Session Plan, Food4Families – Composting
Activity
Learning how to compost
Age range suitability: 7- 11
Modification
This activity is based around using 2 standard plastic compost bins. It could be modified to
include building a compost bin from scratch out of materials such as old pallets or straw bales.
Objectives:
 To develop an understanding of composting
 To develop skills in the benefit of composting
 To enable practical application of skills and knowledge by using a compost heap
Identified F4F growing principles:
Composting
Method/steps:
 Get the group to sit in a circle near an existing compost bin - so that everybody can see it.
Ask the group if any one has a compost heap at home. If they do – ask the children what
goes in the compost heap and what comes out of the bottom. If nobody has a compost
bin at home, explain the principles of putting green stuff (annual weeds, grass clippings
etc) and brown stuff (paper, cardboard etc) in the compost bin. Pass around some
examples of green and brown stuff.

Lift the lid at the bottom of the compost heap and take out a small handful of compost.
Pass around the group encouraging the children to smell it as well.

Ask the children how the green and brown stuff turn in to the compost. Explain that
worms do most of the work. Get the children to gather around the compost bin and if
possible, lift the compost bin off the contents. Find some examples of worms and explain
how they ingest the material and turn it in to compost. Encourage the children to gently
handle the worms to look at them in more detail. If the compost, is warm encourage the
children to stick their fingers in the compost heap and feel the warmth. Explain how the
warmth helps the green and brown stuff turn in to compost.

Explain to the group that they are going to start their own compost bin. Put the new
compost bin in a suitable spot on soil and divide the children in to 2 groups – the green
group and the brown group. Each group will take it in turns to start to fill the compost
bins with layers of materials.

Get the children in one group again and encourage questions about composting.
Materials required
Current and new compost bins
Green and brown materials
Learning outcomes and evidence
 To develop an understanding of composting
 To develop skills in the benefit of composting
 To enable practical application of skills and knowledge by using a compost heap
Additional comments