The fuzz is the start of the amazing process by which nature transforms waste into fertility...

I had an 8-yr old niece ask me once, "Do you know what decomposition is!" She had learned all about it in school and was going to give the adults a big revelation. :-]

Get some worms from the bait shop, red is best.
A 10 year old can go on line & do a book report on compost & red worms, if he likes doing reports or show & tell.

I was a very proud momma when one day in the city, we are waiting at a light and my daughter, roughly 8 or 9, spies yard trimmings in the back of a truck and exclaims, "Mom, look at all that compost material." Have him start paying attention to all the things that can be incorporated into compost or worms and does not have to go to a landfill. We once through some cotton underwear in the worm bin and the next seaon, all that was left was the elastic.

Another day I could not stop laughing when my 3 year old in the middle of winter was involved in sort of imaginative play and in his world, he was using a play bucket for making his compost. Three lessons here: 1. My kids are a little off. 2. They do pay attention to what they see (which probably explains #1). 3. Compost is part of life, it can be part of anyone's.

Rosie - so awesome to involve kids. My 10 year old daughter brought a few cups of compost to school and spread it out on newspaper to show the worms and almost finished state of eggshells/cardboard. I do not think anyone in her class had composted since they asked her lists of questions about it. They were surprised it did not stink!

Rachel

A ten year old will compost well, just watch the C:N ratio.

Lloyd

P.S. For the 'humor challenged' folks, that was an attempt at humor.

Ha! A page from W. C. Fields. They once asked him if he liked children and he said, "Yes, but only if they're well done."

Well played, Lloyd. :D

Fun thoughts from y'all. We didn't get started yet - homework kept him busy. Will report.

mustard seeds, will suggest taking some to school. Great idea. I'll be there for Grandparent's lunch Friday and will ask the teacher. When would the worms come? After composting, right?

A short composting tale with my 10 YO daughter. I have a large apple tree and it was dropping apples a few weeks ago (still is actually) so I was out pulling weeds along my lilac hedgrow and she was in playing video games (takes after dad). So I yell into the house for her to come outside and help me, I get our compost scraps bucket and put it over by the tree and tell her she has to throw all the apples on the ground in the bucket.

I made it into a game for her and she stayed out there for an hour at least lobbing old apples into a 5 gallon pail, when she had them all done I had her walk it over to the compost bins and dump them all in. She asked why she was doing this and I then explained to her what composting was and how it would turn into nice soil to plant our veggies in next year. She seemed to think that made good sense to do.

Coconut and tishtosh, great stories. Wish I could get my hands on some free fall apples. Would prefer to eat them and add the cores to compost.

Best laid plans ran into delay again. Danny came over but needed homework help. I told him we'd do the compost thing today after school. And if I can find a container I'll ask him to get his mom to save scraps for us. I generate so few.

Keep the ideas coming! And thanks!
Rosie
p.s. I have never smelled a lilac. Ain't that a shame? Too hot here.

"p.s. I have never smelled a lilac. Ain't that a shame? Too hot here."

Rosie, that isn't a shame, that's plain unfair! I would be up to overnighting you some flower clusters next spring when they bloom if you are interested. They should hold well for an overnight flight if I get one of those little water thingy's to put the stems in. I'll warn you though, once you smell them you may be even more dissapointed that you can't grow them. I'll leave it up to you. :)

Coconut, what a fab offer. I'd adore it!! And would have a lilac sniffing party/open house to celebrate.

So many 'Yankees' who move South are dumfounded when they find the chances of success with lilacs here are really slim.