There are few better ways to teach kids important lessons about responsibility than giving them something of their own to look after, and a terrarium kit offers a simple solution that will involve far fewer tears than an ill-fated guinea pig! With so many styles, themes, and plants to choose from, we’ve narrowed things down to our top 10 best terrarium kits for kids age 9-13.
Whether they want to explore space-themed plants, grow their own pizza herbs, or paint a beautiful underwater landscape, look no further than our top ten.
What’s here: The list is our handpicked selection of the best terrarium kits for kids, with a range of themes, prices, and plants from the multitude of options available.
For shoppers: We take care to make sure that the suppliers we’ve recommended are the best in the business. Follow any one of the links below and you’re sure to find great products you’ll be delighted with.
Updated: September 26th, 2017
What’s Here:
1. Creativity for Kids Grow ‘n Glow Terrarium
2. Live Adult Venus Flytrap in Terrarium
3. Dunecraft Rainforest Biosphere Science Kit
4. Creativity for Kids Aquarium Terrarium Craft Kit
5. Green Kid Crafts, Rainforest Science Discovery Box
6. Build Your Own Miniature Garden Terrarium Science Kit
7. Creativity For Kids Macrame Terrarium
8. Dunecraft Everbearing Strawberry Hydro-Dome Science Kit
9. Dunecraft Outer Space Adventure Science Kit
10. Miracle Gro Kids Pizza Herb Terrarium Kit
Top 10 Terrarium Kits for Kids Age 9-13:
1. Creativity for Kids Grow ‘n Glow Terrarium
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First up is the Creativity for Kids Grow ‘n Glow Terrarium, designed to be fun 24 hours a day.
It’s a simple design—a mason-style jar, a few seeds, and a mister to water them—but the real joy is in letting your kids design their own garden, with resin figures and a ton of stickers, including 45 glow in the dark ones. They’ll be checking their plants whenever they can, and learning along the way too.
- Theme – Night and day garden
- Plants included – Wheat and chia seeds
2. Live Adult Venus Flytrap in Terrarium
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Next up on the list is a perennial favorite—a Live Adult Venus Flytrap in Terrarium from Nature Gift Store!
The terrarium itself is pretty basic, but it comes with a fully-grown venus fly trap ready to amaze. Few plants are more exciting than this carnivorous flytrap and kids won’t believe that a plant can move so quickly. Check out the delivery conditions to make sure your plant is guaranteed live upon arrival.
- Plants included – Adult venus fly trap
- Guaranteed live delivery when ordered correctly
3. Dunecraft Rainforest Biosphere Science Kit
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Next we have the lush Dunecraft Rainforest Biosphere Science Kit that comes complete with hidden treasure!
The star of this kit isn’t the fun rainforest theme though but the variety of vigorous plants, that with proper care and attention will even outgrow the terrarium! Very colorful when in bloom, it’s spruced up further by the jungle stickers and plant labels.
- Theme – Rainforest and treasure
- Includes labels for each plant
4. Creativity for Kids Aquarium Terrarium Craft Kit
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Another great terrarium from Creativity for Kids is their Aquarium Terrarium Craft Kit.
Not only does it rock a great vintage bubblegum machine feel, but it’s a super simple all-in-one kit that your kids can decorate themselves. It comes with paint, a paintbrush, jewels, and plenty of underwater stickers. Kids will love decorating it as much as they’ll love their tiny new plants.
- Theme – Underwater
- Plants included – Wheat grass seeds
5. Green Kid Crafts, Rainforest Science Discovery Box
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Our fourth entry is the Green Kid Crafts, Rainforest Science Discovery Box!.
An award-winning set, it includes not only a terrarium but a host of other activities as well. Your kids can make their own rubber ball, learn about pollution, and even bake cookies using jungle ingredients. It’s a fine mix of science, art, and good old fashioned fun.
- Theme – Rainforest
- Educational
6. Build Your Own Miniature Garden Terrarium Science Kit
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Coming in at number five is this Build Your Own Miniature Garden Terrarium Science Kit from Diamante Scientific.
The jar is a good size and your kids get follow instructions on how to layer the sand, potting mix and charcoal correctly to get their seeds to grow. Seeing the layers and the roots through the side of the jar lets you easily see how the plants are getting on, and you’ll notice growth in just 3 or 4 days.
- Plants included – Organic wheat and chia seeds
- Durable construction
7. Creativity For Kids Macrame Terrarium
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Probably the most striking terrarium on the list is this Creativity For Kids Macrame Terrarium.
It combines knot-tying and plant-growing, two activities kids will really enjoy. First up, tie the 20 foot cord into a beautiful decorative pattern that will hold their lovingly-crafted terrarium, then layer up the mix and get planting! The included seeds are quick growing as well, so your little ones won’t have to wait long.
- Theme – Macramé decorative knots
- Plants included – Chia and wheat seeds
8. Dunecraft Everbearing Strawberry Hydro-Dome Science Kit
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The high-tech Dunecraft Everbearing Strawberry Hydro-Dome Science Kit will not only delight kids, but you could get something sweet out of it too—if they’ll share!
The hydroponics system is powered by a water pump and the strawberries are grown from seed in rock-wool, so there’s no soil and no mess. There’s a lot of science behind it but kids of all ages will love being able to taste the fruits of their labor.
- Plants included – Strawberry seeds
- Soil-free hydroponic system with water pump
9. Dunecraft Outer Space Adventure Science Kit
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The penultimate entry on our list is the Dunecraft Outer Space Adventure Science Kit, a terrarium that’s out of this world!
With wild-colored sand, glow in the dark ‘asteroid chips’, and space-themed plants, this is the perfect set for any budding astronauts you may know. The four plant varieties come labelled and create some weird and wonderful shapes, and there’s a charming alien figurine thrown in for good measure.
- Theme – Outer space
- Plants included – Touch-me-not, cockscomb, marsh para cress seeds, and cacti seeds
10. Miracle Gro Kids Pizza Herb Terrarium Kit
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Combining the wonder of growing your own plants with the delight of pizza is our last entry, the Miracle Gro Kids Pizza Herb Terrarium Kit.
Not only is this a paint your own kit that kids will have a blast decorating, but with the included herbs they will have all they need to make great-tasting pizza sauce too! All the seeds are USA harvested and easy to grow in the included coconut fiber pucks.
- Theme – Pizza!
- Plants included – Basil, parsley, and oregano seeds
Update note: This Top 10 Terrarium Kits for Kids Age 9-13 page was modified to reflect current information on September 26th, 2017.