Sachet Station

May 2, 2012

DIY Sachet StationI recently attended a conference on Learning and the Brain. One of my biggest takeaways was the enormous impact that stress has on the brain and our ability to take in new information. It became very apparent to me how important it is to teach children (and grown-ups) methods for self-soothing and techniques for identifying and easing stress when it creeps its way into our lives.

Soothing, natural scents have always helped me to unwind, so during a recent playdate, I thought it would be fun to set-up a sachet station. I have had the images from this lovely post by Garden Mama in the back of my mind for years now, so using materials that I already had on hand I set out to create a fun, relaxing afternoon experience.

The girls started by selecting stamps and using archival black ink to decorate their muslin bags. Next, they added a bit of color using thin point colored markers. Once their bags were complete, we spent some time smelling each of the individual herbs and creating custom blends for each sachet. We talked a bit about the properties of each herb and how the sachets could be placed underneath their pillows to help them sleep or even carried in their backpacks to school just in case they ever needed a quick reprieve. It was a lovely way to spend time together and we made a delicious mess that filled the house with relaxing scents.

Mixing Herbs

Creating a Custom Blend

Adding Essential Oils

Adding a Touch of Lavender Essential Oil

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Other De-stressors…

DIY Cup of Tea

Making Concoctions: Children and Aromatherapy

Yoga for Children

DIY Pampering Kit

Learning About Herbs

Resources

Muslin Bags

Lavender, Lemongrass & Rosemary

Lavender Essential Oil

Archival Ink

Herbs for Kids

Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game

Mariah
Mariah Bruehl is a parent, educator, entrepreneur, and author of the book Playful Learning: Develop Your Child’s Sense of Joy and Wonder (Shambhala Publications, 2011). In 2008 Mariah brought her expertise online, creating the Parents’ Choice Gold Medal award-winning Web site Playful Learning. In 2011 she launched the Playful Learning Ecademy, which takes virtual-learning experiences to a new level by incorporating the best practices in education with engaging hands-on lessons, bringing parents and children together from all over the world into a unique, creative community environment.
Mariah

@playfullearning

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Mariah

5 Comments

  1. ~ joey ~ said on May 2, 2012 #

    What a fun activity for a playdate! And thanks for all of the resources, they are always so helpful!
    Just like you! :o )
    xoxo
    ~ joey ~
    ps. oh and I have to mention that I love your “send” button, too too cute!

    • mariah said on May 4, 2012 #

      Hi Joey! It was fun… it was a big smelly mess.

      Emily came up with the send button—she is great!

  2. KT said on May 2, 2012 #

    I love the idea of letting the kids stick these under their pillows at night, or in their pockets in case they need a little de-stressor at school. And of course, my kids will love being able to make it themselves. Thanks for all the resources.

    P.S. Love the new site!

    • mariah said on May 4, 2012 #

      Thanks KT, I would love to hear how it goes!

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