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Science Based

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids

September 9, 2020 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Have you ever wondered about the effects of ocean pollution and other waterways?

Beware of Ocean Pollution

It’s important that we bring it to our children’s attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution!

The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted, how difficult it is to clean it up and to make it like it was before.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

This project can be done with things around the house; you may just need to grab a couple items from Dollar Tree or somewhere else.

First, gather all your materials before you bring in the kids. Kids lose interest quickly if they spend a long time waiting at the table for you to find everything.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Better yet if you have an older kid who knows everything right now (wink) get him or her to do the gathering of supplies.

Next, here is the list of supplies for the hands-on ocean pollution science activity.

  • A large shallow container
  • Blue food coloring (optional)
  • sea shells
  • clean sand (optional)
  • water
  • plastic sea creatures
  • feathers

Teaching Kids About Ocean Pollution

Then, here is the list for the pollution items and the list for cleaning items.

  • cooking oil
  • food crumbs
  • pieces of plastic bag
  • dish soap
  • toothbrush
  • sponge
  • cotton balls
  • paper towels
  • coffee filters
  • cotton swabs
  • tongs
  • small nets
  • coffee grounds
  • straws
  • soil

Water Pollution Exploration

Start by adding items to your container that belong, explaining to your child that these are the items that naturally occur in an ocean and are part of its ecosystem.

Fill your container with several inches of water.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

If you like add a few drops of blue food coloring to your water and mix in.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Place sea creatures, seashells, and sand if you are using them.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Next, talk about what happens when we visit the beach or travel on the water.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

As you talk about oil the spills from ships, trash that is tossed aside instead of being safely placed in trash containers let your child add each of the pollution items you have provided.

Stir it all up together. What has happened?

  • The once nearly clear and pristine water is now discolored.
  • Creatures are covered in oil and dirt.
  • The water no longer looks appealing at all to play in does it?
  • Turtles, dolphins, sharks, and other animals get plastic wrap around them.
  • Sea animals choke on items that don’t belong in the ocean and die or are suffering from the effects.

What can we do to clean up the ocean? 

Ocean Pollution Clean Up Activity

You can pick up bigger items if they are floating on top with a net or tongs, but what about items that sink to the bottom of our deep oceans?

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Demonstrate how to use cotton balls to absorb some of the oil on the surface of the water.

Toss in a few feathers to demonstrate what happens to water birds when they pick up oil and other undesirable things from polluted water.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Use Dawn dish soap, a toothbrush, and other items to try and remove the oil and debris from the feathers.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Dawn has a program for cleaning up animals that have been injured due to oil spills. You can read a bit more about it here at Dawn Helping Saving Wildlife for Over 40 Years.

Be Ocean Explorers

Examine clean ocean water, polluted ocean water, and “cleaned” up water.

Grab 3 clear glasses and place water and food coloring in one.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Take some of your polluted water and place in the second.

Finally, after you have cleaned up your water some, put a coffee filter over the third glass and run your cleaned up polluted water over the coffee filter.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Compare the difference in water color and quality.

Even the water that has been cleaned up is still not left unchanged, it is cloudy, dark, and still contains trace amounts of debris.

This makes a big impact on my kids as it allowed them to understand how big an impact peoples actions can have on our water sources.

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity

Look at some pollution vocabulary and spelling words to use for an ocean or water unit study.

  • Pathogens
  • Waste water
  • Pollution
  • Biodegradable
  • Hazardous
  • Pollutant
  • Habitat
  • Conservation
  • Ecosystem

If you are looking for read aloud or independent reading books for your child that go along with the theme you need not look any further than your bookcase or library and grab something anything that has an ocean theme like Island of the Blue Dolphins, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Treasure Island, or Swiss Family Robinson! 

Continue with your study using some great books to look through or use as living text books.

Earth Science Activity for Kids

This hands-on activity can easily lead into learning about all the fascinating creatures who live in the sea.

Lastly, teaching kids to learn how to care for our earth by not polluting the oceans empowers kids to be part of the solution and no the problem.

