Treasures in the Play Yard

Children who are immersed in nature handle every little thing as if it was the most amazing treasure in the world.

Worms !

Rainy weather is always perfect for looking for creepy crawly things in our yard. On Friday we went on a worm hunt to find some for exploration on our light table. 

We found one large worm and one small worm.  The children had so many ideas for who these worms might be. They finally agreed that they thought the large worm was the mom and the small worm her baby. 

Placing the worms in a clear container on the light table illuminated them and allowed us to see inside their bodies. The children noticed what appeared to be a filled area and had many guesses for what might be inside the worm's stomach including dirt!

Exploring Worms

Some of the children came into the classroom today excited that they finally spotted worms on the pavement (they've been watching for them, but the weather's been just a little too cold). They asked if they could collect some of the worms for observation at our science area. What a great idea!

We headed outside and reminded children that worms are living creatures that need to be treated gently and with with respect. The children wore gloves when picking up the worms. Some children did not want to touch the worms, but assisted with finding them.

Once inside we placed the worms on a tray with some dirt. Many began to wriggle around on the tray. The children were fascinated with their awkward movements! Some rolled and wiggled around and around while others inched forward in a very straight line. Some hid immediately in the dirt.

There was so much rich conversation happening as the children made observations about the worms. Many remembered which they had collected and compared their worm's movements to their friends'.

At morning recess the worms were safely returned to the grassy area outside. What an interesting morning!