Chamomile tea hike plus a great night-time tea

Preschoolers are often easily entertained, as evidenced by our recent “Chamomile Tea Hike.” My 4-year-old did not realize that the same chamomile tea he loves to drink at night time is an easily found “weed” in many parts of California.

The look of our local variety is distinct. After one identification, my son has come to be a bit of a collector. He pinches the flower tops and stuff them in his pockets if I don’t have a bag or box.

On our first Chamomile tea hike, he brought his bounty home and made tea immediately. Chamomile promotes relaxation and sleep, making it a great night-time option for children. However, chamomile has a laundry list of traditional uses: depression, anxiety, anti-allergy, skin health, and much more.

Chamomile Tea

1. Bring water to boil.
2. Pour boiling water over a dozen chamomile flowers, or whatever you manage to pick.
3. Add honey to taste.
4. If you didn’t pick enough chamomile to flavor your tea, add more honey and your child will never notice. 🙂

There really is something special about a child gathering his own flowers for tea. Chamomile itself has become all the more exciting and Alastair seems to have a touch more confidence in himself (on top of the mountain of it he tends to display anyway).