I have a fun dynamic herb garden potion sensory bin which is really a nature based set up table for play. Also, look at my Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook.
Add fresh herbs like rosemary, mint, lavender and basil. Too, you can add flowers, water and scoops if your children like them. And they can just use their hands for a fun sensory experience.
They can mash and stir to make their own potions of fun. This is part science, part nature and can even be used for doing a fairy tale unit study.
Additionally, this is a fun activity for a sensory bin.
For example, the smell is fresh and calming, touch of the leaves and stems, sight for the vibrant colors, sound of squishing and the water and taste of edible herbs.
HERB BOOKS FOR KIDS
Next, add some of these fun books about herbs to your reading day.
6 Books About Herbs
Add one or two of these books and resources to your learning day. Foraging and feasting covers many unit study topics from science and history to geography and nature study. Bring your day to life with these fun books and resources.
FORAGING FUN FOR ALL - Gather the family and go on an imaginary adventure foraging plants through forests, trails, and waterfalls! Wildcraft!, one of our educational games, introduces the wonderful world of herbs to kids as young as 4 years old.
A Heartwarming Natural Living Story: Follow Mama and Papa Green, along with Axel, Violet, River, and little Soleil, as they handle feeling under the weather using time-tested natural remedies like elderberry syrup and homemade chicken soup! Representation for Natural Families: Finally, a beautifully illustrated children’s book where kids from alternative-living families can see themselves—homesteading, homeschooling, natural health, and home birth included! Encourages Wellness and Resilience: Introduces children to gentle, natural approaches to common illness and reinforces the idea that rest, love, and nourishing care go a long way. Perfect Gift for Natural Families: Whether you’re raising little herbalists or simply seeking wholesome stories, this book will quickly become a cherished favorite on your bookshelf.
In today’s world of increasingly sedentary lifestyles and a growing detachment from the food that we eat, it has never been more important to encourage children to put down their screens, get outside and engage with the natural world around them. Foraging with Kids is a fun, practical book for parents to work through with their children that encourages families to interact with their environment and gain knowledge and practical understanding of the natural world through exploration and play.
Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi and illustrated by Wendy Hollender is a truly beautiful book. It contains lavish art work and innovative recipes for those who want to eat local bounty. This wonderful volume highlights easily obtainable local foods and traditional foodways.
Great for unit studies.
Discover the flavors and uses of common wild plants with this herbalist guide featuring recipes and tips on foraging right outside your door.When we think of wild plants with medicinal or culinary benefits, we typically think of something exotic and obscure. But many of the plants growing in our own neighborhoods can be just as useful and tasty as anything sold in a health food store. In Herbal Adventures, herbalist Rachel Wolf reveals the properties and uses of ten common plants—including chickweeds, dandelions, catnip and others.
Craft a soothing aloe lotion after an encounter with poison ivy, make a dandelion-burdock tincture to fix sluggish digestion, and brew up some lavender-lemon balm tea to ease a stressful day. In this introductory guide, Rosemary Gladstar shows you how easy it can be to make your own herbal remedies for life’s common ailments. Gladstar profiles 33 common healing plants and includes advice on growing, harvesting, preparing, and using herbs in healing tinctures, oils, and creams. Stock your medicine cabinet full of all-natural, low-cost herbal preparations.
Next, look at more activities about herbs.
MORE HERB ACTIVITIES
- Art of Foraging | How to Make A Dandelion Kids Activity Soap
- Fresh Herb Playdough Activity {Easy + Smells Divine!}
- Fun Kids Dandelion Flower Unit Study and Easy Tea Recipe & Notebooking Pages.
- Teaching Kids About Herbs
Finally, look at how to make this fun and dynamic herb garden potion sensory bin.
HOW TO MAKE A DYNAMIC HERB GARDEN POTION SENSORY BIN
First, look at this list of supplies.
- Fresh or dried herb sprigs (rosemary, basil, thyme, etc.)
- Black beans
- Small potion bottles or jars with lids
Pour black beans into the bin to create the “garden soil.”
Place small potion bottles or jars around the bin.
Add sprigs of herbs on top of the beans or tucked into little piles for kids to gather.
WAYS TO PLAY
Potion mixing: Kids pick different herbs and place them into potion bottles, creating their own unique mixtures.
Sensory exploration: Encourage children to smell, touch, and look closely at each herb while they play.
Imaginative play: Pretend the herbs have powers, like rosemary for bravery, basil for calm, thyme for energy, etc. Kids can make special potions for fun storylines.
Sorting: Separate herbs by type, size, or smell before adding them into bottles.
Creative play with beans: Scoop and pour the beans into the bottles for extra tactile fun.
