Spring is on its way, bringing lots of opportunities to explore and learn with young children. As the weather warms, flowers are starting to bloom and bees are buzzing all around. In this article, we share two popular children’s books about bees and several engaging bee-themed activities – to make for buzzin’ fun in your classroom!
This children’s book, written and illustrated by Shabazz Larkin, is a beautiful and touching story that helps children learn about all of the wonderful things that bees do. This story aims to alleviate fears that children might have about bees by explaining the integral role that bees play in the pollination of the produce that we enjoy. The book explores many different kinds of bees and shares a few quick facts about each one.
This book, written by Kirsten Hall and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, features bright, vibrant illustrations of flowers with minimal text on each page. Children can buzz and hum along with the story to explore the different sounds that bees make. The book explores what life is like in a beehive, and all of the work that bees do to make honey.
This simple activity requires only a few materials: bubble wrap, paint, and a sponge. Invite children to use the sponges to paint different shades of yellow and orange on the bubble wrap. Then, use the bubble wrap as a stamp on plain white paper. After this project is done, children can admire the unique print that the bubble wrap left on the paper, with its texture resembling a bee hive.
Older children might enjoy drawing and cutting out bees to paste onto the beehive. You might also bring out small loose parts for children to build and create on the pattern.
Click here to find out more about this activity.
If you are looking for a fun, sensory activity to add to bee-themed learning and play, you might enjoy trying this simple recipe for honey playdough. Children can squish, knead, and sculpt the dough, all while enjoying the sweet scent of honey and thinking about the special treat that bees make.
You might include extra building and sculpting supplies for children to use with the playdough such as scissors, cups, and utensils. Click here to find the detailed recipe for honey playdough.
This activity is a great way for preschoolers to practice fine motor skills while learning about bees. Using honeycomb cereal, invite children to move the small items from a tub into smaller containers using their fingers and tweezers. The sample activity was set up using small bee erasers, but this can be done with a variety of small items, such as pom-poms, buttons, bottle caps, or any other items that you have available.
Children can practice using smaller muscles in their fingers and hands to pick up the small items. Click here to find more information about setting up this activity.
This painting activity is an art project and sensory experience all in one! Using paint and corn syrup, children can enjoy painting with a sticky, honey-like texture as they learn about bees. This activity is well suited for infants, toddlers, and young preschoolers who enjoy sensory experiences and opportunities to engage in messy art.
Talk with children about the different textures that they are feeling between their fingers as they enjoy this activity.
Click here to find out more about making the “honey” paint for the children in your care.
