Prairie Herbal Remedies: Medicine on the Prairie

Illness has been slowly making its way through our house these past weeks, one child at a time. Whilst this is never welcome, it has unexpectedly provided the perfect opportunity for a deeply meaningful homeschool lesson—one that fits beautifully into our Little House on the Prairie Unit Study. Thomas has taken it upon himself to learn all about prairie herbal remedies.

Rather than this being a disruption to learning, it became the learning.

Thomas and Lillie, in particular, have taken it upon themselves to ensure everyone is well cared for. Thomas has long had an interest in natural healing and herbal remedies, and this week his passion came fully into its own. Watching him step into a role of responsibility, compassion, and applied knowledge reminded me why hands-on homeschooling is so powerful.

This week, we dug deep into the world of medicine on the prairie, exploring how families like the Ingalls survived illness long before doctors, antibiotics, or modern pharmacies were available.

Catch Up! If you haven’t read all about our first week on the prairie, I would encourage you to go and read my Little House in the Big woods post. This covers everything we did from making nightdresses, to prairie cooking and making button strings. It also gives you a good idea of everything we achieved with our own little house on the prairie renovations!

Prairie Herbal Remedies and Pioneer Life

For pioneer families, illness was a serious matter. Medical care was expensive, distant, and often unavailable. Knowledge of plants, herbs, and basic first aid was not a hobby. It was essential to survival.

Women and children learned early how to identify plants, prepare infusions, poultices, and salves, and treat common ailments at home. This knowledge was passed down through generations, and in many cases, it was the difference between life and death.

Studying prairie herbal remedies within a Little House on the Prairie Unit Study gives children an immediate understanding of how dependent pioneer families were on their own skills and knowledge. It also helps them appreciate the privilege of modern medicine, while still valuing traditional wisdom.

A Young Herbalist at Work: Concocting Prairie Herbal Medicines

Thomas is deeply interested in natural healing of all kinds. He has his own herbal garden and a small area in our house dedicated to researching and creating his “potions.” Over time, this has grown into a genuine study of plants, properties, and practical applications rather than imaginative play alone.

He has even acquired some fridge space from his Granny next door, who has a spare fridge in her shed. He is currently saving up for his own fridge to place in his science and herbal nook. This is something that feels delightfully in keeping with pioneer self-sufficiency, even if the technology is modern.

As illness spread through our household, he immediately began preparing remedies, carefully explaining his reasoning for each one.

Check out week two! Last week we focused on Farmer Boy. This is the second book in the Little House on the Prairie book set. During the week we did lots of prairie cooking (hasty pudding, making a sour dough starter and some prairie bread) and also made some button lamps, a prairie ladder, and some peg hooks. Gary and the little ones did some gardening in our prairie garden and we tried to make some more of our rag rug.

Herbal Steam Inhalation for Congestion

The first remedy he prepared was a hot inhalation bowl infused with peppermint leaves. He boiled water and added fresh peppermint, allowing it to steep before carefully setting it up for Abigail, 4, to inhale.

As he explained, peppermint helps soothe sore throats and can assist in clearing congestion. This sparked a wonderful discussion about volatile oils in plants and how steam carries them into the respiratory system. It was an excellent blend of science and history.

Steam inhalation would have been a familiar form of medicine on the prairie, using whatever herbs were available locally. Watching Abigail breathe in the steam felt like stepping back into a pioneer homestead during a winter illness.

Salt Gargles and Practical Biology

Next, he prepared a saltwater gargle for Charlotte, explaining confidently that salt draws water out of the phlegm, making it a hostile environment for bacteria.

She certainly didn’t look well, but she listened carefully, trusting her brother’s explanation. This moment highlighted something homeschooling does particularly well: children learning from one another, sharing knowledge in a natural, relational way.

Salt gargles are a perfect example of the simple prairie herbal remedies that pioneers would have relied on. They are cheap, accessible, and effective. Through this, the children learned about osmosis, bacteria, and inflammation without a worksheet in sight.

Calendula: A Prairie Healing Plant

Thomas has been growing calendula (marigolds) for some time and is well versed in the antiseptic and healing properties of the flowers. Calendula was a staple in prairie herbal remedies, often used for skin conditions, wounds, and inflammation.

