Session 4: Underground Explorers – Soil, Worms & Bug Hotels

“Discover the world beneath your feet.”

In this session, kids become “underground explorers.” They’ll investigate soil, learn about worms and insects that live there, and create simple “bug hotels” to take home or place in the garden. The focus is on understanding how tiny creatures help keep our gardens healthy, while turning recycled materials and natural finds into functional garden art.

Historical Inspiration Spotlight: Charles Darwin & His Worms
We’ll briefly introduce Charles Darwin not just as the “evolution guy,” but as a patient observer of earthworms. He spent years studying how worms mix soil and help plants grow. We’ll connect his careful observations to what kids are doing: noticing the small but mighty helpers in the garden.

What Kids Will Do

1. Meet the Soil Squad (Science Warm-Up)

• Quick group chat:

  • What is soil made of? (bits of rock, decomposed plants, tiny creatures)

  • What kinds of animals live in the soil or under leaves?

• If available, we’ll look at a tray of garden soil with magnifiers to spot:

  • Different textures (sand, small rocks, organic bits).

  • Roots, leaves, maybe a worm or tiny bugs.

• Kids make a quick soil/creature sketch in their Outdoor Journal.
  
  

2. Garden Detectives: What Do Worms & Bugs Do?

• Simple explanation of:

  • Worms as “garden recyclers” that help break down leaves and mix soil.

  • Helpful insects vs. pests (pollinators, decomposers, predators).

• If we see any real critters, we’ll gently observe and return them to the soil.
  
  

3. Build a Bug Hotel (Art + Engineering)
Using recycled containers (like cans, small cartons, or short tubes) plus natural materials, each child will:

• Choose a container “house” and decorate the outside with:

  • Paint, markers, twine, or simple designs.

  • Their name or initials somewhere on it.

• Fill it with natural materials like:

  • Hollow stems, small sticks, pinecones, bark, dry leaves, etc.

• Learn where to place it (in a quiet spot, near plants, not in full blazing sun).

• Talk about which kinds of insects might use it for shelter.
  
  

4. Journal Time: Life Under the Leaf
In their Outdoor Journal, kids will:

• Draw their bug hotel and label the different “rooms” inside (sticks, pinecones, leaves, etc.).

• Write or dictate a few sentences about:

  • Where they plan to put it.

  • What bugs they hope might visit.

• Optional creative twist:

  • Give their bug hotel a name (Hotel Pollinator, Worm Inn, Beetle Bungalow, etc.).
    
    

5. Share & Reflect

• Kids share their bug hotel with the group and explain:

  • One design choice they made.

  • One thing they learned about worms or insects.

• We’ll remind them how this tiny project supports the bigger garden world.
  
  

What Kids Learn

Science & Nature:

• Soil is a living mixture, not just “dirt.”

• The role of worms and insects in breaking down dead material and enriching soil.

• Basic idea of food webs and how tiny creatures support plant life.
  
  

Art, Design & Engineering:

• Turning recycled materials into something useful and beautiful.

• Thinking like an engineer: structure, layers, openings, and shelter.

• Choosing textures and shapes that both look interesting and work for small creatures.
  
  

Math & Observation Skills:

• Counting and sorting natural materials (number of sticks, cones, etc.).

• Comparing lengths and sizes of materials to fit the container.

• Observing, sketching, and labeling details in the journal.
  
  

Social & Emotional Skills:

• Respect and care for living things, even very small ones.

• Pride in making something that helps the garden ecosystem.

• Sharing ideas and listening to others’ observations.

Take-Home Items

Each student will leave with:

• One bug hotel made from recycled and natural materials.

• Journal pages documenting what they saw in the soil and their hotel design.

• A simple reminder card or note on where and how to place their bug hotel.
  
  

Practical Notes for Parents (Website-Friendly)

• Mess factor: Moderate – we’ll be handling soil, sticks, leaves, and paint/markers. Play clothes are encouraged.

• Materials: We provide containers and natural materials, but kids are welcome to bring a clean, small can or carton from home if they’d like.

• Creatures: We may see live worms or bugs in soil samples, but all handling is gentle and supervised, and all critters go back outside.

• At-home support: Help your child pick a good spot for their bug hotel and check it together over time. Even if you never see the visitors, you can talk about how hidden, small things keep gardens alive and thriving.