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Terrarium Habitat Projects for Children

A terrarium is a self-contained habitat for plants, insects or animals. Building terrariums is a fun, educational craft for children. Children can customize their terrariums however they like using plastic figurines, sticks, rocks and animal shelters purchased from pet stores. In building their terrariums, children will learn about the habitat of the plant or animal they are building for, as well as the sun, food and water requirements of that species.

Bottle Terrarium
- Carefully remove the black base from a two-liter soda bottle. Cut the top off of the bottle where the bottle begins to taper towards the mouth of the bottle. Discard the top of the bottle. Place about 1/2 inch of powdered charcoal in the black base of the bottle. Fill the remainder of the black bottom up to about 1/2 inch from the top with potting soil. Plant a small plant in the potting soil. Turn the clear part of the bottle over and place it in the black base so that the dome is on top. Place your bottle terrarium in a sunny place. To water your plant, remove the dome, water and replace the dome.
Simple Plant Terrarium
- Pour 1 or 2 inches of aquarium gravel into a glass jar or old fish bowl. Purchase a small hardy plant from a local nursery. Remove the plant from its pot, gently separate the roots, and place it in the terrarium, on top of the gravel. Cover the roots of the plant with potting soil. The soil level should be even and settle 1/2 to 1 inch above the roots. Add plastic figurines to the terrarium. Place the terrarium in a well-lit location and give it a spritz or two of water, depending on the requirement of your plant, each day.
Ant Terrarium
- Flip a glass jar upside down and place it in the center of a glass bowl or old fish bowl. Fill the area between the glass jar and the outer rim of the fish bowl with dirt. Collect ants from a local anthill and place them in the dirt-filled area. All of the ants should be from the same hill. Cover the outer surface of the glass bowl with dark paper or cardboard to block light. Place your ant colony in a safe location where it won't get knocked over. Add water and bread crumbs every day or two to feed your colony. Remove the dark paper to view your ant colony but replace it quickly to encourage further development.
Toad Terrarium
- Place 2 or 3 inches of coconut fiber in the bottom of a tall plastic container. Storage bins work well and can be purchased at discount stores. Coconut fiber can be purchased at pet stores. Spritz the fiber with a spray water bottle. Add a shallow water dish, several small potted plants and small logs or pet houses to the terrarium. Collect toads from a nearby pond or purchase toads from a pet store and place them in the terrarium. Cover the top of the container with mesh and secure it with rubber bands or a piece of string. Add a few sprays of water and toad food every day or two. You can purchase small insects, which are toad food, from pet stores.

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