Today’s book is The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall, one of my favorite bee books. Notice the stark illustrations that manage to be bold, simple and bright all at once. This book puts a fun twist on a day in the life of a honeybee!

Storytime Activity Guide:

Materials:

(If you need any materials, please let me know and I will put together a box for you to pick up)

Paper

Salt

Watercolor and/or tempera paints

White glue

Bubble wrap- inside an amazon envelope!

Prep:

Cover table with tablecloth

Set up supplies in easy reach

Open Ended Project: Bee flight pattern

Using any plain paper, draw a bee flight path with swirls, twists and turns. Use white glue to trace that path. Sprinkle salt in the glue and let dry. Come back when glue is dry and add touches of watercolor paint to the salt trail and watch the paint spread along the line. Use different colors to see how the colors blend. Paint the background paper as well! Rinse and save the bubble wrap, we will use it again!

Art Activity #1: Huge Flower

Using a single sheet of paper, encourage kids to draw a flower that uses as much of the paper as possible. Try to make a flower that will be completely irresistible to a bee! Use paint or markers to make the bee as bright you can so that your flower stands out in a garden full of flowers. 

Extension: Make multiple flowers and cut out the outline, add to a wall or window to make a garden!

Art Activity #2: Bubble Wrap Honeybee Hive

Make a bubble wrap print to look like a honeybee hive. Using watercolors or tempera paint, cover a piece of bubblewrap with paint and press a piece of white or light colored paper to it. When it’s dry, use a black marker or pencil to draw bees in the hive.

Art Activity #3: Dance like a Bee

Do a honeybee dance (https://bee-health.extension.org/dance-language-of-the-honey-bee/) ! Teach your family the different bee dances and see if they can interpret your message using only your dance.

Round Dance: Food is nearby. Other bees know to go look for the flower fragrance that they smell as you dance

Waggle Dance: Food is farther away. The faster you waggle in a figure 8 pattern, the closer the food is.

Art Activity #4: Going on a Bee Search

Go outside and search for bees. Make up a code word or sound to let your siblings and family know if you find a honeybee. We like to caw like a crow or hoot like an owl to let each other know that we need to meet up somewhere in the yard. Follow the sound to gather and see a honeybee in action!

If you’re on instagram, I’d love to see what you make and do! Use #honeybeestorytimeart so I can see it too.

Thanks for encouraging a love of art and stories with your children, it means a lot to me!