Teach Nature to Children with Homemade Terrarium

This Thanksgiving, I will have the opportunity to facilitate a youth camp at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.

I have been volunteering and working with the preserve and am ecstatic to be able to conduct a nature school program that will engage young minds and open new doors for better understanding of the ecosystems surrounding us.

In order to prepare, I have been reading, researching and reading some more about kids' nature crafts and comparing the ideas with the resources available. While I was pondering this morning, my friend was rinsing one of the many glass jelly and mason jars we have in our kitchen. It dawned on us that one of the neatest and most useful things to do with these jars is not only to store flax seed or oat flour, but to build terrariums.

What are terrariums?

Terrariums are glass jars containing a collection of plants that grow together. They can be any size. They are essentially mini ecosystems that bring tranquility to the home, teach kids how ecosystems work and provoke thought as to how these little biospheres subsist on their own. There are two types of terrariums, enclosed and open.

Enclosed terrariums will essentially grow and subsist on their own. The glass lid creates a continuous rain cycle: The moisture evaporates from the soil and plant leaves, water gathers on the top and sides of the systems, and then it returns to the moisture-loving plants.

Open terrariums require a little more water. The moisture escapes into the air and requires dryness-loving plants to succeed.

For the youth camp, I have chosen to build an activity around the closed system to teach photosynthesis in its simplest form.

How do you make a terrarium?

Follow these simple directions to create a small version of the larger natural systems around us. Kids will love this activity and begin to better understand their role in preserving nature and appreciate nature in its most simple form.

1. Select a glass. For my example, I used a mason jar that I bought at a thrift store in Georgia. Old aquariums, vases or old mixing jars will also work.
2. Create a drainage layer. I used the small pebbles and rocks that I collected from the Colorado River, but pea gravel works just as well. Be sure that the drainage layer is as close to 1 inch thick as possible. Above the drainage layer, add half an inch of ground charcoal.
3. Add 2 to 3 inches of sterile soil mix. Your soil mix coverage should take up about one-quarter of the container space.
4. Select plants. Choose plants appropriate for the type of terrarium you want to create. I used plants found in my front yard that seem to like moisture and light to moderate sun.
5. Plan your mini ecosystem. You can dig holes with chopsticks or your fingers, depending on how big your jar is.
6. Plant your plants. Get your plants ready by teasing their roots a little. This will help the root system expand. Cover the roots with the soil, and then gently firm the soil around the plants.
7. Water the plants.
8. Enclose the terrarium. Place the lid on top and watch as your magical little jar continues its life cycle. If you are building an open system, find little succulents, begonias or philodendrons to plant.

These custom-made terrariums will create wonder and a fondness for nature as the contents thrive. Enjoy!

Kids of all ages can get more lessons in nature at in Sand Key.