Build a Worm Home for the Holidays

In this activity, you’ll build a home using everyday materials for a worm whose house has flooded. But what does building a worm home have to do with entrepreneurship?

You’ll be inspired to use empathy to consider the worm’s needs. As you work, you’ll be creative, adaptable, and resourceful to build a home with ordinary materials. You’ll show persistence and grit and embrace failure when parts of your first designs don’t work as planned. Finally, you’ll show courage as you pitch your worm home idea!

Ready to get started? Watch the video below and check out the materials list (feel free to add your own ideas from around your home or classroom):

Ideas for materials:

• Cardboard (thin, cereal box style works best)
• Aluminum foil
• Scissors
• Tape
• Pipe cleaners
• Markers, colored pencils, or crayons
• “Lunch sized” paper bags

To give your house fun holiday flair, you can also use:

• Ribbon and bows
• Wrapping paper scraps
• Wrapping paper tubes

Instructions:

1. Using the materials you’ve collected, design and build a house for a worm whose home has flooded! Consider the worm’s needs as you build. (That’s using empathy!) How can you make the house a good fit for the worm? How might you prevent future flooding?

2. As you work, you might find yourself using your entrepreneurial mindsets and skills! Check out the VentureLab Entrepreneurial Mindsets and Skills poster, then write down how you used entrepreneurial mindsets and skills to build the best worm home.

3. When you’ve finished your worm home, pitch (share!) your design with an adult! Tell them about at least three features you’ve built into your worm home and the entrepreneurial mindsets and skills you used while building it.

4. BONUS: Want to inspire others to think like an entrepreneur? Have a trusted adult share photos of your worm home on social media using the hashtags #giveawormahome and #ourventurelab and/or by tagging VentureLab at @ourventurelab