40 Inventive Worm Activity Ideas

Worms are fascinating creatures that play a vital role in our ecosystem. They help to break down organic matter, improve soil structure, and provide food for other animals. These creative worm activity ideas are designed to teach children about the different types of worms, their habitats, and their importance in the environment. From gummy worms to baby worms, bait worms, and garden worms, these activities will provide hands-on learning opportunities and promote motor skills development. So, grab a pail of worms, and let’s get started with some worm-tastic fun!

1. Fun Worm Activity

Students will learn about the benefits of composting and the important role worms play in breaking down organic matter by creating their own worm composting bin and observing changes over time. They could also try using the finished compost in the school garden to see the power of waste reduction and vermiculture in action. 

Learn More: Kids Gardening

2. Gummy Worm Science

This fun science experiment doubles as an opportunity to learn about the different body parts of worms and their function. Kids can also explore how worms move and how they are classified in the animal kingdom. 

Learn More: Playdough To Plato

3. Worm Habitat

Creating a worm farm habitat is a wonderful way to teach kids about sustainability, environmental responsibility, and food production. This activity can easily be extended by having kids draw and label the different parts of a worm’s home as well as discussing the different types of soil one can use. 

Learn More: Toms Of Maine

4. Worm Weavery Craft

Kids are sure to love this adorable worm-themed activity that challenges them to weave colorful worms into paper “soil” to create a beautiful piece of art! You could also try this activity with pieces of yarn, pipe cleaners, or even wiggly rulers. 

5. Worm Hunt

You don’t need an acre of land to go on a worm hunt adventure! Children can have just as much fun hunting for these soil dwellers right in their own backyards. Why not challenge them to find different types of worms while learning about worm habitats?

Learn More: Soil Association

6. Apple Worm Craft

This inventive craft is a great way to spark interest in nature and biology and requires only a paper plate, some paint, and a few googly eyes. Kids will be delighted to hide the worm before making it pop out with the stick handle and surprising their friends!

Learn More: Kids Craft Room

7. Delicious Worm Fun 

Put a tasty worm twist on an ordinary bowl of pudding by loading it with these yummy gummy worms! Enjoying these artificial worms is a great opportunity to learn about the vital role these decomposers play in our ecosystem. 

Learn More: Oh Nuts

8. Book Worm Bookmark

These adorable bookworm bookmarks are a great way to introduce children to the study of worms and can be constructed from colorful and durable materials such as felt or plastic. Throw on some googly eyes, a fluffy tail, or bright stickers, and get comfy reading! 

Learn More: Learn In Color

9. Study The Benefits of Worms with An Anchor Chart

Kids love learning about all sorts of slimy creatures and earthworms are no exception! Help them fill out this anchor chart to help cement their understanding of the role worms play in soil health as well as their place in the food chain.

Learn More: Natalie Lynn Kindergarten

10. Counting With Worms 

Kids seem to really enjoy using dot stickers, making them an excellent choice for teaching one-to-one correspondence, counting skills, and basic numeracy while appealing to their sense of curiosity. 

Learn More: Sea Of Knowledge

11. Read a Book About Worms

Written from the point of view of a worm, this diary follows the daily life of a worm called Dairy as he makes friends and goes to school. It’s a fantastic way to develop listening and reading comprehension skills while teaching children about journaling and writing from the first-person point of view. 

Learn More: Amazon

12. Dance Along to a Worm Themed Song

Get kids up and moving with their best worm-like moves to this catchy song, featuring Herman, a worm who gets into trouble when he eats one too many grapes! 

Learn More: TheLearningStation – Kids Songs and Nursery Rhymes

13. Watch a Video About Worms

This educational video is a great way to develop visual literacy and critical thinking skills while teaching kids about different types of worms, their physical characteristics, and their habitats.

Learn More: SciShow Kids

14. Try a Literacy Based Activity 

This 28 set of worm-themed cards can be used in many ways including finding matching rhymes, playing a game of Memory or Go Fish, or placing the words in alphabetical order. 

Learn More: ABCs of Literacy

15. Create a Worm Observation Jar

Did you know that there are around 2,800 different kinds of earthworms? Or that baby worms hatch from cocoons? Observing worms in this homemade observation jar makes for a great opportunity to discover all sorts of neat worm facts!

Learn More: As They Grow Up

16. Paint Some Wiggly Worms

Process art is a fantastic way for kids to experiment with different techniques and materials to create unique worm-inspired artwork while developing their fine motor skills. They can also be turned into large murals for kids to work on in groups. 

Learn More: The Keeper of the Memories

17. Read Worm Fact Cards

These vibrant and detailed fact cards are an easy way to develop scientific knowledge while enhancing students’ reading and comprehension skills. They can be used as an assessment activity at the end of a unit or incorporated into a learning station during a hands-on Science lesson. 

Learn More: Twinkl

18. Try a Worm Measuring Activity 

Develop measuring skills with this colorful worm-themed activity. This lesson makes a great launching point for measuring living worms out in the real world. 

Learn More: Twinkl

19. DIY Paper Worm Craft

This colorful activity is a great way to encourage creativity while developing fine motor skills. Kids are sure to love using a straw to blow air onto these delicate worms and watch them crawl across the floor!

