An Arts and Crafts Activity
This activity shows you how to make an ant farm with a few common household items.
Materials Required:
- Two jars
- Soil
- Ants
- Jam, cereal, or candy for ants
Instructions:
All you need is a clear, large, wide-mouth plastic container and a smaller plastic container or
drinking glass that fits inside, leaving a space about one-half to three-quarters of an inch wide. Be careful – if the space is too wide, you won’t be able to see the tunnels.
Fill up the area between the two containers with dirt, tamping gently.
Add ants from your garden or back yard, and place a screen over the top for air. (If you can dig up a queen ant – she’s larger, you’ll extend the life of the ant farm.)
Every few days drop in a bit of candy, jam, or fruit-sweetened cereal. In a week or so, you should have a top-notch tunneling operation.
When your child has finished observing the ant farm, have him or her release the inhabitants back into the yard – their natural habitat. This is a good way to foster respect for all animals and creatures on the planet.
This children’s activity is sponsored by Zane Education – the home of Online Visual Learning.
