Bees: Preschool Theme Unit
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Bee Books, Games, Crafts and More!
Bees are such wonderful and helpful creatures. From pollinating flowers to making honey, we could not live without them. Go ahead and explore the world of bees with your child, preschool class, daycare or homeschool co-op. Use these bee ideas as a science unit, a unit to go along with Letter of the Week or a spring-themed week. I've included free bee printable coloring sheets and games I've created for my children and local co-op class plus other fun ideas.
Organizing Toddler and Preschool Units
When planning units, I like to use 3-ring binders. I have numbered dividers for each day of the week. I switched to numbers rather than days because it always seemed like I started units on different days or I planned the units to last for either less than a week or more than a week.
At the front of the binder I put my unit over-view planning page. Then behind each numbered divider, I place more detailed plans, print-outs, and craft directions.
At the front of the binder I put my unit over-view planning page. Then behind each numbered divider, I place more detailed plans, print-outs, and craft directions.
Bee-Themed Books
How To Make a Balloon Bumble Bee
Sometimes having a simple prop during story time makes all the difference. Have the children pass the bumble bee whenever they see a bee in the story or whenever you say the word "bee".
curated content from YouTube
Bee Activities and Games
Gathering Pollen Game:
Supplies:
bouncy balls, ping pong balls or pom poms
bags
several small bowls
Flowers have pollen and that is just what bees love to collect. Set out several "flowers" with pollen (bowls, trays etc.) around the room.
Give each child a bag. Have them step into the handle so it is on one leg and place the other handle on their arm. This represents the sacks on the back of a bee's leg that holds the pollen . (If that's too difficult for the child, let them put it on their arm). Have the children collect the pollen and bring back to the hive (select a place to be the hive like a big tub to place all the "pollen")
[Female bees have a structure on their legs that no other insects, including wasps, have: a pollen basket. The basket is made of rows of stiff hairs that arch to form a hollow space on the outside of the bees' legs, usually her back legs. When a bee visits a flower, she combs grains of pollen into her baskets. Pollen from the flower also sticks to the bee's hair. ~ San Diego Zoo]
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Make a Honey Comb
Using Pattern Blocks
, let the children build their own honey comb.
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Bee Number Sequencing
Use these printable cards to work on number sequence, counting backwards, and one-to-one correspondence.
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Bee Color Match Game
Have students match the bees to the correct flower. For those learning their color names, students can match the bees to the correct color word.
Supplies:
bouncy balls, ping pong balls or pom poms
bags
several small bowls
Flowers have pollen and that is just what bees love to collect. Set out several "flowers" with pollen (bowls, trays etc.) around the room.
Give each child a bag. Have them step into the handle so it is on one leg and place the other handle on their arm. This represents the sacks on the back of a bee's leg that holds the pollen . (If that's too difficult for the child, let them put it on their arm). Have the children collect the pollen and bring back to the hive (select a place to be the hive like a big tub to place all the "pollen")
[Female bees have a structure on their legs that no other insects, including wasps, have: a pollen basket. The basket is made of rows of stiff hairs that arch to form a hollow space on the outside of the bees' legs, usually her back legs. When a bee visits a flower, she combs grains of pollen into her baskets. Pollen from the flower also sticks to the bee's hair. ~ San Diego Zoo]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Make a Honey Comb
Using Pattern Blocks
, let the children build their own honey comb.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bee Number Sequencing
Use these printable cards to work on number sequence, counting backwards, and one-to-one correspondence.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bee Color Match Game
Have students match the bees to the correct flower. For those learning their color names, students can match the bees to the correct color word.
- Bee and Bug Game Ideas
- There is a listing of game ideas for various insects including bees. Ideas such as: Buggy Wuggy Dance, Bee Hive Game, and Queen Bee Game.
- Online ABC Bee Letter Match Game
- Help the bee take the letters back to the bee hive in alphabetical order. Click on the flowers in alphabetical order to help the bee get the right letter.