You’ll love these other resources to keep expanding how to care for the ocean and enjoy the beauty it provides:

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids. It’s important that we bring it to our children's attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution! The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted. You’ll love this easy hands-on science! CLICK HERE to go there! #oceanpollution #handsonscienceforkids #homeschoolscience #oceanpollutionactivity
  • Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Ocean Unit Study – Ocean Layers
  • Ocean Unit Study Language Arts: Message in a Bottle
  • Humboldt Who? Hands On to Understand Ocean Currents & Their Effect On The Galapagos Islands
  • Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook
  • Edible Geography – Sea Levels
  • How to Dissolve a Seashell – Beach Hands-on Fun Activity
  • From Egg to Sea Turtle Nature Unit Study & Lapbook
  • Winter Homeschooling – Look to the Sea. 17 Hands-on Activities for Two to Teens.

Hugs and love ya,

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}, Nature Based Activities, Science, Science Based Tagged With: earthscience, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, life science, nature, ocean, science, sciencecurriculum

How to Make an Easy Nature Paint Brush With Kids

August 22, 2020 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings.

If you are digging deep into a nature-based unit study or you just want a unique nature-based unit study add-on to do with your child, look no further.

These fun and simple diy nature brushes are an inexpensive and creative way to get your kids into the great outdoors exploring, creating, and coming up with unique new ways to use natural objects.

DIY NATURE PAINT BRUSH FOR KIDS

Toddlers on up to middle schoolers will enjoy gathering their own materials on their next nature walk or from your own backyard, creating paintbrushes, and then painting their unique masterpiece with their DIY tools.

This activity is perfect to go along a general nature study, a tree unit study, or an art unit study.

Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids.

You will need:

  • Craft sticks (or sturdy sticks)
  • Small rubber bands
  • Collected leaves, flowers, ferns, grasses, etc…
Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE!  
#diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

Begin by taking your little nature explorer outdoors to collect leaves, long grasses, flowers and their stems, ferns, and any other material you think will make good “brushes”. 

It’s fun to experiment with the different textures and shapes so be sure you gather a large variety of different items.

Our Journey Westward

Next bring them in and straighten them up into little bundles, varying the size here and there.

Place one end of the bundle on the end of your craft stick and wrap a small rubber band around the end until it is tight and secure.

Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE!  
#diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

The easiest way to do this is to wrap it around the opposite end and then roll it upwards over your brush.

DIY NATURAL PAINT BRUSH ACTIVITY

Use scissors to trim the ends of your leaves and grasses shorter. They are more like actual paintbrush bristles. Also, this makes a great fine motor activity for preschoolers. Of course, don’t use the same scissors we used. Just saying’.

Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE!  
#diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

Next, challenge your child to paint a nature picture on a canvas or large piece of paper. 

Our Journey Westward

We practiced on a scrap piece of paper to see what texture and coverage each brush gave.

Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE!  
#diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

Encourage them to experiment with different size brushes and see what types of textures you can make from the various brushes you have made, solid strokes, wispy strokes, tapping the canvas, etc..

The Basement Workshop Store

We went with a simple tree this time, but are eager to try more advanced art with them soon.

Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE!  
#diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

You can use acrylic craft paint or try watercolors for a lighter look. 

Our Journey Westward
Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE!  
#diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

Wash out your brushes when done or toss them into the compost bin and make more.

HANDS-ON NATURE STUDY

Why should you do nature studies with your child?

6 Reasons Why You Should Do Nature Studies With Your Kids

  1. Nature studies are the base for all science studies and creates a personal connection which helps your child later with more advanced studies;
  2. Spending time outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine is calming and relaxing for you and your child. It is also a great way to get exercise and get the wiggles out;
  3. Nature study encourages your child to develop the skill of investigation;
  4. It is a great activity for the entire family and even the youngest member can appreciate and enjoy what nature has to offer;
  5. It gives your child a respect for the earth and their place in it; and
  6. Kids develop a greater understanding of the impact we all have on the earth.

