“If you wish your children to think deep thoughts, to know the holiest emotions, take them to the woods and hills, and give them the freedom of the meadows; the hills purify those who walk upon them.“
-Richard Jefferies
The holiday season is upon us and if you’re like me, you hope to choose meaningful gifts for your kids that will encourage their imagination and help to stimulate their love of nature (and herbs!). Or perhaps you have a special little someone in your life who loves to learn about herbs and you want to give them something to help nurture that. Today I am listing some of my favorite herbal gift ideas that I have given to my kids and my friends’ kids over the years that have been a hit.
Games
Who doesn’t love a fun game? Games are a great way to learn about herbs. At Herbal Roots zine, you can print off a free Herbal Bingo game to use as a stocking stuffer.
Younger kids from 5 – 8 will enjoy Family Pastimes Walk in the Woods: A Co-operative Board Game. Gathering A Garden Board Game by Eeboo is perfect for the 5 and up crowd while The Garden Game by Ampersand is best suited for 8 and up. Though they are not herb specific games, they all bring awareness to the plants around us.
LearningHerbs.com is the maker of the popular kid’s game Wildcraft! and is a hit wherever we take it. This game is great for all ages. As a bonus, they are offering free holiday shipping right now.
Books
Whether it’s stories about herbal adventures such as the popular Herb Fairies set, a kid sized herbal such as Lesley Tierra’s A Kid’s Herb Book for Children of All Ages or a collection of Herbal Roots zine ebooks, books are a wonderful holiday gift idea for kids of all ages. We’ve also got lots of book ideas on our website, simply go to it and click on the link that says ‘Resources’ for many more ideas.
Movies
If your kids are anything like mine, they like movies! So why not share some great herbal based movies with them? Juliette of the Herbs is a movie about the grandmother of herbal medicine, Juliette de Bairacli Levy and is a lovely view. Numen: The Nature of Plants combines herbalist interviews with a bit of scientific information.
Younger kids will enjoy David the Gnome cartoons and The Enchanted World of Brambly Hedge (which I cannot find for purchase but can be streamed from online, maybe a coupon gift pack for movie time could be created).
Herbal Supplies
Kids love to create! Create mini herbal remedy making kits that include herbs, a copy of a coordinating issue of Herbal Roots zine, oils, beeswax, glycerin, containers, etc. Mountain Rose Herbs not only offers dried herbs but also lip balm containers, salve containers, bottles and more!
Not sure what to put in a kit? LearningHerbs.com makes kits that offers a variety of herbal remedies to make such as Elderberry syrup and Calendula salve. This kit is on sale until Thursday at midnight.
Seeds
Is your child into gardening? Does he like to help you plant and weed and harvest every year? Why not give him a gift pack of seeds to start his own herb garden? Kidzherbs by Sena Cech, daughter of Richo Cech of Horizon Herbs is a delightful kid’s guide to growing medicinal plants which includes a booklet and 12 seed packages.
When purchasing herb seeds, I look for sources that provide heirloom varieties such as Horizon Herbs, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and the Thyme Garden. Seeds make great stocking stuffers or put together a collection along with a garden journal for that budding herbal gardener in your family.
Trips
How about a trip to the local nature preserve or botanical garden? Stuff a brochure from your local natural place into your kids’ stocking with a date written on it. Or, include a few brochures and maps from several local places stuffed into a blank nature journal.
What are your favorite herbal gifts for kids? Do you have any holiday gifts for the budding herbalist in your life? Share them with us!