Have you ever wanted to show your kids how ants work underground? With an ant farm, you can do that. Here are the best ant farms for kids.
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Yes, it is the year is 2021—and your kids have an art farm on their wish list! Sure, your children can spend their free time playing with apps on their tablet or streaming movies on their smartphones, but what you really want them to watch is their own ant colony traipsing through mazes and tunnels in this retro hobby made fresh again.
Ant farms have come a long way! Today’s farms boast factory-tight sealing and a nutrient-rich gel to equip you with confidence that neither sand nor live ants will escape into your child’s mattress.
Building an ant colony is a unique hobby that serves as a learning tool and an additional pathway to nature. Your kids will be mesmerized by their new favorite pastime, and will discover how pets come in all kinds of shapes and sizes!
1. Light-up Ant Habitat for Kids
- Watch real ants dig intricate tunnels: Know what’s even cooler than a plain old ant habitat full of sand? One that’s made with bright blue, space-age gel that glows! Watch your harvester ants dig intricate tunnels through the same type of gel that ants were sent to the moon in. Then, turn on the lights – the whole ant habitat glows! It’s not only crazy-cool to look at, but the lights can also encourage the ants to dig deeper into the gel.
- Includes beautiful and extensive 16-page learning book: Ants are fascinating insects with super-duper strength, human-like ways of interacting, and oddball features (like the butt of an Australian green ant tastes sort of like a lime! Ew...). This Learning Guide is full of cool, scientific information about ants. NOTE: Due to regulatory restrictions ants cannot be shipped to Oregon or Hawaii.
- A fun and educational gift for all ages: Its not often that a science project can be fun and engaging, but this set achieves both! Great set for individual play or as a group activity. It fascinates children as soon as they pull it out of the box and is a perfect STEM project. It fosters a love for science and paleontology in a fun and exciting way.
- STEM.org authenticated educational product: This product has been evaluated by STEM.org and has been authenticated to meet the highest standards of STEM learning. 100% satisfaction guaranteed: Love it, or your money back! Were sure that the child will have a blast, but if you are not satisfied with the kit well refund you 100% of the money, no questions asked.
This is our pick for best ant farm for kids (for the money).
Bring nature and science indoors with the Light-up Ant Habitat. This company was validated by stem.org as meeting the highest standard of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) learning.
Your kids will learn the arts of engineering and science by viewing the activity of the original STEM masters of the world—ants!
This farm features lights that make the NASA-engineered blue gel GLOW as the ants are encouraged to work hard and eat the natural food that constitutes the gel.
Included with this set is a coupon to order ants, a learning guide with fun insect facts, a magnifier, and a USB power cable to keep it lit.
Light-up Ant Habitat Video Review:
2. Evviva Ant Habitat W/ LED Light
- INCLUDES A 6.5 X 5.5 INCH GEL ANT HABITAT (LED PLUG NOT INCLUDED), LED light base, small power cable, discount code for live harvester ants, magnifying glass, small stick to help ants start digging, and instructions. Everything you need to watch your ants build a real ant colony!
- HIGHEST RATED AND BEST ANT HABITAT: The cool blue LED lights give the kit extra awesomeness! Apart from making it look beautiful, the lights encourage ants to dig further, creating huge, intricate tunnels! This live ecosystem will be a magnificent spectacle for your kids and is bound to be their favorite educational-science game! Batteries are not needed or included with our product. The LED light base will light up your childs room! Power Adapter Plug NOT Included (but USB cable is included).
- THE MOST INTRICATE TUNNELS YOU EVER SAW: That’s right! We take pride in the quality of our educational games and that’s why our ant cosmos features an enhanced blue gel that is far more nutrient rich than any other ant habitat available on the market! This premium blue gel will enable the ants to live far longer and dig deep, really intricate tunnels! This not only makes it perfect for science fairs, but also for your own entertainment and educational purposes!
- INCLUDES EDUCATIONAL ANT SCIENCE E-BOOK: Did you know that the largest ant colony on Earth is over 3000 miles? Well, you can learn all about exciting ant facts, amazing experiments and all sorts of impressive information about ant biology with our e-book that comes with every ant habitat purchase!
- IN EVVIVA WE TRUST: We strive to provide you and your kids with the best educational games we possibly can. However, we do want you to feel safe in your purchase and that’s why each ant habitat is covered by a 100% Money Back Guarantee in case you’re not 100% Satisfied! So get your lab coats and science hats on and enjoy and enjoy a great experien
This is our pick for best ant farm for kids (regardless of cost).
This farm stands out from the other gel ant farms with an LED light base that encourages further activity and tunneling by your pet insects.
Evviva boasts a premium blue gel promising that ants live longer, healthier lives which encourages them to dig deeper and more intricate tunnels—and they back this up with a 100% money back guarantee on their farm.
This kit comes with a magnifying glass and an ebook about ant life to really help your kids connect their scientific observations with nature facts.
Evviva Ant Habitat Video Review:
3. NAVADEAL Ant Farm Castle 2.0
- 🏆NEWSWEEK AWARD-WINNING BEST EDUCATIONAL TOY 2021- NAVAdeal Ant Farm Castle 2.0 with connecting tube has reached critical acclaim and was listed in the Top 100 2021 Educational Toys. Newsweek has recognized leading toymakers and brands in the industry who are lending a helping hand to science, technology, engineering and math education for kids.
