How to Make a Composting Bin with Worms

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Today’s activity from contributor Adrianne is a perfect outdoor activity for kids who love squirmy worms!

My son loves going on nature scavenger hunts around the yard. He enjoys finding flowers, sticks, and anything that moves! But once he found a few worms, he wanted to do nothing else but find more worms! That is when I thought it would be fun to do a vermicomposting bin!

Using worms to create your own fertilizer is easy and fun! When worms eat food scraps, their castings (ahem… poop!) make great fertilizer. If your kids love nature and enjoy slimy creatures, they’ll love making their own vermicomposting bin.

While you’re outside,try exploring these other activities for nature lovers.

You Will Need:

• clear plastic bin with lid
• worms
• dirt
• leaves or shredded paper
• fruit and vegetable scraps
• spray bottle with water
• book about composting (optional [affiliate link])

Let’s Start Vermicomposting!

Prepare Your Bin.

Poke holes in the lid for air flow. Collect leaves or shredded paper and dirt to make the “bed” of your bin.

Find Worms.

We look under rocks and other objects that might be hiding little wrigglers underneath. It would be easier to buy a container of worms, but seriously this is the fun part (once you get over the sliminess!)

They are easiest to find in the morning. The saying, “The early bird catches the worm,” is actually true!

While looking for worms, we’ve found crickets, spiders, beetles, salamanders, and so many other fun creatures! We love to observe them all for a while and then put them back!

Every day we find more and more worms to add to our bin. He gets so excited every time he spots one!

Add Food Scraps.

Worms are hungry little creatures, so throw your fruit and vegetable waste in with your worms and let them get to work turning it into fertilizer! The whole “worm poop” concept has not gotten old in our house yet. :)

Maintain your bin.

We keep our bin in the garage. Keep your bin away from direct sun and in a location that isn’t too hot or cold.

Check to make sure the bin isn’t too dry or wet. Add moisture if necessary by spraying water.

Replace bedding (leaves and shredded paper) when needed. Look for worm castings, and remove when you get a good amount. Add the castings to your garden!

Want another gardening activity? Try painted rock garden markers!

Learn about worms!

When we first started our bin, our librarian read a book about composting at story time. The book was called Compost Stew: An A-Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals (affiliate link). The timing was perfect! It’s a great book to teach young kids about compost.

We also checked out a few books about worms and other creepy crawlies from the library. We both learned so much!

Would your kids enjoy a vermicomposting bin?

from Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2sX41t7