For Parents

Illustration of 3 worms

Composting with worms is easier than you might think! It’s a fun activity that the whole family can participate in and benefit from.  By composting, we learn how different organisms interact in order to turn waste into productive fertilizer. The pay off comes when your garden grows better than ever, thanks to composting and worms!

Verne the Worm by Shelley Goldbeck helps kids understand why worms are important for growing food. Click here to buy your own copy of Verne the Worm.

At Home Activities

Here are some activities you and your kids can do to learn about worms and composting:

  1. Build an indoor or outdoor worm bin. Check out this step-by-step tutorial.
  2. Do an experiment with plants to see how compost helps plants. Check out the experiment outline here.
  3. Observe worms in nature. To show how sensitive worms are to touch, place things like a leaf or stick in it’s path and observe the worm’s reaction. When kids learn that worms can feel, they may develop a better understanding of how to respect animals. Click here for a sample activity sheet.