wiggly wonders with our Littles! we love worms!
- Apr 20
- 12 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Monday, April 20, 2026
April is the time of year
when puddles form, gardens begin to wake up,
and earthworms make their quiet appearance,
reminding us of the important work happening just beneath the surface!
With Earth Day taking place this month,
it’s a natural opportunity to slow down and notice
these small but meaningful signs of new life.
In today’s post, Our Monthly Story Time explores this topic
with a simple and engaging story that captures the rhythm of a rainy day
and the wonder of watching worms up close!
Our longtime readers know that both of us
are not only GRANDS to our young Littles (our grandkids),
but we are also retired kindergarten teachers!
So, of course, we get excited any chance we get
to talk about children’s books and our love of them!
That’s why this series on the blog is so dear to our hearts!
Since the beginning of this school year,
we’ve shared a book each month that we simply love and love sharing!
We also like including favorite reading strategies,
ones that could successfully and easily be adapted to your homes!
And, of course, we must highlight a few of our favorite activities
that support each story in a variety of ways!
You can find our past stories and ideas by clicking the following links:
Back to School – The Kissing Hand
September – Ten Apples Up on Top
October – Go Away, Big Green Monster
November – Turkey Trouble
December – The Gingerbread Man
January – Sneezy the Snowman
February – Goldilocks and the Three Bears
With our next selection, we’re bringing a little extra wonder to story time…
Are you ready to enjoy story #9 with your LIttles?
This month’s story is a perfect choice for April!
written by Jean Taft and illustrated by Matt Hunt
As you read this rhyming story and join in the rainy-day fun as kids splash through the puddles, you’ll discover worms nearby. In this imaginative and playful story, readers will love seeing the worm delight in the weather just as much as the kids.
Many of the pages show the action taking place above the ground
while other pages show what’s happening in the worms’ world below!
The book follows the children and the worms during a spring rain shower,
ending with a colorful rainbow!
Delightful!
We’ve included a link to the Youtube version of Worm Weather below
That way, if you don’t have access to the actual book
(which is always our preference, of course)
you can still introduce your Little(s) to this delightful story and enjoy it together!
While Worm Weather is a book grounded in a real-life experience (children observing worms after the rain), it tells a simple, rhythmic story rather than presenting factual information or explanations about worms. That makes it a great example of realistic fiction—something that could happen in real life but is still written as a story.
It would pair really nicely with a nonfiction book about worms if you want to explore both storytelling and real-life learning together.
Fiction vs Nonfiction!
What’s the Difference & Why Are Both Important?
Introducing young Littles to both fiction and nonfiction books
helps build a strong and balanced foundation for learning.
Fiction: Make-believe stories filled with characters and imagination. Fiction invites Littles to wonder, dream, and develop creativity.
Examples: Picture books, fairy tales, stories about animals acting like people.
Nonfiction: Real, fact-based books that help Littles understand the world around them and grow in knowledge.
Examples: Biographies, books about animals or places, science books, cookbooks
And, just in case you and your Littles are looking for more worm fun,
we’ve got a few of our favorite titles
- fiction and nonfiction -
to check out at the library or on Youtube!!
(this is a silly rhyming story for Earth Day!)
(this is an information book)
(this book introduces the concept of composting to Littles)
(another favorite nonfiction book)
(for older Littles… a silly story about the life of a worm)
Worms are definitely one of the most fascinating creepy crawlers,
(coming in second only to spiders, that is)!
When we taught kindergarten,
both of us would teach a unit on worms and our students LOVED it!
We would receive plastic containers filled with redworms and nightcrawlers each spring as well as a binder containing many interesting activities to complete with our kindergartners, using the worms. While we each heard some gasps of fear initially, this quickly became a favorite unit of study as our kindergartners discovered all the amazing facts about worms and the ways in which they help our planet! We’d compare and contrast the different kinds of earthworms, see how they responded to light and dark and we’d learn about the important role worms play in the composting process.
A favorite memory was when we’d have a school day after a rainy night and we would take our students outside with magnifying glasses in hand and we’d move the worms from the sidewalks we found them on back to the grass and dirt where they were safe. Of course, we studied them throughout the process.
Helping our earth AND teaching compassion at the same time…
while encouraging young scientists at work, too!
Note: We never forced our students to pick up the worms. If a student wasn’t comfortable touching one, they could just watch. However, by the end of the sidewalk activity, almost every student was carefully picking them up! Exposure is great! And - no worries - we were sure to scrub our hands when we went inside!.
These days, as GRANDS, we are equally thrilled to explore the world of worms,
this time with our Littles in tow!
Check out these hands-on activities…
Some are simply fun play experiences
while others help Littles explore, observe and appreciate the role
these tiny helpers play in caring for our world!
Real Worm Fun!
