At BestStart Silverstream, something exciting has been happening beneath the surface of our garden beds, and it's all thanks to some very special helpers with stripes.
What started as a simple gardening project has grown into a wonderful learning journey filled with curiosity, discovery, and a shared commitment to caring for the world around us.
When our new playground was designed with purpose-built garden beds, it created the perfect opportunity for tamariki and kaiako to learn and grow together. As we prepared for our Matariki strawberry planting, we began thinking about how we could nurture not only our plants but also our connection to Papatūānuku.
During a visit from Jo at Eco Educate, we explored ways to care for our rivers and waterways through a learning experience called The River Journey. These conversations inspired us to think about sustainability in everyday ways, and before long, the idea of starting a worm farm was born. Jo kindly helped us source some Tiger Worms, and our new adventure began. The arrival of our worms was met with great excitement. Using leftover vegetable scraps from our Matariki soup, the tamariki helped create their new home while learning how worms transform food waste into nutrient-rich compost, often known as "garden gold".
As the children learned more about their wriggly friends, they explored: What worms enjoy eating What worms should not eat How food scraps can be recycled instead of wasted Why worms are important for healthy gardens How to care for living things with kindness and respect A favourite activity was sorting foods into the worms' "Yummy" and "Yucky" lists, with lots of discussion, laughter, and learning along the way. Before long, our worm farm became part of everyday life.
Para Kai bins were introduced at meal times, and tamariki eagerly collected banana peels, apple cores, and other food scraps for their worms. Through stories, artwork, clay creations, and hands-on experiences, they developed a deeper understanding of sustainability and proudly shared their knowledge with whānau and visitors. One of the most rewarding parts of this journey has been watching the children's sense of ownership and responsibility grow. They remind one another to feed the worms, carefully care for their habitat, and confidently explain the important role worms play in our environment.
As our worm population flourished, it became clear they needed a bigger home. The tamariki helped choose a special place for a larger, permanent worm farm and enthusiastically assisted with moving their worms into their new home. What began as a small gardening project has become a meaningful part of our everyday programme.
Through caring for our Tiger Worms, our tamariki are developing curiosity, responsibility, environmental awareness, and a genuine connection to the natural world. And the journey is far from over. Next, we'll be harvesting our worm castings to nourish our summer pizza garden, filled with basil, thyme, oregano, and rosemary. We look forward to sharing the next chapter of our gardening and sustainability journey as our tamariki continue growing into confident, capable, and environmentally conscious learners.