It’s a common question, how to get children to take herbal remedies? The truth is a lot of herbal remedies don’t taste great. Sure, a dose of delicious elderberry syrup is easy to get kids to take but not all remedies are like that. Many teas and tinctures have a bitter taste. Also, many children aren’t ready for swallowing pills.

Creativity is the key to giving herbal remedies to kids. You know your children best, and what things they really like to eat and drink. You may even consider giving them something you don’t typically allow them to have just to get the remedies in.

Get Children to Take Tinctures

Liquid tinctures for the most part are not tasty. Especially because most of them are made with alcohol. Glycerin tinctures taste a bit better. Here are some ways you can try.

• Use a mini cup, or a shot glass to put a sweet tasting juice and mix a dropper full of tincture in with it. Maybe even buy them a juice they don't normally have. The novelty might help.
• If your children like, taking elderberry syrup, you can mix tinctures in with the syrup and masks the taste pretty well. We have Elderberry Syrup Kits in our shop, it's great to have on hand.
• Mix the tincture in with a spoonful of honey
• Try our sore throat lemonade recipe and mix the tincture in with that. The only thing is they will need to drink the full cup, so don’t give them too much.

Herbal Powders for Children

Most children aren’t ready for swallowing a capsule of a powdered herb, until they are at least 10. So, how to get children to take herbal remedies? There are some other ways you can give powdered herbs to a child without the unpleasant taste.

• Mix the powdered herbs with applesauce or yogurt
• Make herbal candy with dates and nuts in a food processor and mix the powdered herbs in with that (see recipe below).
• Add powdered herbs to a smoothie in a high powered blender that can blend them very well

Herbal Teas for Children

If you need to give your child a tea that isn’t very tasty, make a strong brew of the tea and add a tablespoon or two into another tea that’s more tasty. Peppermint or spearmint tea are usually tolerated by kids. Add a tablespoon of honey, and they will be happy.

Some teas can also be frozen and added to a popsicle, mold with fruit. This would not be ideal if the remedy was due to a cold or congestion, because you would really want to give them warm liquids and foods.

Chocolate chip chaser

If all else fails, and one of my children really needs to take an herb and they do not want to I offer them a small handful of chocolate chips to eat right after they take their remedy. It’s not ideal, but sometimes you do what you gotta do and it works!

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