packages.
Herb fairies-made by stamping leaves onto paper (yes my 12 year old daughter drew the faces and feet)
Seed balls are fun to make. It is important to find seeds native to your region. The small flowers found on most herbs are ideally suited for the anatomy of wild bees and other insects. Soil, dryer lint, clay, paper pulp and seeds are mixed in varying amounts before shaping into a ball that hold together. Once dried you can gift or “bomb” roadsides to encourage habitat restoration for pollinators.
Bath Cubes-another simple gift that even very young children can make.
Herbal Soap-The photo just does not do these beautiful soaps justice. My daughter created this idea and made these herself. The soap preserves the fresh herbs and they stay vivid green for quite awhile. Spray your molds with rubbing alcohol, this prevents air bubbles. Melt and pour clear glycerine soap base it into your molds, let it set. Place your fresh herbs on top, with the backsides facing up towards you. Now do the white base ( shea or goat milk) that has been died a pastel color with food coloring, jade green works well. Let set and remove soap.
Sugar Scrub Bars-just when you thought there was nothing-yet another idea if your child is really into homemade beauty products.
A pretty surprise hung on a door. Trace and color a basket onto a piece of cardboard. Place a leaf onto the basket and poke a hole through it and into the cardboard using a bamboo skewer. Using flowers with long stems , thread those through each hole. Bend and secure the stems to the back with strong tape. Decorate the handle of the basket with a fabric bow.
Planting an herb garden-Paint a shoebox with blue and green paint. Glue a xeroxed print of a photo from your garden in the bottom (back) of the box. Pick a selection of herbs with very long stems ( you can remove leaves). Poke several holes into one of the sides. Thread the stems through the holes. Arrange the height for a pleasing composition. Cut stems poking out to be the same length if you wish. The box can be hung as a a display on a wall and the plants allowed to dry.
Mandalas-a simple project for older kids. Just arrange flowers and leaves in a pattern. Best to do when the weather is calm and you have shade. Otherwise you may have to work quickly to avoid chasing your art materials or to prevent wilting.
Handmade Paper-a lovely gift that requires time and equipment (paper shredder, screens, blender). Well worth it to do at least once with children. I have done this a lot with preschoolers as they appreciate water , tearing paper, and mess. You can find plenty of tutorials on line.
Plaster casts of medicinal trees using real specimens.
Sun prints using herbs from the garden and a kit.
Felted leaves using templates drawn from real leaves.
Herb stuffed sachets for dresser drawers or in a “necklace” to be tucked under clothes are an easy project for older children with sewing skills.
Kids of all ages appreciate having their own garden. Mini greenhouses for starting seeds are easily made from takeout food containers.
My girls enjoy helping me to make many things including these herbal ice cubes which preserve medicine for later use as a compress or an addition to drinks. They just run fresh herbs through a blender and freeze.
Gingerbread is an easy to make treat that all kids enjoy.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker this hyssop and blackberry sorbet is fun and easy to make with kids.
Herbal honeys are simple to make. Just fill 1/4 of a canning with fresh flowers (lavender, elder, lilac, clary sage, anise hyssop, lemon balm, calendula,rose) and let infuse for a month before straining.
Dandelion Fritters are a tasty treat that requires some time and supervision, but it is so worth it.
Making incense bundles is a family project at our house. I dry them in the dehydrator to preserve their colors. They make great housewarming gifts.
If you have a budding entrepreneur in your home these marshmallows make great treat to sell at a pop up kid’s market or fair.
Spices can be used to make all kinds of winter holiday projects. This link will take you to a post with lots of ideas celebrate the season
Dandelion root toffee is great for holiday gifts.
Chamomile popsicles can be make anytime of year using fresh or dried flowers.
Oh how I wish I had thought of this sweet mobile when my kids were small. It brings back so many happy memories of that time in their life.
Click this post for other craft ideas that are more experiencial/sensory based for very young children.
If you want dozens of ideas for things likes books, curriculum, activities, websites etc. to support your elementary age child to learn about herbal medicine click
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Blackbird's Backyard Pharmacy 