Build your own worm farm

Children will love building a worm farm and learning how to look after their worms. Here’s how.

What you need:

• Wooden container
• Drill
• Bricks
• Tray
• 1kg of worms
• Soil
• Newspaper
• Cover (such as an old carpet)

Number of players:

Activity:

To build a worm farm use a wooden container.

Drill small holes in the bottom and sides of the wooden container for air and drainage.

Place the container on bricks for air.

Place a tray underneath the worm farm to capture any excess moisture.

Shred the newspaper wet it and place moist layers inside the box. Fill the box three-quarters full with wet shredded newspaper.

Add a handful of soil for grit for the worm’s digestion and some worms.

Cover the worm farm box with an old carpet or wet newspaper to provide darkness for the worms and maintain a constant moisture level.

During a period of two to three months, the worms will eat food waste and produce a rich soil conditioner which can be used in your garden.

How to care for your worms:

• Feed worms food scraps in little pieces buried in the worm farm.
• Do not feed them citrus fruits or meat (can lead to bad smells and maggots) or onions.
• Too much food will result in bad odours. Make sure that the worms are eating what you are putting into the bin, before adding more.
• The bedding must remain not too dry and not too wet.