Many moons ago I thought I would be very GREEN and buy myself (from a friend's garage sale) a large composting bin. I had no idea how to use it. I mean really...things that are biodegradable turn to dirt eventually..I just huck everything into the bin and voila!
AND...the bin sat for years with absolutely no one going in it except some very scary looking spiders. How quaint.
Then today I was working with my Grade 3's and we were learning all about composting (yes...great teacher that I am..I was learning right along with them). I just HAD to figure this out. I got home around 5:15 and the kids ran to greet me with requests for pizza and bike rides and jumping on the trampoline. IMAGINE their excited little faces when I asked "Wanna learn how to compost?!?"
Blank stares.
Eye roll.
"Oh here she goes again."Awesome Kids Composting Site
Kennedy put on her bike helmet (look at me not breaking any laws out in Firdale) and marched over to get her bike.
I promised Rory he could pour some water in the compost bin with my ultra cool plant watering can. He agreed.
We talked about nitrogen, carbon, brown stuff, green stuff, things we can compost...and worms. Which of course we had to look for. Now if you were fence sitting with the whole compost thing, I am telling you now that it is a MUST for any household with kids. As soon as I said worms I had 2 kids up to their elbows in the garden fishing out worms for the compost. And now that there is something LIVING in the compost bin...it is way more fun to 'feed it.'
They were especially excited when I told them (in my 'engaged' voice from above) that we should label 2 buckets and give one to Grandma and Grandpa to use and after supper every day they could take our bucket and Grandma's and it could be their chore...I mean...fun game...to empty the veggie peelings, etc, into the compost bin.
Rory CLAIMS he can't open the lid. (But he HAD to follow me out after supper in his P.J's ...AKA...gitch...to see if the worms liked what I gave)
You have me intrigued!
ReplyDeleteWe compost too, and even without researching layering and worms, it's amazing how much less we throw out every week! Also, we can use the same one for years, and it just compresses and settles down and never seems to fill up! Steven's made a second one now because we finally did hit the top on the first one. We even throw all our stuff in there all winter. In the spring when things thaw it shrinks a LOT. It's awesome. I just like the thought of the stuff not filling up plastic garbage bags in a landfill. Even if we never use it I feel good about it! We also recycle as much as we can. We generally don't even fill one garbage can on garbage day (even when we had one in diapers). Not bad for a family of 6!
ReplyDeleteGood job turning it into a lesson!
Also, love the new blog look. Very nice!
ReplyDelete