Bee Picture Craft for Young Children

The Bee Picture Craft is a fun resource for young children to complete; as part of a science unit on insects, to welcome spring, or simply to put into practice their fine motor skills!

Ways to use the Bee Craft Activity:

It can be used for art class, or for the study of insects. It could even become a class frieze as individual children work together to create an enormous hive - some making worker bees (smaller in size), others could make the queen (only 1 in each hive) and others still, the drones (Males) and all helping to make the cells. The teacher can then turn the frieze into a Word Wall, adding the necessary vocabulary: hive, queen, drone, worker, cells, honey, nectar, pollen etc.... It would certainly cheer the classroom and educate the children at the same time!

Maths could be studied as children found that the hexagons tessellate and this could give way to further exploration of the meaning of the word tessellate.

Children can be stimulated to awe and wonder to learn of the ways of such a small creature. How can such a tiny thing create such perfect hexagons and work together so wonderfully to maintain the work and life of the hive?

Full Instructions for making a vibrant picture of 3D bees on a hive are given.

You will need:

· Black paper or card

· Yellow or orange paper

· White paper

· Glue stick

· Scissors

· Black felt tip pen

· Hexagon and bee templates (which are provided)

This activity is suitable for Year 1 and upwards.
A total of 12 steps are included in the instructions.

This activity is best implemented in small groups where the teacher, assistant, or parent is readily available to step in and help students. Older students may be able to work independently.

During completion: name the parts of the bee such as: wing, thorax, head, abdomen, antennae, and those of the hive: cells, honeypots etc... wax.

After completion: encourage students to name the parts of the bee while describing their own bee.