A HUNTER childcare service is looking at the idea of book worms through a different lens, selling fertiliser from its worm farm to buy books for its new library.
Director of Imagine Early Learning and Childcare at The Junction, Tiarn Stubbs, said the centre started a worm farm about two years ago, which the children put food scraps into every day.
"Then we were having more worm wee than we knew what to do with," she said.
"The children in the preschool room came up with the idea of bottling it and selling it to families."
The children bottle the four or five litres of worm waste produced each week, create labels and sell it for use as fertiliser, setting prices of usually $1 or $2 based on the bottle size.
"It's liquid gold," she said. "Sometimes our families come in and grab four bottles at a time it's been so good for their garden."
She said the project reflected the centre's philosophy of sustainability.
"Children are our future," she said. "The more we involve them in these decisions, rather than telling them why we should be doing this or doing that... they are learning so much more from that process. They're just naturally so curious, they're like little scientists."
Ms Stubbs said the centre had used the $200 in proceeds to buy books for its new library.
She said staff found some rare titles and old favourites no longer being printed on Facebook Marketplace as part of bundles.
The centre has also received donations.
She said she hoped to save busy families trips to other libraries and encourage them to read together.
"It's important we continue to nurture that joy of reading from a young age."
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