Terrarium - Making for Kids

When I was still teaching in a childcare centre last year, I was tasked to organize an activity for the month of October, and the event was Parents' Day.  So I asked myself, "What can parents do with their child that will be both easy and fun for them yet will not cost the centre so much?"

The assistant principal suggested a terrarium-making activity so I set out to research more about the process of making one to see if it was practical. I also needed to know what materials are needed and check if they were within the budget.

WHY MAKE A TERRARIUM? 

Making a terrarium is an interesting way to spend some time with children. Also, after poring over websites and magazines, I found out that a jar terrarium only need  five major items and it was fairly easy to do with children, as long as the procedures are broken down to short steps. I have decided to use jars so that the terrarium will be easy to accomplish and most importantly, portable for the families to bring home. So, all systems go, a terrarium we will grow!

My very own jar terrarium!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

These are the five essential materials in making a terrarium:

1)   Glass mason jar with lid

Mayonnaise,  Nutella jars or any glass containers can be used. In short, there is no need to purchase a new one to make a terrarium. In my case though, I needed at least 60 jars so it was  easier to purchase new ones. I bought the Korken S$2.90 variety from Ikea because the size is just right to sustain a nice-looking plant and yet light enough for children to carry.

Also, some have used plastic containers but we (the school staff) agreed on using glass jars.

S$2.90 Korken jar with lid. Photo from Ikea online catalogue.

Note: I am not working for nor sponsored Ikea. I just like most of their products.

2)   Soil

The type of soil which you will need will depend on the kind of plants you will use. In my case, I bought potting soil because we were going to use ornamental plants. If you are going to use cacti, it is best to use succulent soil. What is the difference?

Though both potting and succulent soil contain peat moss, which is good for water and nutrient retention, potting soil includes other materials like pine bark and perlite which are good for ornamental plants to grow. Meanwhile, succulent soil contains sand or small stones which will not retain water and prevent the roots of your succulent plant from rotting.

2)   Activated charcoal

Activated charcoal or activated carbon is used to absorb moisture and odours to keep your terrarium from smelling bad.  It is best to crush the charcoal to smaller bits, but not powdery.

Some may use sheet moss instead of charcoal. I used charcoal because it was easier to find :).

3)   Small stones, pebbles, or gravel

The pebbles will act as drainage to keep the soil from being muddy and prevent the plant from rotting.

4)   Small plants

It is better to get small plants which can thrive in a small environment with little sun. You can put several plants depending on the size of your jar. For the medium-sized korken jar, we used two plants at the most. For the activity, I got Fittonia Albivenis, which comes in green with pink or white veins from Ikea for S$3.90 each pot.

The Fittonia Albivenis, green leaves with white veins. Photo from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_Nerve_Plant_(Fittonia_albivenis).jpg

Optional: Decorations

Things such as small toys, colorful rocks, cake toppers and other little stuffs you may think can add 'spice' to your terrarium can be used. I browsed Daiso to check out what small stuff I can use and I found food picks in different shapes!

These food picks will surely add colour to any terrarium!
And the designs are so adorable!

WHAT TO DO:

Estimated Time to Finish: Depending on the age of the children, a jar terrarium can be done in 30 minutes. During our school activity, some families were finished in less than 30 minutes and while others, took their sweet time and completed after 45 minutes.

Step 1: Start by adding a layer of pebbles, about an inch deep, to the bottom of the jar.

Make sure to cover the entire bottom of the jar with pebbles. If the layer is too thin, the pebbles may not drain the water properly and cause your terrarium to stink. If the layer is too thick, the plants will not have ample space to grow.

Step 2: Put a thin layer of charcoal.

Cover the top of the pebbles with a thin layer of charcoal. The charcoal will help filter the water in your terrarium and will absorb odours — otherwise your terrarium may start to smell.

Step 3: After the pebbles and charcoal, add a 3"–4" layer of soil.

It is good to add ample amount of soil for the roots of the plant to grab onto, especially if you are adding multiple plants.

Step 4: Position your plant and decorations.

Poke your finger into the soil to create a hole for the roots of your plants then cover the roots gently with the soil. Sprinkle some water onto the roots, as well.

          

After you have placed your plant, comes the time to position your decorations, if you plan to put any. If the opening of your jar is too small for your hands, you can use chopsticks  to move the decorations around.  

And you are done!

Remember though, you do not need to water the plants in your terrarium every day. Too much water can rot the roots of the plants especially if you put succulent plans. Droplets of moisture are fine but if it starts look to foggy in there, take the lid off for a few hours to let the moisture escape. If the soil starts to look dry, that's the time to water your terrarium.

(It would have been nicer if I was able to take photos while doing the terrarium. But I was too busy! Perhaps it's better to ask someone else to be the photographer he-he.)

WHAT TO REMEMBER:

Spending time with children needs a good activity without burning the pocket. And the fun does not stop from finishing the terrarium, you can dedicate a little time in your daily routine for checking the terrarium and watering it! And if you want to do this as a school activity, here are some tips that I would like to share to make terrarium-making a breeze:

• Set-up stations where families can do all the steps instead of waiting to take turns in scooping pebbles or picking plants for too long. Prepare small containers of pebbles, charcoal and potting soil and group them together. This way, parents can enjoy the moment and take pictures of their child even if the kid is picking up pebbles one by one!
• You can buy different kinds of ornamental plants and separate them so each terrarium can have different kinds of plants. Just be careful in taking the roots apart and do not pull too hard.
• You can use a spray bottle to spray water against the jar so it flows straight into the soil. Avoid getting the leaves wet especially if you are covering your terrarium, it will cause the leaves to decay.
• Lastly, Try the activity for yourself so you will be familiar with the steps. I printed out instructions and gave them away to the parents but they were too happy watching their children that they forgot about the instructions and kept on asking me what to do next!

I made a version of this guide in pdf format for those who would want to give it a try. You can download it here.

Sources

Schoellhorn, Rick: The Dirt on Dirt - Potting Soil: [https://www.provenwinners.com/learn/dirt-dirt-potting-soil]: para. 6: [February 17, 2015]

Kuroda, Donna: Potting Mixes for Succulent Plants: [http://www.washington-dc.cactus-society.org/Potting_soils.html]: para. 4: [February 17, 2015]

Fittonia Albivenis with pink veins. February 17, 2015.   http://imgarcade.com/1/fittonia-albivenis-pink/.  

  

Mokkie. Fittionia Albivenis with white veins. February 17, 2015. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_Nerve_Plant_(Fittonia_albivenis).jpg