Composting with Kids!

Reader Contribution by Faith Moser
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Faith Moser is the creator of eco ike {organic baby t’s + cookbooks full of yummy, healthy and quick recipes for kids and grown-ups}! If you want your little tots to dress green or eat green, visit ecoike.com.

Help your kids develop their green thumb by teaching them to compost. Composting is a fun family project that’s easy to do and great for the environment. Teach your tykes how simple it is to recycle waste material and turn it into nutritious soil for your yard or plants.    

The micro-organisms that make the compost need an even mixture of “greens” and “browns.” They also need water and air for a perfect compost formula. Here’s the compost recipe:

One part “brown” (dead dried plants – they provide the carbon): dried leaves, pine needles, straw, hay, wood shavings or chips

One part “green” (fresh living plants – they provide the nitrogen): grass clippings, vegetable and fruit leftovers, plants, coffee grounds

Place layers of brown, green, brown, green, brown into the composting bin, being sure to add water after every layer. Make sure that the compost is always moist so the microorganisms can do their job. Stir every 3-4 weeks and voila… nutritious, rich soil!

A couple of composting no-no’s:  NO meats, dairy, oil, fats, diseased plants or pet droppings!

A great children’s book to read when starting to compost is “Compost Stew” by Mary McKenna Siddals. “Apple cores, bananas bruised, coffee grounds with filters used.  Just add to the pot, and let it all rot into compost stew!”

  • Published on Mar 24, 2011
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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