How to Make a Worm Farm for Kids

Children often wonder why it is that they usually don't see earthworms out and about during the day. That's because worms are nocturnal, or active at night, when they drag leaves and grass down their tunnels for their dinner. You and your youngster can make a temporary worm farm with this quick and easy project, using materials you probably already have around your home.
You can either buy worms from a bait shop or hunt them up outdoors yourself. Look under rocks and dead limbs. Or wait for a good rainstorm, when they'll be wiggling around above ground. If you're in a hurry, just fill a container of water and add a few drops of dish detergent to it. Pour it on the ground and watch as the worms come to the surface to escape the soap, which they find irritating. Catch the worms, rinse them off with fresh water and they're ready to be added to your worm farm.

Things You'll Need

• Large plastic jar or 2-liter soda bottle
• Drill
• Brown paper lunch bag
• Twine or string
• Sand
• Garden soil or potting soil
• Dead leaves
• Grass clippings
• Dry rolled oats or used coffee grounds (optional)
• 10 to 12 worms

Instructions

1. Drill six or eight small holes in the jar's lid. This will provide your worms with plenty of air.

2. Place a 1-inch layer of garden or potting soil into the bottom of the jar. Add a 1-inch layer of sand. Repeat this alternate layering of soil and sand to almost fill the jar. Leave 1 inch of space between the top of the jar and the upper surface of sand or soil.

3. Slowly add about ¾ cup of water to the jar.

4. Provide a food supply for your worms by putting some dead leaves and grass clippings on top of the sand and soil. These critters also like coffee grounds and rolled oats, so add some of either or both if you wish.

5. Gently place your worms into the top of the jar, and cap it tightly. Place the jar in a location free of direct sunlight. Since worms become active after the sun goes down, put the jar into a brown paper lunch bag and tie some twine or string around the bag just under the jar's lid. They'll think it's nighttime and become active, creating tunnels all through the worm farm. Make sure that you don't cover up the air holes, though.

6. Watch your worm farm for a week or two. They'll be fine for this amount of time as long as they have food and moisture. Make sure they always have plenty of grass clippings and dead leaves. Add about ¾ cup of water every 3 to 4 days, or when the soil dries out.

7. Release the worms gently in a shady area of your yard when you're through enjoying your farm. Remove the lid from the jar and lay it on its side on the ground. They will eventually find their way out of the jar and back into their natural habitat.