Nature brushes are a great way to use natural materials to make art supplies and make science fun, but there are ways to expand this hands-on craft.

5 Ways to Expand On Nature Anatomy

Before making the paint brushes you can

  • use the items you have collected to identify which plant it comes from;
  • press flowers and leaves with this diy flower press;
  • make rubbings using the flat side of crayons;
  • sketch your findings in your nature journal; and
  • check out this list of nature inspired novels to use as read alouds.

In addition, use the app Inaturalist to help you identify what you find.

LIVING NATURE BOOKS

Don’t stop here, investigate further with some great nature books to turn this activity into a full unit study.

Use Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman.

Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids by Kim Andrews.

Exploring Nature Journal for Kids Observe and Record the Outdoors by Kim Andrews.

Tell Me, Tree: All About Trees for Kids by Gail Gibbons.

Exploring nature with your kids can cover so many subjects when you use a unit study approach.

Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE!  
#diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

Teaching about the outdoors is a natural way to learn which kids love. Not only can you include many different subjects, but adding a hands-on craft or two, makes learning stick.

You’ll love all the fanstastic ideas I have here for you to round out making these diy nature paint brushes with your kids.

Look at this list below:

  • 20 Nature-Inspired Kids’ Novels to Nurture Interest In the Outdoors
  • Kinder Gardening to Celebrate Nature and Science
  • Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Wildflowers Unit Study & Lapbook
  • Hands-On Mixed Media Flower Art Fun Nature Study
  • Hands-On Literature Nature Study: Simple Tree Craft

What nature craft activities do you like doing with your kids?

Hugs and love ya,

Leave a CommentFiled Under: DIY, Hands-On Activities, Nature Based Activities, Science, Science Based Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, nature, nature journaling, nature study, science

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

August 15, 2020 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

A fun kids diy flower press can turn a simple wildflower (or garden flower) unit study into a fun and memorable unit by adding in some simple hands-on activities.

Just a few dollars and a little time are all you need to create an easy perfectly portable flower press that you and your child can use again and again.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Turn everything from black-eyed susans to hydrangeas into a dried keepsake.

Furthermore, make dried pressed flowers for crafts, homemade potpourri, or to put into a scrapbook.

Kids DIY Flower Press

Also, this flower press is great for on the go and can be toted around in your backpack to bring your floral treasures home.

Because it’s such a frugal project, everyone can have their own.

We spent $2.00 on wood at Dollar Tree; we had paint and twine already on hand making it a frugal and fun activity with a purpose.

You will need :

  • 2 thin unfinished wood pieces
  • twine
  • hot glue gun/sticks
  • card stock
  • paint 
  • foam brush
How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Directions: 

I found these two unfinished wood pieces at Dollar Tree (my favorite place to find  inexpensive supplies for homeschool projects) in the craft section.

If you don’t find them there you can get any two precut wood pieces from the craft store. Just be sure they are ¼” thick or less.

Paint one side of each of the wooden pieces and allow to dry completely.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Trace around your shape onto cardstock to create layers for your flower press.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

You don’t need more than two layers, but you can cut extra as you will want to replace them after every few uses due to the moisture it will collect.

Steps for DIY Kids Flower Press

First, cut 2 pieces of twine into two foot lengths.

Then, hot glue one of the pieces of twine to the corner of the painted side of the wood. Secure it well.

On the other piece of wood glue the second length of twine to the opposite corner of the first.

If you prefer to give it a more finished look you can cover it up by glueing on silk flower or greenery like we did here. 

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

To use your flower press lay flowers between sheets of cardstock on the bottom wooden piece, lay the other on top and wrap twine as tightly as you can around the sides, tying it off into a bow.

Allow your flowers to sit in the press for 2 or 3 days until flat and fully dry.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

Hands-on Ideas for Kids DIY Flower Press

Try some of these additional hands on activities to expand on your flower explorations!

