Bee Activities: 3 - 6 Years

World Bee Day is just a few days away, on Monday, May 20, 2024. 

This is a day to raise awareness about the essential role that bees play in keeping people and the planet healthy, and about the many challenges that bees face today.

You can read more about World Bee Day on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations here: https://www.fao.org/world-bee-day/en

In celebration of World Bee Day, we've created a bunch of Montessori bee and honey activities. 

The 7 activities below are for children ages three to six. You can find activities for children one to three here: https://themontessoriroom.com/blogs/montessori-tips/bee-activities-0-3-years

Bee or Not a Bee

Activity: Sorting insects into two categories - ‘bee’ and ‘not a bee’.

Purpose: To help children identify what makes a bee, a bee and to recognize that there are a variety of bees.

Recommended age: 3.5+

Instructions:

1. Print pages 2-5. Cut out the insect cards and sorting titles on page 2 and 3.
2. Allow the child to sort the insect cards into the two categories by placing them under the correct title (‘Bee’ or ‘Not a Bee’)
3. Offer the two control sheets (page 4 and 5) so the child can check their work.

Social and Solitary Bees Activity

Activity: Sorting bees into two categories - ‘social bee’ and ‘solitary bee’.

Purpose: To draw the child's attention to this important distinction between types of bees. 

Recommended age: 4+

Instructions:

1. Print pages 1-4. Cut out the bee cards and sorting titles on page 1 and 2.
2. Read through the ‘Social and Solitary Bees Fact Sheet’ on page 3 to learn about what defines each type of bee and examples that will help the child to properly sort them.
3. Allow the child to sort the bee cards into the two categories by placing them under the correct title (‘Social Bee’ or ‘Solitary Bee’)
4. Offer the control sheet (page 4) so the child can check their work.

Parts of a Honey Bee Activity

Activity: Learn the names of the different parts of the honey bee and how to write them.  

Purpose: To help the child learn the individual names of the parts of the bee and how to read and write them. 

Recommended age: 5+ 

Instructions:

1. Sit with your child, and look at each of the "Parts of the Bee" cards one-by-one. Ask if they know the name of each one and roughly what it does. Set aside the parts that they aren't sure about.
2. Choose two to four of the parts your child wasn't sure about. Look at them one-by-one, giving your child its name and a brief description.
3. Play a guessing game with the parts of the bee you just looked at. Lay them out in front of the child and ask, "Can you show me the wings? Now show me the thorax." etc. Repeat this game a few times, rearranging the pictures each time.
4. If your child is having success with step #2, look at the parts one at a time and ask the child to identify each one. If your child is reading, they can then match the reading labels to each part.

Types of Bees Language Cards

Activity: Learn about common bees - what they look like and their names.

Purpose: To develop the child’s vocabulary and learn the names of different types of bees.

Recommended age: 5+

Instructions:

1. Sit with your child and introduce three or four types of bee, one-by-one. Look at the picture of the bee and read the attached facts.
2. Play a guessing game with the pictures of the bees you just looked at. Lay them out in front of the child and ask, "Can you show me the mason bee? Now show me the sweat bee." etc. Repeat this game a few times, rearranging the pictures each time.
3. If your child is having success with step #2, look at the bee pictures one at a time and ask the child to identify each one. If your child is reading, they can then match the reading labels to each bee.
4. Optional: Encourage your child to draw their own version of each bee! If they are writing, they can write the names of each one, too. These could be collected in a book or on a poster.

Lifecycle of A Honey Bee Activity

Activity: Learn about the lifecycle of a honey bee

Purpose: Foster connection and curiosity for the natural world, as well as develop an impression of sequencing and the passage of time. 

Recommended age: 3.5+

Instructions:

• Print pages 2 and 3. Cut out the circles at the bottom of page 3, the different stages of the lifecycle.
• Place the circles into the lifecycle on page 3.
• Offer the control sheet (page 2) so the child can check their work.
• Talk about the lifecycle facts on pages 4-6.

Honey Bee Counting and Number Symbols

Activity: Counting bumble bees and writing number symbols.

Purpose: To practice counting and writing number symbols.  

Recommended age: 3.5+ 

Instructions:

• Print pages 2 and 3.
• Have your child count all the bees in each box.
• Once they know the quantity, have them write the corresponding number symbol in the box on the right.

Practicing the ‘ee’ Phoneme

Activity: Practice spelling words with the phoneme ‘ee’

Purpose: To practice sounding out and writing words with the phoneme ‘ee’

Recommended age: 5+

Instructions:

1. Print page 2 and 3.
2. Review the phonetic sound that ‘ee’ makes with your child.
3. Offer your child page 2, where they can fill in the missing letters.
4. Offer the control sheet (page 3) so the child can check their work.