How to Make Your Own Wormery

In this week’s new Martin & Sylvia Story, when brother and sister hear that their friend is studying worms in her science class, their ears perk up. Could they study worms in homeschool themselves? They are thrilled to learn that their neighbors, the Browns, have already developed an ecosystem that is perfect for learning and sharing.

We’ve teamed up with our friends at Tanglewood Hollow to bring you this fun, squiggly-wiggly project so that you can capture some of the Martin & Sylvia magic at home by making your own wormery.

All you will need is a jar, a few items to fill it, and of course some wiggly worms! You can use this project to observe the changes the worms make in their environment and learn more about how they help to keep soil healthy!

More About Worms

Worms are so small and often hidden from plain sight that it may seem surprising how important they are to ecosystems. But the feeding and burrowing of worms supports the growth of everything in the soil around them!

These little crawling creatures create changes to properties of the soil that make a big impact on their environment. They help with decomposition of matter, nutrient availability in the soil, soil structure, and even by providing food for predators.

These tiny creatures make a big difference!

Read how you can learn more about the importance of worms by watching them directly.

How to Make Your Own Wormery

With this helpful tutorial from Tanglewood Hollow, you can use a jar to learn about worms and their contribution to healthy soil by watching how they change the wormery. Here’s what you’ll need to get started: - A jar or vase - Pebbles - Sand - Soil - Leaf matter - Grass seeds - Black paper - Water - and of course — worms!

Just follow the steps on this free downloadable pdf from Tanglewood Hollow to get started creating your own wormery!

More About Tanglewood Hollow

Tanglewood Hollow nurtures a deep love for reconnecting and building a stronger relationship with the natural world. Motivated by a desire to ensure that the next generation has the opportunity for meaningful encounters with nature, Tanglewood Hollow offers a selection of thoughtfully curated educational resources, curiosities, and nature-based products for families and children to experience. To learn more, visit their website and explore their Digital Nature Shop.

More About Martin & Sylvia

You can listen to “A Wonderful Wormery,” the latest story in our new Martin & Sylvia Collection, Learning Days, below. Explore the entire Martin & Sylvia series here.

If you aren’t already a Sparkle Stories subscriber, try 10 days of unlimited free listening on us! Sign up for a free trial here.