Natural Medicines & Healing Herbs
Step into Heligan’s herb garden and uncover the healing power of plants! Students explore traditional medicinal herbs, discovering their historical uses and plant biology through sensory games, storytelling and hands-on making. From lavender bags to soothing salves, children create simple remedies while learning how people past and present turn to nature for wellbeing. Perfect for inspiring curiosity about natural health, science and sustainability across KS1–KS3.
Learning Objective
Children will explore traditional healing plants, understand their historical uses and create a simple herb-based remedy or sensory item (e.g. lavender bag or herbal salve).
Curriculum Links
KS1 (Ages 5–7)
- Science: Identify common plants; observe and describe their uses.
- History: Learn about how people in the past used plants for healing.
- PSHE: Understanding how natural things can support health and wellbeing.
KS2 (Ages 7–11)
- Science: Life processes in plants; classification; plant parts and functions.
- Geography: Human impact on environments (sustainable use of plants).
- History: Use of plants in historical medical practices.
KS3 (Ages 11–14)
- Science (Biology): Plant biology, photosynthesis, medicinal compounds.
- History: Pre-modern medicine, herbalism in different cultures.
- Citizenship/PSHE: Health, sustainability and traditional knowledge systems.