Earth Worms has been set up by Fran and an Early Years colleague Alison to offer Outdoor Classroom experiences in children's nurseries and key stage 1 settings.

The business is fully insured and Fran and Alison both have current enhanced DBS checks.

Alison has a teaching degree and EYP status and currently works part-time supporting a child in Key stage 1, she has 2 ex 'caged hens' called Mabel and Maud who scratch about happily in her back garden.
Fran has worked in lots of Early Years settings over the years and also currently offers regular respite foster care at Oak House Farm, the children love to help with the daily smallholding routine such as feeding the pigs and collecting the eggs.

Earth-Worms initially offers 2 hen hire packages to suit different settings and budgets as detailed below; ask us for ideas on fundraising activities to help you finance the experience.

Package 1-The Premium package

You and your children hire 2 hens, their coop and all the equipment and organic supplies they will need for one month.

Henrietta the hand puppet will visit before the hens arrive to talk with the childen about looking after her friends. Henrietta brings lots of laminated photographs of the hens and their equipment which you can use for discussion or display.

On delivery day the children help to set up the coop and have a hands-on session with the hens, learning about them through looking closely, touching them and asking questions. The children are also prompted to choose some names for their guests.                           

Each week we visit to help clean out the hen coop, move it onto fresh ground and lead an activity with the children.

In week 1 the children make tasty pecker block treats for the hens following Henrietta's recipe card.

In week 2 a cockerel comes to visit and the children have a go at collaboratively drawing or collaging a picture of him, if there are chicks available we will bring some of these to visit too.

In week 3 the children join in with our fun story sack session acting out 'The Little Red Hen makes Pizza', this involves lots or verbal participation, role-play and pretending to eat a playdough pizza.

When it is time for the hens to go back to Oak House Farm, Henrietta leads a circle time where everyone can share their favourite moments or talk about what they have learned during their hens stay.

This package is priced at £250

Package 2- The short package

If you prefer a shorter hire period, our short package offers 2 hens and their coop with all the equipment and supplies they will need for a 2 week period.

On delivery day the children will help set up the coop and everything the hens will need and have a hands-on session learning about them through looking closely, touching and asking questions,they will also be asked for suggestions for names for their guests.

We visit in the middle of the hire period to help clean out and move the coop onto fresh ground and lead an activity with the children, you can choose from

- making tasty pecker blocks for the hens

-having a cockerel come to visit and be drawn or collaged

-sharing our 'Little Red Hen Makes Pizza' story sack

When it is time for the hens to leave,Henrietta the hand puppet leads a circle time where everyone can share their favourite moments or talk about what they have learned during the hen hire experience.

The short package is priced at £150