Teaching Your Kids about Bees: Spring Learning
As spring approaches, you might be interested in some spring learning themes, and one of our favorite spring learning is about bees. Most kids have a healthy respect for bees because they know that they can sting them. We need to teach kids that they can respect and appreciate bees as well.
Here are a few things you can do with your kids to learn about bees.
Reading Books
The first thing that you can do is get some books that are geared for kids about bees. Most libraries have a good selection of books on bees and honey. Learning about bees is important, and books give your child plenty of background information.
A few books to read with your children include:
1. National Geographic Readers: Buzz, Bee!
This book is all about honey bees, and it's great for your pre-reader. It has texture features like good vocabulary words, and it'll help you understand the bees' world.
2. National Geographic Readers: Bee
It's time to look about a busy bee and everything that bees do during the day. The kids learn about these awesome insects. This book is a level 2 reader, so it's a better pick for older kids than the first choice.
3. Bees: A Honeyed History
A Honeyed History is part science and part history. This book celebrates the role that these important insects play in the ecosystem throughout the ages. Bees have played a part in history since Ancient times. Bees explores different methods of beekeeping as well.
4. The Life and Times of the Honeybee
Does your child have questions about bees? This is a detailed text with beautiful illustrations. A Honeyed History offers information about a bees' life cycle, social organization, how bees make honey, and what a beekeeper does.
Visiting a Local Honey Bee Farm
Taking kids to a honey farm is a great idea. It gives your child a firsthand look at the honey production. Ask around to see if you can find a honey farm or local beekeepers in your area. Some give tours for children.
One of the best ways for kids to learn is by seeing things up close. Kids can see how bees interact with each other and their movements. Certain beekeepers have displays that are like windows into a beehive.
Try Different Honey
Kids love to eat. Honey has different flavors based on the nectar and what type of flowers that bees sourced. See if you can find some local honey from different beekeepers, then buy some honey from the store.
Make a Home for Bees in Your Garden
You can create a bee and pollinator garden with your kids. Put in some plants that bees love to attract them to your garden. You can create a bee house for solitary bees.
This is a great way for your kids to get outside and watch bees in nature. Kids can watch the movements of bees, how they move from plant to plant.
Learning about Bees is Fun
Learning about bees is a fun thing! Bees are interesting, and you spend two weeks or more learning about them. Springtime is a great time for learning about them, and your kids will find this theme entertaining and educational.