During a recent visit with her Littles, Laura brought containers of earthworms and she and her Littles had fun learning about these creatures! You can find worms at bait stores, pet stores or often at gas stations!
This activity sure brought back memories - from the squeals to the amazement and everything in between, Little L and Little P had such fun!
We dug our worms out of the soil and watched them wiggle!
Then we washed them!
They sure wiggled a lot…
and moved faster than you might think!
We did a few experiments, too…
We wanted to see if the worms liked being in the dark or the light better.
They definitely liked hiding under the black paper
and under the paper towel, too!
The worms did not like sandpaper
but they loved going through our toilet paper roll tunnel!
We discovered a lot of cool things about worms
like the fact that they loved being in dark, cool, damp soil best!
The next day, we introduced our redworms and nightcrawlers to a new home!
They loved the garden and the garden loves them!
Little L (4-years-old) and I were able to have a simple conversation
about the ways worms help our garden grow!
And Little P (almost 2-years-old)
simply loved petting her new friends!
Gummy Worm Exploration!
Littles love any opportunity to explore different mediums and Laurie’s two granddaughters spent a good thirty minutes playing with this activity!
I came up with this idea quickly the night before my girls were scheduled to spend a day with me. The only gummy worms I could find at our neighborhood store were the sour worms and they were not anatomically realistic so the project wasn’t quite as fun/effective as I had hoped. (I’ll be in search of more realistic ones on my next shopping trip!)
After reading Worm Weather, my two Littles - Little D and Little P - looked at (and tasted) some gummy worms. Then we headed outside with the worms, some soil and two trays!
Each Little got a tray filled with a layer of soil.
NOTE: The weather is still cool this time of year here in Minnesota and, after sitting in our shed all winter, the soil was quite cool on our hands. We ended up wearing mittens (the dirt brushed off easily) BUT I wish I had thought to set the exposed dirt in the sun beforehand to warm up!
Our little scientists were ready to get started!
While they hid their eyes, I buried 6 gummy worms in each tray.
Little D and Little P dug, scooped and searched until they found all the hidden worms!.
These steps were repeated many times!
Then the Littles naturally switched to creating tunnels
that their worms make in the ground.
And finally - because my Littles LOVE dramatic play,
they ended up playing “family” with the gummy worms as well!
Meet Mom, Dad, Big Sister, Little Sister, Big Brother, and Little Brother!
Beaded Wiggly Worms!
Laura almost always has pony beads and pipe cleaners in her GRAND Bag when visiting her Littles! This simple project kept her Littles busy while dinner was being prepared!
MATERIALS NEEDED
• pipe cleaners
• assorted pony beads
• self-adhesive googly eyes
• glue (needed only if googly eyes are not self-adhesive)
NOTE: We put our beads in a muffin tin pan. This made for easy access for our Littles.
DIRECTIONS
Choose a pipe cleaner for your worm’s body. Curve one end of the pipe cleaner into a spiral shape - this will be the worm’s head.
String beads onto the pipe cleaner, building a “worm” to the desired length.
Keep adding beads to build a “worm” to the desired length. Older Littles can make designs or patterns using the beads. Take the other end of the pipe cleaner and twist it into one or two of the beads, forming a “knot” of sorts.
Add a googly eye to the center of the spiral. Little L and Little P had fun playing with their family of worms, too!
Worms in Dirt Pudding Cups!
Each year, Laura would make this timeless classic with her kindergartners to culminate our study of worms! While it may not sound too appetizing to you, your Littles will definitely think differently... and before you know it, you'll be a fan, too!
This is a great treat to make with young Littles as it comes together in about 15-20 minutes or less! Your Littles will love making and eating these wiggly treats!
INGREDIENTS (These amounts will make about 8 servings)
1 package Oreo cookies
1 3.9 ounce package chocolate instant pudding
2 cups cold milk
8 ounce carton Cool Whip
gummy worms (enough for 1-2 worms/dirt cup)
plastic cups
DIRECTIONS
Begin by making the dirt! Place the Oreo cookies in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them (or put the cookies in a food process and pulse to “dirt” consistency.) Set aside.
Make the pudding by whisking the chocolate pudding mix and cold milk together. Mix til smooth. Let the pudding sit for about five minutes.
Then add the Cool Whip and half of the cookie crumbs. Gently stir together until the ingredients are well mixed.
Spoon the pudding mixture evenly into individual cups (you can use plastic glasses or mason jars).
Tap each cup a few times on the table to level the pudding. Add 1 or 2 gummy worms by sticking one end of each worm into the pudding mixture.
Pour extra cookie crumbs over each cup of pudding and gummy worms so that the “dirt” covers the top of each. Pat the crumbs around the gummy worms.
ONE MORE IDEA...