- Bee File Folder Color Match Game
- This is a color matching file folder game, where children match the color of the Bee stripes to the color of the flower petals.
Bee Crafts
Egg Carton Bee Craft
from Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
Letter B- Bee Craft from Totally Tots
Bee Craft from Ramblings of a Crazy Woman
- Bee Stick Puppets
- Printable bees that the children can color and glue onto a popsicle stick to make a puppet.
Five little bees
Up in the trees
Busy, buzzing
bumblebees
First they go to a flower
Then they go to the hive
Then they make some honey
What a busy family of five!! - Bee Theme Printables from First-School
- Several printables such as Letter B tracer page, bee craft and online storytime.
- Bee Crafts and Printables from Danielle's Place
- Lots of cute ideas here: Craft Spoon Bee Craft, Plaster Bee Craft, Bee Balloon Decoration and more.
- Toliet Paper Roll Bee
- Try this easy and inexpensive craft made from a TP roll. Your kids will be busy bees flying these around. Recycled crafts from toilet paper rolls means loads of fun!
- Thumb-Print Bees w/ a Bible lesson
- A craft that reminds kids that they're someone special with Jesus.
- Bumblebees from Teach Preschool
- Our three year olds made the sweet little construction paper bumblebees!
- Craft Stick Bee Bookmark « Bee
- This is such a cute craft! We can make an interesting bee bookmark using a craft stick.
- Footprint Bee
- An adorable painted footprint bee!
- Foam Bee Fridge Magnet / Note Holder
- Similar to the bookmark bee but turned into a magnet. Very cute!
- Learning and Teaching With Preschoolers: Bee Finger Puppet
- This little finger puppet is made from a dish glove. Very clever!
- Bumblee Bee Wands and Bee Birthday Party Favors
- Amy from We Teach shares several adorable bee crafts that she used at her daughter's bee-themed birthday party.
- Bumblebee Waterbottles
- Here's an interesting way to repurpose plastic waterbottles---turn them into bumblebee shakers!
Bee-Themed Snacks
- Peanut Butter Honey Bees
- This is a deliciously cute bee snack from Jolanthe at Totally Tots.
- Bee Cake Pops
- These are so cute! Would be great for a bee-themed birthday party.
- Bee sugar cookies
- A tutorial on how to make bee-shaped sugar cookies. They look fantastic!
Bee Printables for Young Children
There are many bee printables out on the web, and I'll be adding the ones I feel will add value to an educational bee unit. This section will be updated frequently as I find new things or design new printables.
Click photos to download coloring pages.
- Bee Printables from Coloring Castle
- There are several coloring sheets in the collection, but I like the coloring page of the bee hive the best. You could print that on yellow cardstock and use it as a base for a game or art project.
- Bee Bible-themed printables from A Kid's Heart
- There are activities, games, coloring pages, and clip art - both for online fun and print and play.
- Bee Safe - Safety Coloring Pages
- Using a bee-theme, teachers can teach children several different safety principles such as:Always Wear Sunscreen, Always Wear a Seatbelt, Check Smoke Detector Batteries Often and more.
- Enchanted Learning: Simple Honey Bee Print-out
- A non-cutesy coloring page of a bee.
- Bee Bag from Nature Detectives
- A printable bee bag perfect for taking on a nature hike.
- Printable Bee Plane from Nature Dectives
- Have your own swarm of bees flying in your classroom! Cute idea.
- WordWorld - Where Words Come Alive
- Click WordFriend Coloring Sheet 1 and scroll to the second picture: in WordWorld fashion, there is a bee in word/picture format.
Free Printable Bee Unit for Toddlers
2 Teaching Mommies has created a fantastic printable unit all on bees!
Other Fun Bee Educational Items
More Bee Information from Squidoo
These lenses have more unBEElievable information for kids to learn about bees.
Animal Themes for Young Children
Thanks for Buzzing by! I'd love to hear from you.
About Spell Outloud
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I am a former elementary school teacher and I currently have a classroom of 6 at home. I enjoy digital scrapbooking and photography,and many of the photos... more »
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