Pill Bug Terrariums

The boys have been so excited about their Summer Bucket List. One of the items they have really been looking forward to is making Pill Bug Terrariums. Luckily, it was one of the first activities we pulled from the bucket last week.

This is the easiest activity. I saved three medium sized jars so that each child could have their own. Then, during a sleepless night with Franklin I thought glass jars on the concrete patio would not be the brightest idea. These are the things I think about at night when a child refuses to sleep- Pill Bug houses...and retiring in Charleston...and Jack Daniels.

I went to plan B and gave them an empty plastic peanut butter container. They need to learn to share anyways. When I went to punch holes in the lid it cracked, so we put holes around the sides at the top. Good enough.

The kids scooped potting soil into the jar and added various types of leaves from around the yard.

They put in a large stick for the bugs to climb on.

Then they searched for Pill Bugs, or as we call them, Roly Polys. We have an abundance of them.

I saw a little bug box for two bucks this week at Target. It comes with a tweezers, magnifying glass, bug maze, a catcher and a mesh container. Totally worth the money if you have a child that is squeamish about picking up bugs. My children are not, but we picked up one to add to our bug empire. We are becoming the Trumps of roly polys. Don't be jealous.

This activity has been a great distraction for the boys. When bickering starts, or I need to clear out the dishwasher, I send them to the back yard to find Rolys...and all is right with the world.

The level of commitment and responsibility the boys have shown with the terrarium has surprised me. They remember to spray the soil every other day to keep it moist, and they feed the bugs various vegetable scraps. While we have had very few casualties, I am not trusting the boys to take over the dog duties just yet.

Check out what other things people are crossing off their Summer Bucket Lists here!