Tea Tasting & DIY Herbal Blends for Kids
Tasty teas and kids go right along together like two peas in a pod. Herbal teas are a nourishing beverage option for children that are full of vitamins and minerals while offering health boosting properties such as easing digestion, strengthening against viral illness, and relaxing the nervous system. Much better for little bodies than juice and soda pop.
I had the great joy of sharing delicious herbal teas with some of the smallest humans at preschool with a bit of a party! Read on to find out more about our adventure and learn a bit about the herbal teas we enjoyed tasting together. My hope is that this will help you to share teas with the littles in your own life
To start off our make-your-own tea blend project we had a big tea tasting. I gave the kids a little bit of each tea to try, all the while talking with them about what gifts the tea offers to their body - anise seed to soothe with coughs; rose hips to for a vitamin C boost that is good for the immune system, and peppermint to help comfort an upset tummy.
Not all tea was tasty for each kiddo so we had a little pitcher on hand to pour unwanted tea into.
Herbs For A Children’s Tea Tasting
SPEARMINT & PEPPERMINT
Mentha spp.
Spearmint and peppermint of course are tasty and very approachable for most kids because they often recognize the flavor. Generally spearmint and peppermint are both considered to have similar properties with spearmint being milder and a bit less "spicy" making it a favorite for children. Mints have antiseptic and carminative properties therefore are used for illnesses associated with digestive upset and will help relieve gas.
LEMON BALM
Melissa officinalis
This super tasty lemony tea is a kid’s favorite. It is great for helping to relax kids that are so overtired they can’t calm down. Lemon balm’s antiviral properties are also helpful in healing colds and flu.
CHAMOMILE
Matricaria chamomilla
Another great herb for kids, chamomile is a wonderful, gentle nervine that eases restlessness and insomnia. Chamomile is used by herbalists to promote rest and for easing complaining and whining. It can help to relieve pain and irritation in the belly, being particularly useful for flatulence and indigestion as well as stomach upset associated with nervousness and stress. Think Peter Rabbit and his cup of tea after the trying day in Mr. McGregor’s garden!
ANISE SEED
Pimpinella anisum
Anise is another favorite tea for kids. The kids at preschool really enjoyed this tea as the regaled the room with exclamations of “Yummy!” and “It’s sweet!” This herb makes a great tea to help relax irritable coughs and for alleviating intestinal gas.
ROSE PETALS
Rosa spp.
Did you know you drink a tea made from rose petals? It is beautiful tasting and is quite popular with children. All that deliciousness brings with it anti-inflammatory properties as well as soothing coolness for the urinary system, nervous system and heart. The petals are used to help ease cold and flu symptoms and lung congestion. Emotionally, roses are thought to soothe broken hearts and aggravated nervous systems.
ROSE HIPS
Rosa spp.
Rose hips, the fruit of a rose, contain a goodly amount of vitamin C. They make a tasty sweet-sour addition to tea and foods.
ELDERBERRY
Sambucus nigra
With it’s fruity berry flavor, elderberry tea is so delicious! And elderberry is an amazingly helpful plant. It is specific for flu and upper respiratory issues, actually helping to support the body during the flu virus (Mars, 1997 and Blackburn, 2012)! Learn more about elderberry here and learn to make your own elderberry syrup here.
FENNEL
Foeniculum vulgare
Fennel is a wonderful tummy soother. It is used by herbalists to help relax smooth muscle, ease inflammation, and as an expectorant all while tasting pretty yummy!
CINNAMON CHIPS
Cinnamomum verum, C. zeylanicum
Cinnamon is mucilaginous and along with it's warming carminative properties, may help to ease stomach upset. Cinnamon is used to warm up a cold body and ease chills during illness. The chips are so tasty the kids like to munch on the straight.
GINGER
Zingiber officinale
Ginger is known to be very warming, great for headaches, belly aches, colds and flu. At our tasting most of the kids thought the ginger tea made from dried ginger was too spicy. Though they loved the tea brewed from fresh ginger rhizome and sweetened with a tidge of honey.
MYO Tea Blend
After our tea tasting each child made their own tea blend to take home. I had them choose up to four of their favorite herbs from the teas we tasted. To keep it simple we didn’t worry about measuring or anything just put a few big spoonfuls of each herb in a bowl and then the kids gave it a good stir. After blending, we put the herbs in a baggie to send home for sharing with family.
We also included a label for each child’s tea. I used a highlighter to mark the herbs in each child's blend.
Here is an example of our label:
MYO Herbal Tea Blend
Today your child blended their own special tea and chose the following herbs for their tasty blend:
Rose Hips, Lemon Balm, Spearmint, Peppermint, Elderberry, Anise Seed & Ginger
Instructions ~ Steep 1 to 3 teaspoons of loose tea in 8 oz. of hot water for 5 to 10 minutes.
Strain the herbs out and drink! Add agave or honey to taste if you wish.
Kid-Made Favorite Tea Blend
As we made our teas, there was one particular combination that many kids chose.
Here is their tasty blend:
Lemon balm
Elderberry
Rose hips
Anise
The kids loved bringing tea home to share with their family - special tea that they blended up and made! One mom sent me a picture of her little one having a tea party with all of his favorite stuffed animal friends using his very own tea. Another dad told me that his child, "Loves that tea!"
References
Blackburn, Nicky. “Study Shows Israeli Elderberry Extract Effective against Avian Flu.” ISRAEL21c, 13 Sept. 2012, www.israel21c.org/study-shows-israeli-elderberry-extract-effective-against-avian-flu/.
Grieve, Mrs. M., A Modern Herbal, Random House, 1973
Mars, Brigitte, Elder, Keats Publishing, 1997
McIntyre, Anne, Flower Power, Henry Holt & Company, Inc., 1996
Tilgner, Sharol, N.D., Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth, Wise Acres Press, Inc., 1999
Previously posted on Mama Rosemary