- 🔬STEM APPROVED “SCREEN FREE TOY” FOR KIDS - Awarded Best in STEM 2021, our ant habitats castle takes science and education to a new level, for kids , parents and teachers at home and school, inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers by providing new ways of learning and creating quality time and bonding opportunities with kids, this innovative toy encourages young, curious thinkers to engage and discover the world of entomology, ecology and biology.
- 🐜OBSERVE LIVE ANTS THRIVE IN THE HABITATS AT HOME- Ants are amazing and highly intelligent creatures. With our ant farm castle 2.0 ecosystem you’ll get a front row seat to observe their life cycles, tunnel digging, moving and building skills, learn how worker ants, transporter ants and queens thrive in the kingdom, with hardworking, diligence, endurance, teamworking, in the highly organized society structures. Its mesmerizing to observe how tiny ants can embody such amazing power.
- 🐜PLANT BASED BLUE GEL FOR ANTS SAFETY AND COMFORT - We care for these little guys; our blue gel is made from natural seaweed extract and corn extract which makes it soft ,moist and yummy! It’s tested safe for ants to eat and live in. The blue gel is already pre-filled into the castle. Our ant habitat is designed with functional tubes, a feeding area, a nursery, a rest area, a living area with ventilation, and a water system. Witness the full life cycle of these fascinating ants.
- 🏰LIVE ANTS ARE NOT INCLUDED, YOU WILL GET: 1x Ant farm castle 2.0 with blue gel ; 2x connecting tubs; 1x magnifier; 1x pipette; 1x nipper, 2x cotton pads, 1x manual booklet. ATTENTION !! LIVE ANTS ARE NOT INCLUDED!! Please buy ants from trusted sources, we suggest 20-30 harvester ants or carpenter ants that are over ¼ lo
This is our pick for best cheap ant farm for kids.
The most affordable ant farm on our list is also a CASTLE! The castle has a sleek look that gives it a true 3D effect and makes it excellent for observation.
The Navadeal Ant Castle is pre-filled with a seaweed-based edible blue gel to provide all the nutrition the ants need. It is also cleverly designed with a dining hall that you can safely open and insert little pieces of fruit or bread to interact with the pet ants.
Pipettes and a magnifying glass are included. This kit provides you more autonomy when selecting the right insects for your castle with an ant purchasing recommendation card.
NAVADEAL Ant Farm Castle 2.0 Video Review:
4. Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm
- OBSERVE LIVE ANTS: Dig tunnels, build bridges, move mountains, and so much more!
- STEM learning toy allows children ages 6 and up to discover the amazing behavior and anatomy of ants.
- BREAK RESISTANT AND ESCAPE PROOF: A self-locking device that makes it escape-proof and provides easy access for feeding and giving water to the ants.
- CONNECTING ANTPORTS: Use the included ant way connector tube to link multiple habitats together, creating an even larger ant community.
- ANT WATCHERS GUIDE: STEM learning guide is included to teach you about the fascinating creatures that you’ll be observing.
- VOUCHER INCLUDED: Your set includes an online code voucher for free ants! You’ll just pay a small shipping & handling fee
- SIZE: 2.5 x 13 x 9.25 inc
This is our pick for best old school ant farm for kids.
Uncle Milton is the original manufacturer of hobby kits for kids, so it’s no surprise that their old school version of an ant farm filled with sand still reigns supreme among hobbyists. Insects thrive as they tunnel through sand, and kids love to observe as the bridges and mountains appear before their eyes!
This kit comes with an online code to order harvester ants.
Designed as a self-locking device, this farm is break resistant and escape proof with easy access to provide food and deliver water to the colony. Your kids may add their own creative touch with the included ant way connector tool to build a cool tunnel system and link multiple ant colonies together.
Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm Video Review:
Questions and Answers
What are the easiest ants to keep?
The ant farms in this review all provide instructions to properly care for and purchase the appropriate live ants for your environment. Typically carpenter or harvester ants, they will be the easiest ants to keep as the farm was designed with their needs and preferences in mind.
Can you make an ant farm without a queen?
This question has a truly interesting answer! Long story short, hobby ants do not need a queen to do their thing. In fact, the United States Department of Agriculture bans the sale of ant queens.
If a queen ant were to escape into an environment where it isn’t naturally found, it can cause a disruption to the ecosystem. How? When a foreign species invades an environment, there are no natural predators to help achieve balance and proper diversity within the ecosystem. This can result in the wrong kind of ants taking over an area and may cause harm and strain to nature and its resources.
Further, for ant hobbyists, the queen doesn’t make a difference in the ant farm anyways. Ant farms are designed as a short term habitat for learning, observation, and fun. Queens can live a long time and produce thousands of colonies, which an amateur ant farm is not equipped to handle.
Are ant farms cruel?
Ant farms are a humane way of keeping a pet in your home—not much different from a hamster paired with a hamster wheel, a cat with a litter box, or a puppy with a leash and a collar.
With proper care and attention—primarily room temperature, light exposure, and of course food and water— your ant farm can be both a peaceful insect home and a cool, educational part of your family’s life!
Are ant farms safe?
When well maintained, your ant farm is a safe fixture in your home. If you have little children or pets around, they will be curious about the ant farm, so be sure to keep it out of their reach!
Please also pay special attention to maintenance instructions with the gel ant farms to prevent mold.