  • Head outside and gather up flowers from locals fields or your own backyard and try them out on your new flower press. Once you have them home search through field guides  or use an app try to identify each.
  • Find out your state flower and try to locate one.
  • Use a real flower to label each of the parts.
  • Plant your own wildflowers after making these Wildflower Seed Bombs.
  • Take apart a flower and identify the parts- petal, pistel, stem, stigma, filament, etc…
  • Use watercolor paint to recreate your flower finds on paper.
  • Dig deep into this Wildflower Unit Study & Lapbook.
  • Try to identify at least 10 different types of flowers.
  • Create a flower sensory bin for young children with fresh flowers, leaves, and stems.
  • Young children can also count the petals on the flowers. 
  • Use different types of flowers on long stems as natural paint brushes.
  • Plant a flower garden or even a small container of flowers together.
How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

In addition, here are some great resources to help you identify your flower finds in the field or at home.

Trees, Leaves, Flowers, and Seeds

Audubon Field Guide to Flowers

Pocket Guide to Wildflowers

Fandex Wildflowers

Whether you have a budding botanist or love being outdoors, you’ll love making this fun DIY flower press.

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

If you’re wanting to add a few more activities to this activity, I know you’ll love these ideas below.

  • Wildflowers Unit Study & Lapbook
  • How to Easily Make Fun Seed Tape With Kids
  • Fun Kids Activity How to Make Wildflower Seed Bombs
  • How to Make a Fun Kids Root Viewer
  • Hands-On Mixed Media Flower Art Fun Nature Study
  • Easy Seed and Gardening Unit Study for Kids (Middle – Upper Elementary)
  • Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Hands-on Ancient Babylon: Hanging Gardens Fun Activity
  • How to Easily Garden Plan With Kids Using LEGO
  • Fascinating and Fun Honey Bees Unit Study and Lapbook for Kids
  • Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

Hugs and love ya,

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities, Nature Based Activities, Science, Science Based Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, life science, nature, nature study, science, wildflowers

Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

June 30, 2020 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Your kids will love labeling the parts of a honey bee lego activity.

Bees are fascinating little creatures from how they create their honeycombs to maximize space, to how they know to fan the hive to keep it cool.

Bees are used in so many ways than just the delicious honey they produce.

We use beeswax in cosmetics, candles, as a coating, and bee venom is used as a holistic treatment.

Labeling the Parts of a Honey Bee

Because they are so very important to our world as pollinators I think it is important to educate our children about them from the beginning.

If you’ve been homeschooling awhile you know that hands-on activities really drive home information in a fun way that really makes it stick, often better than any worksheet could.

Since most kids love LEGO, I thought that an activity using them would be a hit with the kids and turn an ordinary and possibly boring homeschool lesson into something unique and fun.

Turns out I was right- The kids loved doing this project and I hope you and yours will too!

Grab a big bucket of LEGOS and a handful of bee books and let’s get started.

You will need:

A LEGO baseplate.

LEGO Classic Green Baseplate 2304 Supplement for Building, Playing, and Displaying LEGO Creations, 10cm x 10cm, Large Building Base Accessory for Kids and Adults (1 Piece)

Assorted LEGO bricks

LEGO Classic Medium Creative Brick Box 10696 Building Toys for Creative Play; Kids Creative Kit (484 Pieces)
  • Cardstock paper
  • A book or printout of parts of a bee
  • Pen or marker

Hands-on Activity for Honey Bee

Directions for honey bee LEGO:

You can make this as simple or as involved a LEGO build as you like depending on the age and ability of the child.

Using the larger Duplo blocks to create a simple bee and let your child point out the various parts of a bee as you call them out is another idea.

Provide your child with a book or printout on the parts of a bee to use as a model and a variety of LEGO to build their bee model. 

Give them a large variety of LEGO bricks to build with, I love this starter box for kids just beginning a LEGO collection.

I keep a box for each kid separate from all the other LEGO in the house just for school projects like this.

LEGO Classic Medium Creative Brick Box 10696 Building Toys for Creative Play; Kids Creative Kit (484 Pieces)

Have them start with creating a head, thorax, and abdomen using yellow and black bricks.

