In his Theory Of Loose Parts, Simon Nicholson does not specifically mention earthworms, but he does mention animals as variables with which children love to interact–and earth worms are easy to acquire, easy to care for, and endlessly interesting animals. They wiggle, squiggle, tunnel, and twist. They make great classroom pets–you don’t have to walk them, pick up their poop in flimsy plastic bags, or take them to the veterinarian. In fact they’re helpers–they eat kitchen scraps and make compost that’s great for houseplants or the garden. Read up on vermicomposting to learn more. We had a bin of hardworking worms for years back in our family child care days and the kids loved feeding them, holding them, and occasionally reading to them.

Don’t have the time or energy to care for a couple hundred pet worms? That’s OK, they are still great sometimes-loose-parts that pop up after a thunderstorm or make themselves known when kids flip over large rocks or dig holes.

Earthworms At Play

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