Learn More: 123 Easy Paper Crafts DIY

20. Counting Worms Sensory Bin 

Going on a worm hunt is a great motivator for hands-on learning! This sensory bin offers a fun tactile experience for kids to enjoy the sensation of working with different materials and textures while developing their observation and hand-eye coordination skills.

Learn More: How Wee Learn

21. Worm Fingerprint Craft

All you need is some white paper, markers, brown paint, and a creative imagination to create these adorable fingerprint-wiggly worms! This is a great opportunity for discussing the role of worms in the greater ecosystem and the moist and oxygen-rich environment they need as a food source. 

Learn More: The Chirping Moms

22. Alphabet Craft

Use this handy download to practice the /w/ sound with your young learners, helping to develop their pre-reading skills while allowing for plenty of artistic expressions. Why not extend this craft with other letters of the alphabet as part of a larger literacy unit? 

Learn More: All About Learning Press

23. Label the Parts of an Earthworm

Study earthworm anatomy while discussing how these wiggly creatures move, eat and survive. This activity can be extended to help students learn about the biology and ecology of earthworms.

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

24. Grow Paper Worms

What’s more fun than growing your own wiggly paper worms and watching them swim in a tank of water? This hands-on activity is a great way to get kids excited about studying these fascinating creatures! 

Learn More: TheDadLab

25.  Feed the Baby Birds Sensory Bin 

This sensory bin invites young learners to sort the worms by color while teaching them about the food web connecting birds, worms, and other insects.

Learn More: Modern Preschool

26. Try an Alphabet Dot Page

These multi-purpose and reusable alphabet pages can be used with stickers or dot markers, providing plenty of fine motor practice!  

Learn More: Preschool Powol Packets Blogspot

27. Try a Worm Word Search 

This worm-themed word search makes for a fun brain break during a science unit while developing cross-curricular spelling and vocabulary skills. 

Learn More: Monster Word Search

28. Try a Worm Crossword

This challenging worm crossword can improve focus and concentration while improving reading fluency and enhancing understanding of key worm facts.

Learn More: Word Mint

29. Pipe Cleaner Earthworms

Bend some pipe cleaners into a wavy shape, glue on some googly eyes and you’ve got an adorable earthworm! This craft is a great activity for developing creativity and imagination and can be used as a classroom project or as a fun way to decorate a bulletin board.

Learn More: Kitchen Floor Crafts

30. Earth Worm Puppet

This creative spring craft features a cute worm puppet made from bendable plastic Flexi-straws and brown tissue paper. Once the worm puppet is complete, children can use it as a prop to act out a story or role-play, which can help to develop their storytelling and communication skills.

Learn More: Craft Bits

31. Make Pattern Worms 

Apart from enhancing creativity and imagination, this miniature worm craft is a great way to encourage pattern and sequence recognition while developing students’ color recognition abilities. 

Learn More: Little Life Long Learners

32. Try a STEM Activity

This fun STEM activity is a great way to strengthen team-building skills and sharpen children’s abilities to solve problems as they help a little worm find a gummy life jacket after his boat has been overturned. 

Learn More: Teaching Dunn Simply

33. Counting Worms

These plastic worms and printable number cards are a great way to develop an understanding of numbers and quantity while enhancing memory skills and developing their worm vocabulary. 

Learn More: Play To Learn Preschool

34. Compare and Contrast a Worm-Themed Story with Real Worm Facts

By comparing a fictional story about worms to real science facts, students can gain critical and logical thinking skills and learn the difference between fiction and non-fiction sources.

Learn More: The Mail Box

35. Try a Story Sequencing Activity 

This free diary of a worm sequencing activity is a fantastic way to develop reading comprehension, logical thing, and memory skills while helping to improve students’ writing abilities. 

Learn More: Classroom Freebies Too

36. Can of Worms Counting Activity 

This worm-counting activity involves rolling a die, which helps young learners develop their strategic thinking and understanding of probability. It also improves their mental agility and reaction time as they have to react quickly to the roll of the dice. 

Learn More: The Preschool Toolbox Blog

37. Make Sock Worms

Need a way to repurpose mismatched socks lying around the house? Try these adorable worm sock puppets! They can be used for acting out stories and developing children’s creativity and imagination while giving them a chance to practice new vocabulary in their dramatic dialogues. 

Learn More: One Little Project

38. Try a Science Experiment

This shoe-box-based earthworm discovery experiment will help students discover whether earthworms prefer wet or dry conditions, dark or light, or have a preference for specific colors, surfaces, or soil. It makes a great basis for a science project delving further into these fascinating critters.

Learn More: Inspiration Laboratories

39. Make a Wiggly Worm Craft

Not only are these pom pom wiggly worm puppets adorable, but they’re also easy to make. Kids are sure to love watching them squirm across the floor and making them dance to different songs! 

Learn More: One Little Project

40. Paper Plate Worm Craft

Waiting for the paint to dry on this cute paper plate craft is a great opportunity to talk about the composting role of earthworms in our ecosystem. This craft can also be used to discuss the difference between worms and caterpillars and their respective life cycles. 

Learn More: Woo Jr.