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
. Part of my job is to inform her of class suspensions due to bad weather so she can announce to parents and to other teachers. 
Read na para maka-relate ka!
. 
.jpg/800px-White_Nerve_Plant_(Fittonia_albivenis).jpg)
