SELF CARE

As we enter into 2021, the staff at The Educational Garden Project thought it would be fitting to have our first weekly theme of Children's Garden Camp be Self Care. Anxiety and uncertainty, loneliness and isolation have become a common theme for most households and so we are providing many ways from which each of us can replenish our souls with simple things we can do for ourselves. We are offering concrete things to encourage a healthier and calmer lifestyle by making teas, bath bombs, bath salts, salves, Oxymels, and hand sanitizer.

TEAS

Herbal teas are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. The term "herbal tea" is often used in contrast to true teas (e.g., black, green, white, yellow, oolong, etc), which are prepared from the cured leaves of the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis. At The Educational Garden Project, we grow lots of non caffeinated herbal teas, (mints, echinacea, lemon balm, passionflower, tulsi, rose, fennel, chamomile, turmeric, ginger, lemongrass, raspberry leaf, anise hyssop, calendula, clover, and more). 

Children learn how to plant, when to harvest, how to dry, and which combinations they like best. It is common to see our kids packaging their own personal blends of herbs to share at home or during their days with us. Every day, we heat our water, mix our herbs and steep our teas to share with one another. We also encourage children to take real, live plants home to grow in their own gardens for use at home. We believe that sharing plants, materials, and ideas can help enable families to thrive at home.

BATH BOMBS

It is immensely fun (and educational) to make bath bombs. This takes a little more effort because measuring the ingredients just right is especially important. Sometimes we have a hard time being exact but we try our best! We mix baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch and salt into the right combination and mix the ingredients until the consistency is just right. Children choose their own scents by exploring and combining the different smells of essential oils for their own bath bombs.

BATH SALTS

After a long week of hard play at Children's Garden Camp nothing helps heal the body quite like a soothing bath with customized bath salts. We create blends of epsom salts and essential oils to help tired bodies recover. Children are especially fond of tinting their mixture by using food coloring. Measuring, mixing, coloring and scenting their salts infuses the mixture with just the right amount of love to help make these magical salts work! 

SALVES

Salves are especially important in the winter months when the cold, dry air loves to make our skin crack and our lips peel. We work with the kids to make fresh salves by warming olive, coconut, and vitamin E oils with shea butter and infusing herbs like comfrey, plantain, and calendula. Grating beeswax into the warm oil is especially satisfying and very interesting to watch the liquid thicken. Children especially enjoy making their own scents by mixing different essential oils into the recipe. The only downside is that after a long day making salves it can be difficult to open the door with oily hands!

OXYMELS

What is an Oxymel you might be wondering? An Oxymel is an ancient herbal concoction originating in Greece. The Greek word oxymeli translates to “acid and honey”, and that’s what an oxymel is at its core: an infusion of herbs, honey, and vinegar. We chose apple cider vinegar for our acid because it boasts many other health benefits. Both apple cider vinegar and honey have been used for millennia to help boost the immune system, soothe dry throats, and temper digestive issues. For our herbs we chose child friendly lemon balm and passionflower herbs harvested fresh from our garden. 

Oxymels are not easily enjoyed by the impatient, but rather like to take their sweet time getting ready. Almost three months ago in mid October we canned the oxymels and we just opened them today at Children's Garden Camp! We had our dear friend Mary Ellen Lough from Appalachian Sacred Smoke come teach the kids all about oxymels and their history. We bottled our oxymels with tiny funnels and strainers and used spray bottles instead of lids to reduce mess and waste, kids can just spray the oxymel into their mouth or spray it on food (like salad).

HAND SANITIZER

Hand washing and hand sanitizing has taken on a whole new meaning as we lean deeper into 2020/2021 and it can be challenging to continuously wash our hands, especially for young ones. We find that if children are actively participating in their own self care that they are more likely to do what is needed to keep up with the routines of hand washing and hand sanitizing. We use 70% rubbing alcohol and then encourage kids to make their own scents by adding a few drops of their own custom blends of essential oils.

IN CLOSING

Uncertain times can offer us all deeper periods of rest with nourishing possibilities. When we can look forward to simple things like a nourishing cup of tea, or a fizzle bath bomb to entertain us with scented bubbles, or a gentle salve to put on rough skin, it makes the hard parts of life a little easier. And everyone needs for life to be a little easier right now. So, we hope you might glean some inspiration from all of our self care ideas and maybe try some at home.