TURN YOUR WORMS IN DIRT TREATS INTO FLOWER POT TREATS!
You can turn your Worms in Dirt treat into Flower Pot treats by serving your dirt cups in small terra cotta pots (or you can make one large batch in a big flower pot)! Of course, you can still add a worm or two to your pot AND make these Flower Spoons for one more special touch! I simply added the flower spoons to my dirt cups! Very festive!
FLOWER SPOONS
Make enough flower spoons so each person gets one! You’ll need 2 pipe cleaners (one full one and one cut in half) and a plastic spoon for each flower.
Fold the full pipe cleaner into a “W” shape and the half one into a “V.”
Take the points of the “W” and bend them to the center, curving the straight sides into four petals.
Place the point of the “V” over the center of the flower, catching the bends of the flower that are across from each other, not the open side.
Place the flower on top of the spoon, tucking the loose ends under the flower. Wrap and twist securely around the top of the spoon.
Come back to the front and twist the ends, Pull the ends back again and twist tightly again.
Tuck in all last ends… repeat to complete all the flower spoons!
A Few More Wonder-Filled Ideas!
We’ve got a few more SIMPLE ideas up our sleeves.
Pick and choose any that make sense to you!
Each will add a bit of wonder to your time together!
🪱 Go on a Worm Hunt!
Just like we did with our kindergarten classes after a rainy spring day, head outside and gently look for worms on sidewalks or in the soil. Bring a small container (with air holes) to observe them briefly, then return them to the ground. It’s a great way to connect what they see in the stories you read to real life.
🪱 “Be a Worm” Movement Game!!
Have Littles wiggle across the floor like worms to get excess energy out. Challenge them to move like worms - without using their hands/arms or feet/legs to do so! Encourage them to wiggle slowly or wiggle quickly or to hide from the sun (curl up)!
🪱 Worm Paintings!
Dip pieces of yarn or string into paint and drag them across paper to make “worm tracks”. It’s messy in the best way and creates fun, abstract art!
🪱 Build a Mini Worm Habitat!
Create a simple “worm jar” using a clear container. (1) Layer soil and sand. (2) Add a few worms. (3) Lightly mist with water. Littles can watch how worms move through the layers. NOTE: It's best (and kind) to release the worms after a day or two.
🪱 Make “Worms” from Playdough!
Let Littles roll long, squiggly worms out of playdough. You can add googly eyes or pipe cleaners for fun. You can even “bury” your “worms” in a bin of dirt or beans for extended fun!
And, here’s a little worm humor for you and your Littles!
Are you a gardener?
Do you compost?
If so, we’d love to hear more…
Especially if you’ve ever explored these passions with the Littles in your life!
Feel free to comment at the end of this post!
THANK YOU!
We’ll be back later this week with a new post…
Check It Out! Library Adventures with Littles!
It’s National Library Week and we’re celebrating!
We hope you’ll join us!
Don’t forget that you can always find us
We’d love it if you stopped by to check out our latest posts!
And, of course, we invite you to consider subscribing to our blog, as well!
(We only contact you via email when we publish a new post!)
As we wrap up this post, we’re reminded that some of the most meaningful learning happens in the simplest moments - muddy shoes, rainy walks, and curious little questions. Through stories like Worm Weather, our Littles can enjoy the imagination and rhythm of fiction, while simple nonfiction books help them discover the real and important role worms play in caring for our world. These tiny, wiggly helpers offer a beautiful invitation to explore, learn, and grow together.
Whether we’re celebrating Earth Day or simply taking notice of what’s beneath our feet, may we all take time to slow down and joyfully celebrate the wonder all around us.
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING SITES FOR FEATURING OUR POST!
Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot from Marsha in the Middle
A Morning Cup of Joe from The Cottage Market
You are the Star from God's Growing Garden
You are the Star from Moms are Frugal
You are the Star from At Home with Lisa Jung
You are the Star from Butterfly in the Attic
Thank you for featuring this post on your sites!
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Wow, I love all these clever and creative ideas! The book sounds darling--and the rhythmic pattern is just right for Littles, I think. What a great idea to buy a container of earthworms, too (so you don't have to wait until it rains). I love the pipe cleaner worms. And of, course, dirt pudding! This is so fun. Thanks for sharing this post with us at the Will Blog for Comments #82 linkup.
Such fun activities for the littles. You are so creative. I know the littles must love all of your wonderful ideas. A great selection of books. Thank you for sharing your post at Love Your Creativity.
Hi L&L, I just love all your fun activities, books to read and the joy you exude in these posts. Thanks again for all the fabulous ideas about having fun and learning about worms!
These are great ideas! That book looks like a good one.
That looks like such a cute book! Even as a child I took worms out of harm's way, but have to admit I always used a stick. Now I just pick them up.