Question: Do we really need at least a 3- to 4-foot-tall compost pile? It's taller than the kids! What will we do with all that compost?
Answer: Successful composting depends in part on having a large enough volume of material, so you do need to start with rather a lot. Once the children have built the pile as high as they are able, you will probably need some adults to step in and help with the remainder of the building process. To help hold the kids' interest, let them coach the adults in what to add and allow them to do the final watering. This way the children are the ones to add the finishing touches, so they consider it "their" project.
Remember that the volume of a compost pile shrinks dramatically as the materials break down, so you will have far less finished product than you had raw ingredients. It is very impressive to children (and adults) to see this happen; watching a mountain of organic matter taller than your head shrink to a knee-high pile helps us all understand how the forest takes care of itself by doing its own composting of autumn leaves, fallen trees, and so on. And when the kids apply the compost to the garden, they will understand exactly how much organic matter it really takes to feed and improve the soil. Seeing, as they say, is believing.
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