1-2-3 Come Do Some Bee Crafts With Me

My son Steven, has taken up beekeeping as his latest hobby, and asked if I could make him something that he could share with children when he gives a talk about honey bees and their life cycle.

Today's article features the 5 craftivities I came up with.  Which is your favorite? 

Mine is the "Bottoms Up!"  bee craft.  I named it that, because the 4 “pages” of the booklet are located at the bottom of the bee craft, which you flip UP.

Each of the 4 pages, displays graphics depicting a stage of the bee’s life cycle.

Patterns come in color, so that you can quickly & easily make an example to share, as well as black & white for students.

I’ve provided patterns for a “big bee booklet” perfect for a teacher’s sample, as well as a smaller (2-on-a-page) version for students.

The pages come with a “trace & write” labeled option for little ones, as well as a blank pattern page, so that you can build vocabulary & check comprehension, as students label the life cycle pictures.

There's plenty of room for older kiddos to write something about each stage of the bee’s life cycle, as well as share their favorite fact on the bee's belly, which acts as the last page.

I've also included patterns where the bee has a face, as well as a blank head, so that children can draw their own.  If you like a big-eyed look, you can run off the eyeball pattern. 

Wiggle eyes & pipe cleaner antennae add extra pizzazz.

Introduce the lesson by reading a bee story, like Gail Gibbons’ book “The Honey Makers”, then share your example.

Afterwards, students transition to making their own booklet, then partnering up, and taking turns explaining the honey bee's life cycle to each other.

If you decide to hang up your students’ work, I’ve included a sweet “Bottoms Up!” poster to use for the center of your bulletin board display. 

Another super-fun way to explain the life cycle of the honey bee is by making a crown. 

My Y5s absolutely love making and wearing crowns, and since there’s a “Queen Bee” involved in the process, it seemed especially appropriate.

There are 7 different life cycle crowns to choose from, including 2 where you can assess comprehension by having students color, cut & glue the life cycle stages in the correct order on their crown, which also reinforces ordinal numbers.

Besides the black & white options for students, I’ve made several patterns in color, so that you can easily make an example to share, helping to explain what you want your students to do, then wear yourself, or give away as a “prize”.

The patterns vary in ease of cutting as well. Choose which is most appropriate for your students’ scissor skills, or run off the assortment and give children a choice.

I’ve included some labeled as well as not labeled crowns to help you reinforce the science vocabulary.

I use yellow bulletin board border for the headbands. Sentence strips also work well. I’ve also seen honeycomb border for sale, which would make things extra special.

When everyone is done,  we take a few moments to get “the wiggles out” by marching around the room to several minutes of Korsakov’s famous “Flight of the Bumblebee”. 

I’ve included links to free music videos on YouTube, along with a photo poster of the composer, that you can share with your students.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much my Y5s enjoyed this activity. The next day one little girl asked: "Can we listen to the bee song?"

Taking a photo of your students wearing their crowns, makes a cute bulletin board.

Ive included a “We’ve been busy!” & “The Life Cycle of a Bee” posters for the center of your display, along with cute frames & name cards for that finishing touch. 

Next up is an interesting & super-simple life cycle of a bee craftivity, that will help practice that toughie hexagon shape. Since the honeycomb shape is a hexagon, I thought it would not only be fun, but especially appropriate.

Being able to reinforce this often difficult shape, while learning some science is a double bonus.

The packet includes:
* A hexagon foldable, life cycle of a honey bee craft, with 2 options.
There are black & white templates for students, which come labeled & blank, as well as full-color options, so you can quickly & easily make an example to share.

* A “Bee Life Cycle” poster
* A colorful “Life Cycle of a Honey Bee” anchor chart, with matching “color & label me” black & white worksheets for students.

* Colorful ordinal number, life cycle anchor chart, with matching “color & label me” black & white worksheets.
* Color & identify the honey bee’s life cycle worksheet, with a matching “trace & write” option for younger students.

Whenever I do a theme in my classroom, I like to put up some decorations that will generate excitement.

With that in mind, I designed this beehive "dangler" craft.

Even if you don't do this as a whole group, you could make one to introduce the life cycle of a honey bee, then suspend it from the ceiling in a corner of your classroom.

There are a variety of options, so you can choose which is most appropriate for your students’ skill level. Pick your favorite or give children a choice.

You can keep things simple for little ones and make your projects flat, or you can add extra pop & pizzazz by making them 3 dimensional by adding extra wings, additional hives, or "hinged" doors. 

I've included complete "how to" directions with plenty of photographs.

The honey bee craft can be a “topper” for a beehive dangler to add that “wow!” factor. OR…if you like the bee, and want to skip the hive, but still explain the life cycle, I’ve included a “bee back” featuring the 4 stages.

Wiggle eyes and pipe cleaner antennae, also add interest and a 3D effect.

I’ve included 2 posters: “What’s All The Buzz About?” & “The Life Cycle of a Honey Bee” to use for the center of your or hallway display.

Finally, since my life cycle wheels have been so popular, I decided to create one for the honey bee.

There are 2 circular wheel covers, as well as a beehive, and hexagon-shaped honeycomb option.

Choose your favorite or give children a choice.

The patterns come in black & white for students, as well as colorful templates, so that you can quickly and easily create an example to share.

I make and laminate all 4, keeping them in our science center

When everyone has completed their life cycle wheel, review the stages of the honey bee as a whole group, then have children partner up and take turns explaining the life cycle to each other.

I’ve also included 2 colorful life cycle of a honey bee posters, which can be used to introduce the lesson, then hung up as an anchor chart, or placed in the center of your bulletin board display.

So that you can check comprehension, and reinforce the life cycle vocabulary, the posters also have matching black & white worksheets for your students, with 4 options to suit various levels.

Today's featured FREEBIE, is a super-fun, summer writing prompt craftivity.  I call it "The Shades Of Summer". I hope you find it useful.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.

My hanging flower baskets look a bit on the droopy side, time to go water my garden.  Wishing you a fun-filled and carefree day.