Worm Wonders

It is always exciting when a child first discovers their first worm.  Some children might stand back and observe the tiny creature or others might get right in there and pick it up.  Hopefully after their first encounter, the worm will survive!

There are lots of fun things to do with worms.  

OBSERVE: They are best found where dirt is damp.  Have your child stir up some dirt and see if any worms appear.  It is important to teach your children to be gentle to the worms and not to hurt or squash them.  Magnifying glasses are fun to use to see them up close.

ART: I've never tried this, but you can put a small blog of non-toxic paint on a piece of paper and place a worm on the paint.  As the worms crawls, you can see their path.  Rinse off the worms with cool water before putting them back in the dirt!  OR you can put a strand of cooked spaghetti in some paint and put that on paper to create worm trails.  We will be doing this in class.  If you decide to try the paint on a real worm, please let me know what happens!

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT:  Put a piper cleaner around your child's finger to create a worm and use it to act out worm songs.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Little Wiggle Worm Song
Sung to: "I'm a Little Teapot"

I'm a little wiggle worm, watch me go!
I can wiggle fast, or very very slow.
I wiggle all around, then back I go
Down into the ground, to the home I know.

LITTLE WIGGLE WORM
 Tune:  "The Eensy-Weensy Spider"

 The little wiggle worm                      
 Went crawling underground.            
 Down came the rain;                       
 Soon mud was all around.                

 Rain filled the tunnels                       
 And pushed out the little worm.         
 So the puddles on the ground            
 Were the only place to squirm.            

Catching Bugs

Sung to: "Mary had a little lamb"

Catch some bugs, and look at them,
Look at them, look at them.
Catch some bugs and look at them,
Then PLEASE let them go.

PHONICS:  This is a great time to introduce the letter "w" and the sound.  Everytime you see a "W" you can wiggle like a worm and say the sound,   "/w/, /w/, /w/  as in worm."  The kids will never forget exploring worms.

Have fun playing with worms...your child will thank you!