Add wings using white bricks.

For older children you can differentiate forewing and hindwing if you like.

Use long single row black bricks to create 3 sets of legs.

Finally add eyes and antennae.

Cut small strips of cardstock and add the names of whichever bee parts you would like your child to identify.

Give them the strips and let them locate each part on their LEGO bee, with so much interaction while building and then labeling they are sure to retain much of the information they get from this build.

Here are some additional bee activities to try 

  • Create a honey bee lapbook.
  • Create the life cycle of a bee using LEGO again.
  • Pick up some local honey and try it right out of the jar as well as in a recipe or two.
  • Make a honeycomb by cutting down toilet paper tubes and bending each ring into a hexagon, glue each together to create any size you like.
  • Paint a watercolor bee or beehive.
  • Thumb through one of the books listed below and learn some more bee information-make flashcards.
  • Plant flowers in your yard to help support the bees, very important pollinators.
  • Make a mason bee house to put up outdoors.
  • Preschoolers can work on fine motor skills by transferring “pollen” (yellow pom poms) from one flower (colorful bowl) to another with tongs.
  • Research all the products we get from bees.
  • Give your child a bee themed writing prompt for handwriting, creative writing, and grammar practice such as “ What if there were no bees?” or “ The day I turned into a bee…”.
  • Dynamic Honey Bee Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $2.50
    Add to cart

Hands-on Science: Labeling the Parts of a Bee

Books for Bee Unit Studies

Nature Anatomy, Julia Rothman

Bees: A Honeyed History

The Honeybee

The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive

The Bee Book

What if There Were No Bees?

You’ll love these other hands-on science activities.

  • Fascinating and Fun Honey Bees Unit Study and Lapbook for Kids
  • 41 Easy Hands-on Faith-Neutral Science Activities for Kids
  • Hands-On Science: Handprint and Fingerprint Activity
  • Easy Hands-on Science: Animal Camouflage Activity Hunt
  • Easy Hands-On Science: Label the Atom Playdough Activity
  • EASY Hands-on Earth Science: Fun Water Testing Kit
  • Hands-On Science: Label the Skeleton System Activity

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}, Nature Based Activities, Science, Science Based Tagged With: bees, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, life science, science

Fascinating and Fun Honey Bees Unit Study and Lapbook for Kids

June 27, 2020 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Your kids will love this honey bees unit study and lapbook.

Whether you want to learn about how honey bees are fascinating master pollinators, learn about the interesting social activities in the hive, learn about beeswax, or know what is honey, these honey bee activities and resources will be helpful.

Honey Bees Unit Study

Look at these honey bee resources:

Bees, wasps, and ants are part of one of the large group of insects, the order Hymenoptera mean “membrane-winged.” It comes from the Greek words hymen (membrane) and pteron (wing.)

Honey Bee Life Cycles

First, dive into learning about the life cycle of the honey bee. After mating, the queen’s ovaries expand. She is fed nutrient-rich food from the worker bees. Within three or four days she begins laying eggs.

By day 3 or 4 eggs hatch. Workers begin feeding larvae. By day 8/9 workers seal cell with wax. The larvae transforms into pupa and from days 16 to 24 queen, workers and drone emerges.

  • The life cycle of a honey bee worksheet.
  • Diary of an Insect’s Metamorphosis
  • Life Cycle of the Honey Bee
  • Honey Bee Life Cycle
  • YouTube Honey Bees Life Cycle.
  • YouTube The Life Cycle of a Honey Bee | The First 21 Days of Honey Bee’s Life 

Honey Bees Anatomy

Next, learn about honey bees anatomy.

Although each bee in the hive is formed a bit differently because of their occupation, the worker bee has one of the most fascinating jobs.

