How to make a worm farm

You will need:

•  A clear plastic box, about 20cm x 20cm x 20cm

•  Moist soil

•  Some old, dead leaves

•  Vegetable peelings, overripe fruit, tea leaves

•  Two or three earthworms eager for a holiday

•  Cling film

•  A large elastic band

•  Black card

•  A roll of sticky tape

How to make:

1. Start by putting a 1cm deep layer of soil at the bottom of your plastic box. Then add a layer of sand about 1cm deep. Repeat this process, alternating between soil and sand until there is a space of about 5cm left at the top.

2. Add a layer of leaves, followed by vegetable peelings, overripe fruit and tea leaves. Add your worms!

3. Add some juicy worm food, like leaves and old fruit 

4. Add worms from the garden - be careful handling them, they're delicate!

5. Place some cling film over the top and secure it in place with an elastic band – this will stop your worms from wriggling out! Don’t forget to poke some air holes in the cling film so that the worms can breathe.

6. Cover with some black card so it’s nice and dark – don’t forget the air holes!

7. Put the box somewhere cool and dark. Check every day to see whether your worms have eaten the food and to look at the patterns they’ve made using the soil and sand. Make sure you keep the soil nice and moist by adding water.

8. Remember to return your worms to the wild!