Winter Herbs for Kids

This winter, be prepared for sniffle season by stocking your home apothecary with simple yet powerful herbs.

Elderberry

Elderberry is a very popular herbal preparation, and you have probably seen syrups lining the shelves at any health food store. Elderberry syrup can be taken any time of year, but many parents make sure to keep it around in the fall and winter months. This is because it may help fight off infections and/or shorten infection durations. You can easily make elderberry syrup at home. You can avoid unwanted preservatives if you make your own.

Thyme

Thyme is probably in your kitchen right now. It’s a very versatile cooking spice and a powerful herb with antiviral and antimicrobial properties. A strong cup of thyme tea can help support the immune system during a cold. Thyme is known to help expel excess mucus and can be helpful for kids with wet and nagging coughs. If your kid doesn’t like the flavor or thyme and honey tea, add a strong cup of tea into your child’s bath water.

Chamomile

Whenever my daughter has a fever, she tends to get nightmares. I’ve found that chamomile has been a great help when dealing with fever dreams. A cup of tea before bed or a dropperful of chamomile glycerite helps promote sweet dreams during illness, at least in my experience. In the case of an upset tummy, chamomile is the first herb I turn to. Most kids love the taste of chamomile tea so it goes down easily.

Lavender

When my kids have a cold, it usually means a rough night of sleep. I try to focus on things to help them get the best sleep possible because sleep is one of the most important things when trying to overcome a bug. Lavender offers a gentle and familiar way to get some better sleep. Lavender is very bitter in flavor so don’t expect to brew up a cup of lavender tea. You can add a tiny bit of lavender to chamomile though and it’s delicious. I like to add a very strong infusion of lavender tea into my kids’ bathwater. The volatile oils waft through the air and the aromatherapy helps calm and relax them.

Sage

Garden sage makes an excellent sore throat remedy. Children can gargle a cup of sage tea. You can add some sea salt to make the gargle more effective. Sage tea popsicles aren’t necessarily the tastiest treat, but can also help with sore throat pain.

If you keep some of these herbs around, you’ll be ready for any sniffle, sore throat, or sneeziness this winter. Do you have a favorite winter time herb you use with your kids?