Composting With Kids 101
For Earth Week, my family has been making daily lists of all the things we Consume on a daily basis. We broke it into two categories, stuff we eat and drink AND other consumables. Now this list was by no means exhaustive. But we tried to look at the basics such as energy consumption, paper products, single-use plastics, and items that we may use up slowly over time. My five year old really got into it. Every day we sat at some point and made our list. How else are children expected to become responsible citizens of the earth, if we don't teach AWARENESS early on?
What does all of this have to do with Composting with Kids? Well, let me explain the train of thought here...
As we focused on our own personal acts of Consumption, we also talked about where stuff comes from and what happens to it when we throw it "away". We watched a fantastic twenty minute narrated animation one afternoon called, "The Story of Stuff Project", that really highlighted the journey of resources - manufacturing - retail - home - waste. It was an eye opener for my pre-schooler and myself alike.
With all that said, as we reviewed our list each day, we realized that instead of feeding into the LINEAR SYSTEM that ended in "WASTE", we could feed into a CYCLICAL SYSTEM instead. This system was one that gave back to the earth in the end, resulting in a closed loop that was beneficial for all. As I thought about how to explain that sentiment to my kids, I realized that Composting was the perfect example! And it was something that we had already started to put into practice last year.
Here in Ohio the growing season can be year round, but for novice gardeners such as myself, we mostly stick to indoor window plants such as herbs in the winter and move the growing outside as the weather warms up. And although there as ways to compost indoors in during the colder months, I sadly have not invested in the proper techniques to do so. Something to put on the list for next year. As for right now, we are excited to have arrived in the season of Spring and have promptly begun tending to our compost pile again. While this may not sound exciting and sexy, it is truly something we look forward to!
With kids EVERYTHING can be made exciting and educational if you approach it the right way...and composting is no different. The closed loop I was referring to earlier goes like this:
With composting, everything we consume comes from the earth and then in the end returns to the earth to start the growing cycle anew. What's not to love?
For those who have never composted before it may seem like just one more thing to add to the list of things to do. And honestly, up until last year I was one of those people. Turns out, it couldn't be easier. And I say that as a busy mom of two little people. I promise, YOU can do this!
And here's how:
COMPOSTING With Kids 101
STEP ONE
Designate a composting area.
For us this is outdoors in a open half rain-barrel on the side of the garage. For some this may be a pile on the ground, perhaps by the garden. And still for others, this may be a small container on the balcony that is partially covered, or a investment in a indoor composting unit. It all depends on the space you have available and how much composting you will be doing. Choose accordingly!
STEP TWO
Start the Base of the Compost
Despite what you might read, this is NOT an exact science. Simply layer in some leaves or plant clippings from the yard (dry or fresh), dirt, and some water. Mix it up and there you go! When the food scraps get to be a bit much in the container, add some more dirt.
STEP THREE
Daily Scrap Collection
Get a covered container to store your food scraps in, while in the house. I use whatever glass kitchen storage container happens to be clean that day. Don't try to compost dairy or meat, but anything else should work just fine. At the end of the day, have older kids dump the scraps in the designated area. Accompany the younger ones and have fun stirring up the dirt!
And that's it!
My kids love adding the scraps, mixing up the compost with a shovel, applying it to the outdoor garden plants OR the indoor herbs.
We've also been prompted by a fellow composter to try actively observing the process of decomposition using a banana peel. Watching every day how it changes back into dirt is a fascinating process! So for an added bonus, try setting a peel in the dirt and checking in daily!
We are in the middle of this experiment right now and will be sure to post the results. : )
Happy Composting!
