Start a Compost Bin Together

A compost bin — a tumbler, wire mesh cylinder, or a large plastic storage bin with holes drilled in the sides for airflow

Brown materials — dry leaves, shredded cardboard or newspaper, straw

Green materials — fruit scraps, vegetable peels, coffee grounds, grass clippings

A watering can

A pitchfork, shovel, or sturdy stick for turning

Choose your bin. A store-bought tumbler is easiest. A DIY option: drill twenty 1-inch holes in the sides and bottom of a large plastic storage bin. Either works.

Place the bin in a shaded spot with good drainage — under a tree or along a fence. Direct sun dries compost out too fast.

Build the first layer: about 4 inches of brown material on the bottom. Dry leaves, ripped-up cardboard, or straw. "Brown stuff is like the bed for our compost."

Add a layer of green material: banana peels, apple cores, carrot ends, coffee grounds. "Green stuff is the food. The tiny organisms in the soil eat this and turn it into super-soil."

Teach the rules together: Greens and browns in roughly equal layers. Yes: fruit, veggies, coffee, tea bags, leaves, cardboard. No: meat, dairy, oils, pet waste, diseased plants.

Top with browns, water lightly (damp, not soggy), and you're composting. Turn it weekly with a pitchfork. In 6-8 weeks, the bottom will be dark, crumbly, earthy-smelling compost.

Give your child the daily task of bringing kitchen scraps to the compost bin. A countertop collection container makes this easy.

The compost should smell earthy, not rotten. If it smells bad, add more browns and turn it. Smell is the best diagnostic tool.

After a few weeks, dig into the pile together and look for worms, beetles, and other decomposers. They're doing the real work.

Use the finished compost in your garden. Your child completing the cycle — scraps to compost to soil to growing food — is deeply satisfying.