  • Honey bee Anatomy and Identification
  • Honey bee anatomy ask a biologist. Great visuals explaining the different parts of a honey bee.
  • Honey Bee Anatomy and Physiology
  • Honey: Different Flowers, Different Flavors
  • Anatomy of the honey bee
  • How to Identify the Basic Body Parts of Honey Bees
  • The Role of the Worker Bee
  • Grab this free Bees poster.
  • The honey bee body.
  • Honey Bee Anatomy

Chemistry and Science of Honey

In addition learning about the chemistry and science of honey is a fascinating topic. Sure, it’s been said honey is bee puke so you’re kids will love knowing that.

Honey bees collect the sweet nectar from various flowers with their straw like tongues. Then the nectar mixes with enzymes in their stomach and is taken back to the beehive.

The bees fan the cells full of nectar which draws the moisture out and thickening the nectar to make honey.

There are many different types of honey. The color and flavor is determined by the nectar.

  • How Do Bees Make Honey Video
  • Give Me Some Sugar, Honey lesson plan
  • Why Doesn’t Honey Spoil
  • How Do Bees Make Honey
  • The best flowers for honeybees
  • How It’s Made Honey YouTube
  • The Chemistry of Honey
  • Chemical Composition of Honey
  • 7 Plants to Help Honey Production
  • Best honey plants to help save bees

Honey Bees Pollination

However, the true worth of honey bees is their contribution to the environment through pollination.

Plants don’t just rely on bees, but need other pollinators like butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, and moths.

For fertilization to occur, the pollen must get from the anther to the stigma. Once on the stigma, the pollen grain sends a pollen tube down the style and to the ovary where the pollen’s genetic material combines with the egg’s genetic material.

  • Bees: The Invaluable Master Pollinators lesson plan
  • Pollination power lesson plan
  • Pollination in flowering plants
  • Elementary Science: Pollination
  • Pollinator Friendly MEAL IDEAS
  • Pollinator Activity Book
  • Pollinator’s Journey 5th to 8th grade.
  • Plant and Animals Partners in Pollen lesson plan
  • Plants and Pollination
  • Bees as Pollinators
  • Nature’s Partners: A Comprehensive Pollinator Curriculum for Grades 3-6
  • Bee Identification Guides

What Happens Inside a Hive

  • Why do bees boogie?
  • Life In a Hive
  • Busy as a bee: A look inside a honey bee hive
  • What Happens Inside the Bee Hive
  • What do Bees Do Inside a Hive
  • Inside and Out of the Beehive
  • Bee Roles: Do You Really Know What Happens Inside A Beehive
  •  Silence of the Bees | Inside the Hive YouTube
Bee swarm on a fallen tree

A cloud of bees forming a swarm is spectacular sight. Swarming is the natural means for how new colonies are formed. Beekeepers try to control swarming since it disrupts the hive. When the colony gets to a certain size, the current queen leaves with thousands of workers and creates a new nest elsewhere.

Language Art Ideas for Studying Honey Bees

Too, some of our sayings or idioms comes from bees. How fun. Your student can write some of them down and learn their meaning.

Look at a few expressions or idioms we get from bees.

  • queen bee – Queen bee refers to a dominant female.
  • busy as a bee – Busy as a bee means we’re working hard.
  • bees knees – The bees knees means something or someone who is admired or great and all things are sweet and good.
  • bee in your bonnet – You wouldn’t want a bee trapped in your hat. So bee in your bonnet would mean something or someone that is aggravating you.
  • the birds and the bees – This is a gracious way of saying you’re going to be talking about how babies are made or sex.
  • spelling or quilting bee – We use it today to mean children who come together to compete in spelling, but it’s been thought that it derived from the social interaction in a beehive. Hence, folks gather for social bees of different kinds whether it’s sewing or quilting.
  • Honey Bee Language Arts and Literature for 7 or 8th grade.
  • Teachers’ Guide to the Bee Book
  • Writing prompts.
  • Classroom ideas for Flight of the Honey Bee.

Vocabulary words for a honey bee unit study.

