The first thing you have to do is moisten the bedding. bianca's babies pointed out that worms are almost all water, and in fact, need water to breathe. The babies suggest a 3:1 ratio of water weight to bedding weight. So, if you have 3 pounds of bedding you should add 9 pounds of water. Typically it takes about 3 to 6 pounds of bedding for a smallish 2'X2'X8" box. The only thing you need to add is a handful or two of soil.
Once the water, soil and bedding are mixed, just dump the worms on top and shine some lights on them. In a few minutes, the worms will dig their way into their new home. After most of the worms have scrambled down, add some food (i.e. garbage) and cover the box up with a sheet of black plastic. Worms are afraid of the light, the babies found this to be very funny.