I utilize the same method used on the larger ones but less C materials and a little more moisture.

;-)

Lloyd

I'd consider something like a 2 - 5 gallon size pail using coffee grounds and shredded leaves. Nothing dangerous, coffee grounds from the teachers lounge and leaves from the play ground. No ick factor and it is real easy to be successful because coffee grounds and finely shredded leaves mixed together almost looks like finished compost.

Make it like the kids are helping the teachers out, kids seem to like helping out (until they are about ten or so then you have to use a whip).

Lloyd

Worms! OK, so maybe I'm strange, but my daughter (now about to turn 15) had composting worms as pets in a little box in yes, our family room. She was about 4 years old then. We got them from that insect project company - the one you can get caterpillars from to watch go through metamorphosis. The kit came with a little book - it was called "Worm Acres." It had projects to learn about worms. She loved those worms! When she finally lost interest, they went to live in our compost. Their descendants are there still.

Vermicomposting boxes could be made for the lunch room or classrooms, depending on ick factor issues. (Not everyone is as strange as us, I know.) I've seen plans online for ones made out of Rubbermaid bins.

I've heard of lots of schools that have vermicomposting set ups. Some kids are squeamish, of course, but it's amazing how many kids are really comfortable.

Thanks for the ideas! Candogal--your idea is perfect, and I actually forgot to say in my original post that they have a worm bin going already, which the kids help with. It's the heavy lifting generally assocaited with composting that they're trying to work around.

I will second the WORMS!

My 4 year old loves to go out into the garden to find worms. He's also my "worm protector". After I have been digging in the garden and disturbed them, many worms come out of the ground. Then, they are easy pray for birds. He goes out there like a little human scarecrow and chases all the birds away. I never knew what he was doing, but then he told me one day. "Daddy, I'm the worm protector."

Little kids like worms!

Look at the Cornell Composting site. They have projects for kids like composting-in-two-liter-bottle.

How about in a trash can .. holes drilled for air ... that the kids can take turns rolling around ... no heavy lifting ... I think the kids would love this method.

I saw a glass sided worm bin once designed for kids. You had to keep it covered. I once gave my nephew a worm bin made in one of those acrylic, health food store, grain dispensers. It was neat, but required a bucket under the sliding door to catch "tea".

A school teacher in Texas, used worms in his class room until he retired. He helped other teacher set up worms, too.
He said parents would come in after class to see the worms that their children talked about.
So yes,"candogal"is right on the money.

Gee, I hope the OP still checks back occasionally. Worms sounds great for that age. My niece did a lasagna patch with her middle schoolers. Lined the area with newspaper, collected stuff from the cafeteria, spread it. Now they are just deciding what to plant. A local garden center will donate some plants, and they want a couple of flowers and a couple of veggies.

I do check in, and thanks again to all the hepful posters!

S.G.,
Thanks for letting us know. What did she decide to do with the class?
Nancy