Why do worms come out when it rains?
Talk about it together
Where do you think a worm might go after the rain stops?
What about...?
Ask your child's own question
Transcript
Why do worms come out when it rains? Let's wonder together!
Rain soaks into the soil and makes the ground wet. Worms need wet skin to breathe, so wet ground feels just right.
Water can fill some worm tunnels. Then a worm may wiggle up to a drier spot near the top.
On wet ground, worms can travel without drying out. So after rain, we can spot more worms above the soil.
So that's why worms often come out after rain. Wet soil helps their skin stay wet, and some tunnels get too watery.
For grown-ups: the science
Worms come out after rain because they need wet skin and may move away from watery tunnels.
Earthworms breathe through their moist skin, so they need a damp environment. Rain makes the soil surface safe for travel and can also flood or reduce air spaces in some tunnels, encouraging worms to move upward. Not every worm comes out because of flooding; wet conditions also let them travel across the ground without drying out.