Blog
Summer Camp Recap: Wonderful Worms
Summer Camp Recap is our weekly seasonal segment featuring our summer camp programs. This is the place for camp parents to find pictures of their campers in action and see the fun things we did all week. It’s also a great place for educators to pick up craft, story and lesson ideas for their own early childhood programs.
Last week our Little Sprouts gathered for Wonderful Worms! Every day our two- to four-year-old campers explored the importance of having worms in our garden through singing, dancing and creating. Throughout the week, campers learned about where worms live, what they eat, their neighbors and even the different sizes they can be!
On day one we looked to the soil under our feet to learn about where worms live. We explored dirt and sorted leaves, sticks, rocks and other parts that make up soil. In the Discovery Garden campers dug for worms and collected dirt. We used some the dirt we collected, added water to make mud, and painted on recycled cardboard to make a worm home.
On day two our campers learned about worm bodies and how they move and eat. We all stretched and contracted our muscles like worms and wiggled around. Then we finally got to see our red wiggler worms in our classroom vermicomposting bin. The campers held the worms and observed their color, texture and movement. Afterward, we went on a yarn worm hunt on the Center for Sustainable Landscapes Green Roof and made cereal worms to add to our mud paintings.
Day three focused on compost and how worms help break down food in our compost bins. We learned that we can compost old foods like fruits and vegetables. Then we went on an adventure outside to the Edible Garden to see the fruits and veggies Phipps is growing on our roof. We even got to taste some! Back in the classroom, we decorated our camp T-shirts by painting on worms and nature themed stamps.
On our final day of camp, we learned about worms' neighbors. We saw pictures of chipmunks, spiders, moles, ants and more inside of "mystery boxes." We took a tour through the Serpentine Room, Fern Room and Stove Room to search for some of our worms' neighbors. We found ants and butterflies! Then our campers created their very own animal puppets to take home.
If you would like to read and learn with your own little sprout, here are some book suggestions from the week:
Wonderful Worms by Linda Glaser and Loretta Krupinski
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals
Underground by Denise Fleming
The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward
