Teaching Kids About Herbs: Activities and Recipes

Introducing children to the world of herbs is a powerful way to nurture curiosity, responsibility, and a deeper connection to nature. Herbs aren’t just for adults making tinctures or teas — they’re sensory, interactive, and perfect for hands-on learning at every age. In this post, you’ll find simple ways to teach kids about herbs through playful activities and kid-friendly recipes that engage their senses and spark lifelong learning.

Why Teach Kids About Herbs?

​Hands-on science: Herbs teach botany, chemistry, and ecology in a tangible, memorable way.​Life skills: Learning how to grow, harvest, and use herbs encourages self-reliance.​Connection to nature: Herbs help children understand the rhythms of seasons and the healing power of the earth.​Family bonding: Working with herbs together fosters quality time and shared traditions.👉 Reference: The Herbal Academy – Teaching Kids About Herbs

Fun & Educational Herb Activities for Kids

🌱 1. Create a Mini Windowsill Herb Garden

Let kids choose 2–3 herbs to grow in small pots near a sunny window. Great starter herbs include basil, mint, chives, and lemon balm.

Your kids will learn about plant care, patience, and observation.

Let them decorate the pots with paint or stickers for personalization.

🖍 2. Herbal Scent Matching Game

Gather fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, peppermint, lavender, and thyme. Blindfold the kids and let them guess the herbs by smell.

Your kids will learn sensory awareness and work on memory.

For older kids, add a scoring system or time challenge.

📖 3. Make a "Little Herbalist Field Journal"

Encourage kids to draw herbs, write their names, and note how they smell or taste. Add dried herbs, pressed leaves, or photos.

Some skills your kids will learn include observation, handwriting, and categorization.

👉 Tip: Laminate pages or create a scrapbook-style journal for keepsakes.

🎨 4. DIY Herbal Art & Crafts

​Make herb-dyed playdough using turmeric, spirulina, or beetroot powder.​Create nature mandalas or fairy wands with dried herbs, twine, and flowers.​Press herbs between wax paper and iron to create stained-glass-style sun catchers. Your kids will learn creativity, fine motor skills, and herbal recognition.

Kid-Friendly Herbal Recipes

🍋 1. Lemon Balm Sun Tea

Let your child pick lemon balm leaves, rinse them, and steep them in a mason jar filled with water in the sun for 2–3 hours. Add a bit of honey and lemon.

This tea is calming, refreshing, great for digestion.

🧊 2. Herbal Ice Cubes

Freeze edible herbs like mint, chamomile, or basil in ice cube trays with water. Add them to drinks or melt for sensory play.

🧼 3. Herbal Bath Salt Blends

Mix 1 cup of Epsom salts with 1/2 cup dried lavender or chamomile and a few drops of kid-safe essential oil. Let your child blend and package them in jars as gifts.

👉 Safety Tip: Use only child-safe essential oils and avoid if under 2 years old.

Tips for Success

​Keep it age-appropriate: Toddlers enjoy sensory exploration; older kids love experiments and real responsibilities.​

Focus on fun: Let go of perfection. The goal is joy, not a textbook-perfect lesson.​

Integrate it into daily life: Use herbs in your kitchen, garden, and healing routines so kids see them as a natural part of life.​

First sprout? Harvest? Tea-tasting? Make it a big deal and celebrate the wins!

Teaching kids about herbs is more than an educational hobby — it’s a way to root them in the rhythms of nature and their own wellness. Whether you’re growing herbs in a garden bed, crafting lemon balm tea, or just sniffing rosemary in the kitchen, every little herbal moment builds wonder, confidence, and connection.

Let them explore.

Let them get dirty.

Let them taste, smell, and feel the magic of plants.