Materials
String cut in 10" to 14" (25 cm to 35 cm) lengths
Paint
Pie tins
Construction, manila, or drawing paper
Instructions
What to do
1. Knot one end of the string to make the head of the worm.
2. Have the children hold the knot and dip the string in the paint, then wiggle it around, coating it
with paint.
3. Demonstrate how to lay the string on the paper with the knot just beyond the edge of the
paper.
4. When their string is lying flat, ask the children to fold their paper in half. Hold the paper down
firmly and have the children gently pull the string. The children should pull the knot up and
around the edge of the paper.
5. When they have pulled the string out, tell the children to unfold their paper and see the design
the string, or worm, has left.
6. Invite the children to repeat the process with several colors until their paper is crisscrossed with
lines in a colorful design.
More to do
More art: Use light brown paper to resemble soil or use brown paint on a colored background.
For a whimsical appearance, draw a picture of a garden or other outdoor setting on the top half
of the paper, then make the string design on the bottom half.
Science: Keep worms in a transparent container filled with soil.
