Purple cupcakes and red wiggler worms don’t seem to go together, but that is what greeted any visitor who happened to stop by Mater Christi School’s Little Adventurers Camp during its “Going Green” session.
To celebrate her 6th birthday, one of the campers showed up with 24 beautiful cupcakes, made and decorated by her Mom with heaps of purple frosting and sprinkles. At the same time, one of the camp leaders, Mrs. Patrice Rogers, arrived with a mysterious-looking container and announced that the group was going to build worm farms. The students, ages 6 and 7, accepted both additions to their day with enthusiasm!
After taking a few bites of their cupcakes, the campers agreed to safely stow the remains so that the day’s activity could begin.
Mrs. Rogers taught about the red wiggler worm and with help from the group, established a few pertinent facts such as the worm can and does use compost for food and turns it into very rich soil. The fact that fishermen prefer this type of worm because it wiggles a lot, thus attracting fish, seemed to be of special interest to the adults present.
The campers discovered that they could easily make compost. All they needed were small pieces of damp newspapers, smashed eggshells, and coffee grounds. They also learned that certain food scraps could be added to this mixture.
After the compost was prepared, it was divided among a number of plastic containers into which the children had made holes with hammers and nails. Mrs. Rogers finally extracted handfuls of red wigglers and divided the worms among the group of campers. She also suggested that the children figure out what end of the worm was its head and which its tail and where its stomach was located. Each camper was given a magnifying glass to help find the answers.
The children were intrigued with the worms and were careful to keep them moist by making sure the worms were covered with wet paper towels when not being observed. After the children had an opportunity to get acquainted with their worms, they placed them in the containers, covering them with secure lids so their worms would have the darkness they need to thrive. The holes in the container enabled air to enter the worms’ new home.
The campers were invited to bring their worm farms home. One camper had already begun to decorate his container in preparation for its new habitat – a word that the children were using very comfortably by the end of the morning!
The cupcakes were never mentioned once by the campers, but they probably took a very prominent position when lunchtime rolled around. Click here to learn more about the Little Adventurers Summer Camp at Mater Christi School or email Pronto Parenteau (pronto@materchristischool.net) to sign up.
Sister Joanne LaFreniere, RSM
Director of Public Relations and Spiritual Life