  • pollen – powder-like material produced by the anthers of flowering plants
  • apiarist – Beekeeper.
  • apiary – A bee yard.
  • hive – The structure in which bees live and are kept.
  • honeycomb – A sheet of hexagonal wax cells made by honey bees to store honey, pollen, and brood.
  • drone – The male honey bee.
  • swarming – The natural process of how new colonies are formed.
  • worker bee – A female bee. The majority of the honey bees are worker bees. They do all the work in the colony except for laying fertile eggs.
  • pollinator – an animal that moves pollen from the anther to the stigma of a plant
  • colony – The colony is the living unit of tens of thousands of workers, drones, and a queen.
  • brood – Eggs, larvae, and pupae.
  • cell –  the hexagonal comb built by honeybees.
  • royal jelly – It is a honey bee secretion that is used in the nutrition of larvae, as well as adult queens.
  • virgin queen – A queen bee who has not mated.
  • scout bees – Bees who look for new nesting areas in preparation for a swarm and are normally familiar with the area.

Books
Hear a Librivox recording of The Children’s Life of the Bee by Maurice Maeterlinck.
The Behavior of the Honey Bee in Pollen Collection by Dana Brackenridge Casteel

Honey Bee Teachers Guides & Activity Guides

Finally, you’ll love a roundup of some fantastic honey bee teaching guides.

  • Honey Bees Identification, Biology, and Life cycle
  • Busy as a Bee Activity Guide
  • Understanding the Honey Bee
  • A Bee’s Life
  • Bee Lesson Plans
  • A Bee’s Life Grade levels 4 – 6
  • BEES! Classroom Activity Pack
  • Bees and Forests 
  • Educator’s Guide
  • Bee Educator’s Guide
Whether you want to learn about how honey bees are fascinating master pollinators, learn about the interesting social activities in the hive, learn about beeswax, or know what is honey, these honey bee activities and resources will be helpful. You’ll love these fun honey bees lapbook! CLICK HERE to grab it!
#lapbook #honeybees #unitstudy #homeschoolscience #handsonlearning

Honey Bee Lapbook

You can purchase my honey bee lapbook below, but look at how I created it.

First, the resource I used is The Beekeeper’s Bible.

I used this because it’s the book I had. It was very thorough in explaining about honey bees. This lapbook is focused on honey bees, and not so much beekeeping.

Awesome features of my lapbooks:

  • You are paying for the printables, the lapbook.
  • My lapbooks are created for multiple ages and geared toward older children unless I specifically state that it’ is’ for a certain age.
  • Most of the minibooks have facts which accompany the minibook and a lot of the minibook are offered two ways. One way where your child uses the facts provided and another way where your child can add his own research and not use the inside pages.
  • You do not need to use The Beekeeper’s Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses. It’s the book I had and the one we liked.
  • You can use any reference materials, books, or online resources to complete the lapbook.
  • I don’t provide links in the lapbooks for filling out the information. This keeps my prices low for my products, but I do try to provide free links on my site as I can.
  • Because I do use a combination of cursive or script and print, I aim my lapbooks toward upper elementary up to high school.
  • Another way which I aim my lapbooks toward older children is that I avoid using baby-ish or goofy looking clip art. I spend many hours culling through images and purchasing ones that are correct and highest quality.
  • Because I have been a working homeschool mom for more of my journey than not, I need flexibility for using lapbooks. Proving a few facts from the main resource I use is one way I have of saving you time and giving you flexibility in how to use the minibooks.
  • Too, some of your kids may be older and you want them to do more research and some of your kids may be reluctant writers so you may want to mix and match pre-filled minibooks with blank minibooks. Flexibility is the key to my lapbooks.
  • Dynamic Honey Bee Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $2.50
    Add to cart

Other nature unit studies you’ll love.

  • Above & Below: Pond Unit Study, Hands-on Ideas, & Lapbook.
  • Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook.
  • Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook.
  •  Wildflowers Unit Study & Lapbook.
  •  From Egg to Sea Turtle Nature Unit Study & Lapbook.
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study.

Hugs and love ya,

2 CommentsFiled Under: Lapbooks, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}, Nature Based Activities, Science, Science Based Tagged With: bees, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, lapbook, life science, nature, nature study, science

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