This week, he took things a step further and baked calendula cupcakes using a recipe from a garden herb book. The petals were incorporated into the mixture, filling the kitchen with the most heavenly scent.

The taste, however, was even more remarkable. It was delicate, floral, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Everyone agreed they were some of the best cakes we’d ever eaten.

This beautifully illustrated how prairie herbal remedies weren’t always unpleasant medicines. On the prairie, healing foods and medicinal plants were often incorporated into daily meals, blurring the line between food and medicine.

Learning from Survival Manuals and Pioneer Knowledge

We spent time looking through Thomas’ survival book, which contains an entire chapter dedicated to health. It covers natural first aid, plant-based remedies, and emergency treatments, many of which align closely with what pioneer families would have known.

Thomas has decided that this will be his focus next week, and after looking through it, I may insist that we study it together as a family. It is fascinating, practical, and deeply relevant.

Studying medicine on the prairie through real-world application makes history tangible. Children begin to understand how vulnerable people once were and how resilient they had to be.

Why Prairie Herbal Remedies Are Perfect for Homeschooling

This week reminded me why herbal remedies make such a rich topic within homeschooling:

• They combine history, science, and practical life skills
• Children see immediate, real-world relevance
• Learning is hands-on and memorable
• It encourages responsibility and empathy
• It fosters independence and critical thinking

Within a Little House on the Prairie Unit Study, herbal medicine fits seamlessly. Laura Ingalls often mentions illness, injuries, and the remedies Ma used to care for the family. Bringing these practices to life deepens children’s understanding of the text.

Check out week three! Last week we focused on The Little House on the Prairie. This is the third book in the Little House on the Prairie book set. During the week we did some of prairie cooking (soda biscuits) and also made some curtains, hay sticks and a hammock net. Gary and the little ones did some gardening in our prairie garden and we tried to make some more of our rag rug.

Preparing for Next Week on the Prairie

Next week promises to be just as full.

In addition to studying natural first aid remedies, the girls will be:

• Making a patchwork cushion for the rocking chair
• Finishing their baskets
• Cooking more pioneer-style food

Thomas will:

• Continue developing his herbal remedies
• Build a shelf inside the Little House to display their creations
• Make a wooden door mat/dirt scraper, another essential pioneer item

Every task ties into practical skills pioneer children would have learned, skills rooted in usefulness rather than convenience.

Reflection Questions for Children

Use these questions for discussion, narration, or journaling:

1. Why were herbal remedies important on the prairie?
2. What might have happened if a family did not know how to treat illness?
3. Which remedy did you find most interesting, and why?
4. How did pioneers learn which plants were safe to use?
5. How is medicine today different from medicine on the prairie?
6. What skills do you think children your age needed to know in pioneer times?
7. How does caring for others help build responsibility?

Hands-On Activity Ideas to Extend the Lesson

Create an Herbal Remedy Notebook

Have children sketch plants, label their uses, and write simple instructions, just as a pioneer might have done.

Grow a Small Herb Garden

Calendula, peppermint, chamomile, and thyme are all beginner-friendly and historically appropriate.

Make a Herbal Tea or Infusion

Discuss safety and proper preparation while enjoying a mild, child-safe herbal tea.

Steam Inhalation Demonstration

Use herbs like peppermint or eucalyptus to explore how steam carries plant properties.

Pioneer First Aid Kit

Assemble a small kit with cloth bandages, dried herbs, and salves.

Why This Lesson Matters

In an age of instant solutions and over-the-counter remedies, slowing down to study medicine on the prairie offers children perspective. They learn gratitude for modern healthcare while developing respect for traditional knowledge.

For homeschooling families, especially those undertaking a Little House on the Prairie Unit Study, herbal remedies provide a bridge between past and present—between story and lived experience.

Sometimes, the most meaningful lessons arise not from perfect health, but from learning how to care for one another when things aren’t quite right.

And just like on the prairie, those lessons tend to last a lifetime.

 For more activities please do visit my MEGA Little House on the Prairie Unit Study page, which contains all ten weeks of our summer building our own Little House on the Prairie!