How To Make A Minibeast Hotel

There's one activity that The Boy has been desperate to do all Summer; make a minibeast hotel!

Last week we were playing in the garden when he spotted his old and battered wheelbarrow, went in search of a trowel, and decided that he'd had enough of waiting for me, and started doing it himself.

How To Make a Minibeast Hotel 1

Ideally the minibeast hotel would be made from a wooden container and on the ground, which would encourage insects etc. to visit. However, this was a child-led activity and so he decided he wanted to use his wheelbarrow. He dug a load of soil in from the disused vegetable patch which was full of beetles, worms and woodlice, then layered different materials providing a range of environments.

  1. Find a suitable container, preferably with holes in it (for drainage and to allow creatures to join in the party)
  2. Fill with well composted and fertile soil (plenty of nutrients and things for them to eat)
  3. Place a variety of rotten wood (perfect for woodlice and beetles) in a towered stack which provides shelter and somewhere for the animals to crawl through.
  4. Use a variety of different sized stones to create more places for animals to shelter.
  5. Choose some plants (to provide food) which will attract insects; bees like the colour purple. I chose some trailing plants that were already covered in snails.
  6. Paint a stone with an inviting title and find some guests!

How To Make A Minbeast Hotel

Linking to Country Kids, Let Kids Be Kids, Outdoor Play Party

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Comments

  1. says

    Making bug houses was my favourite thing ever when I was younger! I even used to own a bug catching kit, so I could keep them as pets, haha! Mine were never this elaborate though, it looks great!

  2. says

    Ooh I like this. Z is so squeamish around little bugs and things and I want him to be a bit more hands on. We have lots of big plant pots and things to do this in. Might give in a go!

  3. says

    What a fantastic play idea, i'm sharing right now! I love, love, LOVE that this was completely child led. That is my favourite type of play!

    #letkidsbekids

  4. says

    This was on our list to do too, but it seems the summer flew by in a blur of sickness and work 🙁 I wonder if we can still squeeze it in before the weather changes? Am going to pin just in case x x

  5. Lilly Deane says

    I adore this kind of kids. You can really see a potential on him. He is very creative and his mind is full of thoughts. :)

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply to Coombe Mill - Fiona Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.