Worm Play
Provided by: Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition|Published on: April 22, 2026
Grades: K, 1, 2
Type: Activity - Classroom
Subjects: Science, English Language Arts
Authors: Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition
Region: Global, Illinois
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This resource includes songs, poems, crafts, and coloring sheets for students to explore worms.
- These activities help build the connection between worms, compost, and healthy soil.
- The resource also includes a collection of worm- and compost-related stories for the classroom.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Creative students will love the craft projects and coloring sheets, while kinesthetic learners will love the fingerplay songs and poems.
- This is a great way to get students thinking about the important work worms do.
Prerequisites
- Teachers will need to explain the connection between worms, compost, and soil to give students a complete understanding of the importance of worms.
- For the craft, teachers will need pink, white, and black paper, thin wooden dowels, tape, glue sticks, and scissors. Teachers may also prefer to print eyes and cut them out, and pre-cut the pink paper strips.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can use these activities in conjunction with this compost lesson to introduce compost to their students.
- Teachers can show students images of a worm bin, then have students create their own pretend worm bins out of cardboard, where they can keep their paper worms until it is time to go home.
- If the weather is right, students can go outside to observe worms in or above the ground. Teachers can prompt students to think about what the worms are doing in the soil.
- To make connections to climate change, teachers can explain the connection between composting and food waste.
This resource uses crafts, videos, and songs to educate students about worms. Throughout, focus is placed on the importance of worms in composting and soil health. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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