Playing With Worms

Over several years I had tried off and on to master the art of composting in our small yard. And of those tries, 100% of them have failed. Either the soil would remain too wet, there wasn't enough drainage, or it would just smell horribly ALL THE TIME. But, for some strange reason, I picked this lockdown time to again try to compost....this time with WORMS!

With April being Earth Month, learning to compost is a fun and educational activity to do with your kids. Composting is incredibly beneficial for those who garden, even casually, and vermicomposting - composting with worms - helps to enrich the soil and reduce/ eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers. Other benefits of composting include:

• Naturally eliminating food waste
• Reduces greenhouse gases
• Improves soil quality
• Helps clean up contaminated soil
• Helps control erosion
• Saves money
• And it is good for the environment! 

In addition to all of the environmental benefits, having a worm farm to take care of is just fun! Just like any pet, you have to take care of them and enjoy the benefits of watching them grow and even reproduce. 

When setting up my vermicompost bin I did what almost everyone does to learn anything new: turn to YouTube. I had tried the 5 gallon bucket method before for regular composting, but that yielded no results. I decided to try the same method again, just using some little helpers this time. 

Following the methods prescribed in THIS VIDEO (which I will also embed below), I used two hardware store buckets (as opposed to totes) with only one lid. Drilling holes in the bottom, sides, and top helps to ensure drainage and adequate oxygen for your worms (they are living after all). It also releases the gases produced by the composting. Remember, do this in only ONE of the two bins.

Drilling the Bins

After drilling your holes, place the drilled bin into the second. This bin will trap the liquids from the first. You can use this "tea" to boost the microbiological activity in your soil by dumping it directly into your plants or veggie plants (think plant kombucha) or you can scoop some of the casting later and literally brew it like you would a cup of tea.

Getting the worms into their new homes

I ended up ordering my worms from Amazon because of the difficulty some sellers were having with shipping, but Uncle Jim's Worm Farm us always a good place to shop. For around $20 I bought 200 red wriggler worms. When they arrived 90% of them were alive and HUNGRY! We quickly added them to some soil and bedding and put some kitchen scraps in for them to eat.  Given that it was below freezing for the first few nights, we chose to bring them indoors at night to keep them safe.

Adding some food and top bedding

We are around two weeks into our composting and although a handful of the worms are either hiding or have passed on, those in there are showing signs of growth and some of the materials are showing signs of compost. The bedding, we are noticing, is one of the most important aspects to a healthy bin as well as the moisture.

Worms Two Weeks Later

To learn how to make your own vermicompost bin I recommend watching the video below:

as it seem

We have been enjoying checking on our new friends during the week. As minuscule as it seems, it is still nice to know that you are making a difference - and learning a lot of new stuff too! :) 

Making Moon Sand

After a bit of a rough go in the morning yesterday with homeschooling, I made a decision to turn the day's science lesson into a sensory/science project. Sensory activities are a fun way to help your kids learn using hands on play and to help them therapeutically, which is something I am sure a lot of kids right now could really use as they are surely experiencing overwhelming changes and increased stressors in their life (as we all are).

One of the things we have liked using through the years are small sand bins with toys and I always like to keep those mini archaeological dig sets around for times like this, but I wanted to actually make something. To go along with that "sandy" theme we decided to make moon sand.

Moon sand is easy to make and only uses two ingredients: flour and baby oil. The consistency is thicker than regular play sand (think more like  semi-wet sand on the beach or a packed cup of brown sugar in consistency) but not "puffy" like kinetic sand. It can last a long time if kept in a sealed container and you can also add gel food coloring to the mixture as well.

Here is what you need:

Supplies

• 4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup baby oil 
• mixer/mixing bowl
• dough hook*

             * the dough hook is not necessary, but definitely made the task a lot easier

Combine your ingredients in your bowl and mix for a few minutes on low, breaking up any clumps that form. To make more, simply double your ingredients. Store in a Ziplock bag or air tight container after use to keep it from drying out. 

It was a rainy day, so we played with out sands inside...which I quickly regretted as it is a bit messy and embeds itself into the carpeting and furniture. Let's just say I had to run the rug cleaner after. But, it kept him calm for almost two hours and we still have some left to play with later today. 

What are some of your favorite sensory activities? 

Our Desert Fort

As we are entering week 3 of the "stay at home" order as well as week 3 being out of school, lessons and routines have changed drastically and the chaos is most likely wearing on us all. With the times being crazy and the predicament out of our hands, this entire situation is leaving not only parents but kids as well in need of someplace to get away. When we were kids and we wanted to hide away from the grown up and make our own little world, what did we do? Build a fort

One of the benefits of having to homeschool recently has been the incorporation of fun little projects into our learning experience. This week our reading assignment was to read "A Walk in the Desert" by Caroline Arnold, a expository story about the desert and the animals that live in it. As part of the project, the class was challenged to build a reading fort inspired by the story. Fortunately, I always keep craft supplies stashed away and being a camping family we had lots of other stuff on hand to make it extra special.

We learned all about different types of cacti, the hot, arid desert climate, and some wonderful animals that live in the habitat.

Eamon's favorite parts of the story were learning about all of the different cactus species, the owls, and especially the coyotes.

A few years back we purchased the IKEA bunk beds for Eamon's room. Honestly, it was one of the greatest purchases we made for that room.  We made the bottom part into a little reading nook with and arm pillow, cork board for photos, and a box for his dress up clothes, so it was easily converted for the project.

With an old grey sheet, I covered the inside of the nook, and took some old glow in the dark stars and added dozens more yellow construction paper ones we cut out. We also have a moon that actually changes phases with a remote that we moved into the fort.

Some construction paper cacti, lanterns, a wind up radio, and sleeping bag from the camping bin make the atmosphere more dynamic.

A construction paper fire (with fresh cut firewood) with a flashlight taped behind and some desert critter stuffed animals complete the set up.

The kids all conducted part of their online class in their forts, which was adorable. They all had so much fun constructing them and sharing them with their friends. Eamon loves being in his so much more now that it is decorated. He even laid down in it last night watching a show on his tablet and playing with his toys. To make it more "permanent" we even got him his very own snake plant to take care of and stuck it in the fort. 🍃

I can't wait to see what kind of challenge we get to do next week. In the mean time, I challenge you to set aside a place in your home, maybe even a little nook in their room if need be, and turn help your kids turn it into their own fort. Set aside a few minutes of the day where they can get a break from their school work and be alone to think and to imagine play. Even in a world full of gadgets and tech you'd be surprised what they can come up with. :)