Diary of a Worm Lesson Ideas

1. Make a "what happens next" journal page for Worm.
2. Have your students write and illustrate a diary of a bug or animal of their choice.
3. Spend a week having the children make a journal of their own lives.
4. Do a puppet show with the kids to reenact the story or create their own puppet show of a Worm adventure.

Have your students write a letter to author Doreen Cronin to tell her which Diary Book is their favorite. They may want to include ideas for other books or write about the bug or animal they chose to write about for their Diary of a... book project.

Create a bookworm corner in your classroom or home complete with books all about worms or other insects and invertebrates you are studying in your unit study. You may even want to make bookworm bookmarks the students can use to mark their place in the books they are reading.

Spend some time discussing what life as a worm might be like! Look at the list of things Worm has at the end of the story for why he does and doesn't like being a worm. Have the children list what they like and don't like about being a kid.

1. Use estimation to determine the length of gummy worms. Then stretch them out and measure their actual length.
2. Fill bags with handfuls of Gummy Worms and have children estimate the number of worms in each bag.
3. Give groups of students a handful of different colored Gummy Worms then have each group graph how many worms there are of each color.
4. Give students a handful of Gummy Worms to sort by size or color.
5. Have students make A B or A B C patterns with their colored gummy worms (like yellow, green, red, yellow, green, red).

1. Research worms with science books and on the links listed above with your students.
2. After reading the book make a list of items worms may eat. Next study what they really eat and make a list. Compare the two lists.
3. Have students write a report about earthworms.
4. Discuss invertebrates and the what characteristics an earthworm has that make it an invertebrate.
5. Make a Venn diagram of Worm and Spider to compare and contrast their characteristics. Discuss whether a worm and a spider really could be friends.
6. Make an earthworm terrarium for students to observe the worms in action.
7. Take a nature walk and write down the types of bugs you saw.

1. Make worms out of play doh or clay.
2. Print out worm coloring pages and color them.
3. Make worm and spider puppets from a paper bag and construction paper.
4. Draw pictures of worm and spider. I find it helps if kids have a picture to inspire them, so be sure to leave out a copy of the Diary of a Worm book.
5. Make fingerprint pictures of Worm and his friends using washable ink pads and markers.
6. Make a lapbook.

Make worm headband party hats out of construction paper.

Make dirt and worms dessert with the students. Put on the scholastic DVD of the Diary of the worm and watch while you enjoy your dessert.

You may also want to make other wormy treats to serve at your party like mummy worms (pigs in a blanket) or wormy jello, and bug juice punch (limeade with worm ice cubes).

Have wormy races where kids must wriggle on the floor to the finish line.

Bobbing for Worms
Each player is given a bowl with had a bowl with 6-8 worms all mixed up (should be same amount for each person) in the whipped cream.
Then with their hands behind their back they must dig into the bowl of whipped cream pull out the worms and place them on the plate. First one to finish wins. (Want to make it harder: Blindfold them!)

Go fishing... have students attach construction paper worms to fishing poles (a stick with string/yarn and a clothes pin) and fish behind a wall or table where the teacher or room mom attaches items you might catch or accidentally catch while fishing.

Play pin the spots on the ladybug.

Do some buggy face painting!

For some great buggy recipes click here.

- 1 package Oreo cookies, crushed
- 2 cups cold milk
- 1 package chocolate instant pudding mix
- 1 small container Cool Whip topping, thawed
- 1 package gummy worms

Put cookies into a zipper style bag and close tightly.
Using a rolling pin, roll and crush the cookies until crumbly. Set aside.
In a large bowl, pour the milk and chocolate instant pudding mix.
Whisk well until all of the pudding mix is dissolved.
Let stand 5 minutes.
Add the Cool Whip and 1/2 of the crushed cookies.
Stir until well blended.
Place a large spoonful of crushed cookies into the bottoms of the clear plastic cups.
Add the pudding mixture on top of that until the cups are 3/4 full.
Add 1 large gummy worm so that it is half in the cup and 1/2 hanging out of the cup.
Spoon in more crushed cookie around the worm to hold it in place.
Can top with Cool Whip if desired.
Serve chilled.
*You can use as many worms in the pudding as desired.

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