Tag Archive: family activity

  1. Moss Terrariums and Bottle Gardens

    Comments Off on Moss Terrariums and Bottle Gardens

    This is one of a series of blogs written by Anthony Hall who beginning a three-month project to explore the secret life of historical moss specimens in our natural history collection in April 2021. This week he shows us how to create our very own bottle garden or ‘terrarium.’

    • Bottle terrarium experiments with moss pictured in a group.
    • Bottle terrarium pictured in Anthony's hand.
    Image Left: Bottle terrarium experiments with moss from my garden walls and lawn.
    Image Right: A small bottle garden I created [in September 2020] using liverworts and moss collected on pavements and walls around Manchester City centre. It looks like it needs some maintenance. A liverwort has taken over and is almost popping the cork off the top.

    Terrariums are kind of indoor garden housed inside a glass case, sometimes completely sealed,  with a naturalistic arrangement of small plants, ferns and mosses. These miniature worlds can be beautiful and calming objects to look at and create. They are also scientifically interesting.

    I created this fishbowl bottle garden over 12 years ago using mosses and ferns I found growing in an aquarium; the spores must have drifted in on the wind. It is sealed with clingfilm and never needs watering.

    In recent times terrariums have become popular and they can be expensive. However, it is simple to create your own. Terrariums are self-contained ecosystems, which are powered by sunlight. The plants photosynthesise, releasing oxygen and water. The water is released into the air as gas which condenses on the sides of the tank. The water then trickles down into the soil. Bacteria in the soil break down the oxygen and creates carbon dioxide, which the plant can use. And so, the cycle continues.

    Here are some ideas for experiments with making your own self-sufficient world in a jam-jar with moss found in your garden or street.

    You can find out more about Anthony’s project from his website and discover moss trails around Oldham in our latest blog.

    • Bottle terrarium pictured in Anthony's hand.
    • 'Electrified cats tail' moss in a spice Jar
    • Moss from a tree in a petri dish.
    Image Left: A small bottle garden I created [in September 2020] using liverworts and moss collected on pavements and walls around Manchester City centre. It looks like it needs some maintenance. A liverwort has taken over and is almost popping the cork off the top.
    Image Centre: ‘Electrified cats tail’ moss from my lawn in a spice Jar
    Image Right: This mossy branch had fallen from a tree – I broke it up and placed it into this dish. It gets an occasional water spray. 

  2. Holiday At Home: Tiny Tourist Guide

    Comments Off on Holiday At Home: Tiny Tourist Guide

    Thanks for joining us for our latest #HolidayAtHome adventure. This week we’re joined by artist Isobel Pickup. Be inspired by the history and nature of Oldham’s fantastic parks and create your own unique “tiny tourist” guide book to show all the best spots. Here are some ideas of some of the borough’s other beautiful destinations:

    We’ll guide you through making a booklet and filling it with your own comic style creations. Just watch the film to make your own tiny tourist guide book:

    If you’ve missed our other Holiday At Home activities, click here for more fun crafty ideas to do during the summer. We’ll be sharing a new activity every Saturday throughout August.

  3. Summer Holiday Family Fun

    Comments Off on Summer Holiday Family Fun

    Paper making and bee hives
    Fun arts and crafts linked to exhibitions over the holidays. Most suitable for 4–10 years. Drop-in, no need to book…