Ideas for compost project please

[jackyspratty]

Hi all

Im looking for composting projects suitable for 5-11 year olds. We run 3 groups a week , one for 4-5 year olds and then 2 groups for 5-11 year olds.

We have a compost ball which has been great fun, although its heavy when full and has filled very quickly. The kids are fascinated by compost and what you addand how quickly , or not, it changes.

We would like to extend this side of the group and get different sorts of bins to use, and develop composting projects.

Any ideas for projects, and resources too please?

Thanksyou x

[yellow strawberry]

how about getting some clear plastic boxes so they can see it happening ,,,,dont know if that is a bit of a rubbish idea ,,,but cant think of any thing else lol

[rustylady]

How about a wormery? BBC - Gardening - Gardening Guides: Gardening with Children - Build a wormery

[Bigmallly]

Hi JS, not sure if there is anything here that would help.

Composting For Kids

[zazen999]

The Garden Organic Composting in Schools manual might help.

Making a wormery is a very good and cheap idea and they can see the results in a few days.

One of my Master Composter colleagues made a wormery out of a pull out tool box - £1 in poundland - so he could take it around to show people what one was.

[Nat22]

I would definitely get the kids involved with a wormery, i have one and I love it - the worms have become my pets! It's really great to see the whole thing in action and very educational for the kids. I have the Can-O-Worms wormery which has tiers so you can see the various stages much more easily. Have a nosy at Wiggly Wigglers ...the good life made easy for more info. They are pretty pricey from new but I picked one up on ebay for about £20 including accessories.

[Aberdeenplotter]

My own inclination is to get hold of some pallets and show the kids how to construct something useful like a compost bin from basic materials.

[Hans Mum]

Donna have you contacted REAP info@reap-leeds.org.uk they are really into composting and spreading (sorry!!!) the benefits of it, they come along with a cut out compost bin which the kids can get involved with and are really enthusiastic about their subject

[Two_Sheds]

show the kids how to construct something useful like a compost bin from basic materials.

Elfin Safety nightmare
They could watch a video, sorry DVD, about it though

I emptied the school's wormery this morning. The kids won't go near it, too yucky

[jackyspratty]

Thanks everyone, sorry for my late reply! Ill look into the above and raid some of your ideas!

[jadeshing]

The Desktop wormery on that wigglywigglers site seems to be alright, I remember seeing one in my friends house, it has a glass wall so you can see exactly whats going on and it doesnt have to be messy (they don't really need to handle the worms) Its a bit pricey (63 pound) and is not really composting per se but it could be educational and soften them up to the idea of worms