Whether you’re looking for some educational fun for a family lake trip or just looking to learn more about frogs and their life cycle, this pond jar craft and activity pack will be perfect!
My family recently visited a local spot called “The Beaver Ponds” for a day of kayaking and paddle boarding when we encountered “Mermaid Grass”. It was really a combination of a lot of grasses and pond/lake life, but it got us curious to learn more about what might live inside – specifically frogs!
My kids could not stop talking about mermaid grass and how magical it was so I figured I’d take advantage of an opportunity to make our own magical mermaid grass pond and learn some about frogs who might live in there!
![pond craft for kids with printable frog life cycle activity for little kids](https://www.thecrazyoutdoormama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/pond-craft-frog-life-cycle-printable-activity-495x1024.png)
How to make your own mini pond at home with kids
This is mostly a creative craft, but it does help to point younger kids in the right direction if needed!
"Pond in a Jar" Pond Themed Craft for Kids
![lake in a jar lake craft for kids](https://www.thecrazyoutdoormama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/lake-craft-kids-1-cropped-scaled-735x769.jpg)
Perfect for a field trip to the pond or pond/frog week at school, this pond in a jar kids craft is a fun way for kids to discuss what they saw and try to understand then recreate it! An optional frog activity pack is available to go along with it!
Materials
- Jar with a very tight sealing led (we used a large mason jar)
- Some rocks (if you go to the lake/pond, make sure to get some from there!)
- A fake frog or fish of some sort for fun
- Some "mermaid grass" material - we had green wool but green yarn is just fine too!
- Branches or other places kids imagine small pond life might like or hide in
Instructions
- Get all the materials ready for the kids on their own plate. I learned the hard way to prep ahead because kids are excited and impatient!
- Put the rocks in first. We chose not to include sand so that the water would stay clearer!
- Now add in any branches or other small materials your child has collected into the jar. My kids wanted to put a lily pad in, so we got some aluminum foil and colored it green. A bottle cap might work for this too!
- "Mermaid Grass" time! Using your material of choice (we used green wool) pick it apart a bit then put it in the jar. It may be helpful to come back after and make sure it's secured under some rocks.
- Now add your fish/frog of choice and fill it up! A bag of fake fishing lures could work (they have worms, frogs etc) or some other type of frog. We used one that was leftover from a game we don't have anymore.
Notes
Shout out to Aunt Jenny for captivating all the kids at the Beaver Ponds that day! =D
Frog Activity Pack for an extra educational boost
I wanted to include an optional activity portion for those who wanted to add some learning to this – they’re super cute and have some basic info about a frog and it’s life cycle!
My oldest did this at school so it was a nice reminder for him and something new for my twins!
What’s in the frog life cycle activity pack?
- Labeling Activity + labels to practice correctly identifying each stage of the frog’s life cycle
- Frog life cycle sequence cards
- Fun frog facts (gotta throw in some fun for the kids!)
- One large frog life cycle image for kids to color in/bring home
You can purchase this fun frog activity pack here in my store!
![](https://www.thecrazyoutdoormama.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/5-Page-Frog-Lifecyle-Activity-Pack.png)
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