I stood in the doorway of my daughter’s room staring at it like it was something to be studied. It was frustrating me but I couldn’t put my finger on why that was. Was it messy? Well of course but that wasn’t why I was frustrated for a change.
The decor was nice, the fixtures, fine. It felt claustrophobic and stale and that’s certainly what I didn’t want my child’s bedroom to be like. I want it to be inviting, a place to hide away when some quiet reflective time is needed.
Then it hit me. The room is dead.
It didn’t take me long to realize all the room needed was something living to bring it back to life. A terrarium would be perfect, and not just any terrarium, but a terrarium for kids, one that they will adore.
I’ll show you how to how to make one so awesome that it will build those important life-long memories too.
Why add a terrarium to your child’s room?
After recently rearranging my lounge room, I knew that adding plants made a big difference to the look, feel and mood of a space. There are other benefits too:
- Plants can help you sleep better at night
- They reduce anxiety and stress
- Having plants in your room can mop up pollutants
DIY terrarium for kids
Terrariums are very easy to make and you only need a few materials. Many of the items you may already have around your home, especially the materials you need to make it a fun terrarium for your kids. We’ll get to that shortly.
What you’ll need:
- Glass Jar
- Soil
- Small rocks or pebbles
- Plants
- Sphagnum moss (optional)
- Small toys from around your home
Can’t be bothered sourcing them all separately? Get a whole terrarium kit here.
Instructions DIY kids terrarium
- It’s important to sterilise both the jar and the soil before you start. Bacteria, algae and fungi might grow if this step isn’t done and it could easily kill all the plants in the terrarium if it takes hold. I put the soil in the microwave for one minute and the jar in the oven, on high, for 10 minutes.
- Firstly, add a layer of gravel to the bottom of the jar. I used leftover gravel from our fish tank. This will allow the water to drain if you accidentally overwater your terrarium.
- The next step is optional but adding a thin layer of sphagnum moss to your jar is great to keep some moisture in the jar. It also helps keep the soil above the gravel.
- Moisten the potting mix before you add it on top of the sphagnum moss. Make sure it’s only moist, not wet. You will need a thickness of at least 2-3cm.
- Now add your plants. Experiment with your different plants and even stones to make it look like a mini rainforest.
- To maintain the terrarium, ask your child to spray it with water as soon as it’s looking a little dry.
Here are some common terrarium mistakes. I’d check these out too to help ensure the longevity of your terrarium for kids.
If you love terrariums, you’ll love making your own terrarium necklace!
But how do you make your terrarium fun?
Right, you have your terrarium, now it’s time to make your kids’ smile and build those important life-long memories!
Here’s how.
Go around the house and find all those small plastic toys. You know the ones, theg tiny toys that make you scream in pain when they get under your feet at night. We’ve all been there!
You should find quite a few different groups of toys.
For the organised parent, sort them and put them away, ready to change in the terrarium each month and for the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants mothers (like me), scrounge around the house on the first day of every month.
I found and displayed the following toys in our terrarium last year:
January: Minions themed terrarium
February: Fairy themed terrarium
March: Lady beetle themed terrarium
April: Easter (Chick)
May: My Little Pony
June: Shells
July: Lego
August: Cars
September: Animals
October: Halloween
November:Â Shopkins
December: Christmas
Your kids will LOVE seeing their terrarium change each month. I’d even suggest using toys related to festive seasons. My girls loved their Easter, Halloween and Christmas themed months.
Bring the outside in making your own terrarium for kids and you will not only make the bedroom look good and feel good but you’ll also create those life-long memories that kids will cherish. It’s a winner!
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