Bees

Children become interested in bees when they see them in their gardens. These tiny animals are insects. They are also pollinators, which are essential for biodiversity and human existence.

Bees is a very popular group project in early childhood education. There are opportunities for learning about nature, sustainability, natural cycles, natural materials, food and nutrition, venom, and plants. All of these topics can be explored through bees, without leaving your childcare centre.

EYLF learning outcomes

Bees provoke curiosity (4.1). An interest in bees can help children achieve learning outcomes in the Early Years Learning Framework, including inquiry, researching and investigating (4.2). Bees are insects and their wax and honey are natural materials (4.4), which teaches children environmental respect (2.4).

Learning experiences

Spread honey on bread

Children can develop their fine motor skills by spreading butter and honey on their own slices of bread - yum! Talk about where honey comes from and how bees make it. Read How do bees make honey? on Curious Kids.

Play with yellow playdough

Make cute buzzy bees from playdough. Provide bright yellow dough with black loose parts (e.g. strips of paper, pipe cleaners, ribbon) and googly eyes.

Light a candle

Light a beeswax candle to show children how incredible the wax is. Before lighting the candle, allow each child to inspect the wax and the wick. How does beeswax look, feel and smell?

Play the honey bear game

All children sit in a circle.
One child sits in the middle of the circle with their eyes closed, pretending to be a sleeping bear with a honey pot (any container can be a honey pot).
Another child from the circle creeps up and steals the honey pot.
The other children sing: "Isn't it funny that a bear likes honey. Buzz buzz buzz. I wonder why he does. Wake up bear, your honey's not there!"
The bear wakes up and chases the thief around the circle, trying to catch them before they can sit back in their spot.

Learning environments

Grow a bee-friendly garden

Attract bees to your garden by planting native flowers and herbs, providing small puddles of water, and homemade homes for bees. Preschool children can help educators make the bee houses (also known as "bee hotels" or "bee B'n'Bs").

Learn more about growing a bee-friendly garden on BSSA.
Watch an instruction video for making bee hotels with Costa, by Junior Landcare.

Family and community connections

Meet a beekeeper

Ask families if they know a beekeeper, also known as an apiarist. You can also find someone through beekeeping organisations or clubs in your region.

Beekeepers often enjoy speaking to people about their bees, so invite them to your service for a talk. Ask if they can provide samples of honeycomb and show some of the equipment they use, including a beekeeping suit.

Share the love

Are you establishing a bee-friendly garden? Grow extra plants and offer them to the neighbours surrounding your childcare centre.

KU Mayfield is a children's service that adopted native bees. They gave each of its neighbours a native flowering plant, along with a letter explaining the importance of native bees to the environment. Their goal was to create a "bee-friendly block". Some of the neighbors emailed the children photos of the plants in their gardens.

Events

20th May is World Bee Day
Australian Pollinator Week is in November

Discussions

Do you like bees?
What noise do bees make? Can you pretend to be a flying, buzzy bee?
What does a bee look like close-up?
Why do we need bees? Read Why bees are so important to the environment? written by the South Australian Government.
What are pollinators? Read about pollination by the Australian Museum.
How can we help bees stay healthy and happy?