Art Activity: Insect Architects- Beehives

Buzz on over and learn more about our architect friend- the bee!

Activity best for children age 2 and up

Did you know animals are architects too? Beavers, birds, and honeybees all create structures in nature. Honeybees make nests and beehives for shelter and a place to store honey. In the hive, there are storage units, called cells, that are used for different purposes. Bees are very special because they can adapt for survival. Did you know that all beehives are different! The top cells are the bees’ honey jars and they store honey to last them through cold months when there is no more nectar. Under the honey is where the bees store nectar from flowers and plants. In other cells you can find the bee brood. That’s where the eggs, larvae, and pupae develop. Finally, there are queen cells. To paint a beehive, we need to make special shapes. Hexagons!

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Materials You’ll Need:

Watercolor

Hexagon patterns

Guiding Questions:

How do honeybees create the beehives? How do these shapes fit together?

What are the different cells of a hive used for?

Directions

STEP 1

Cut out some paper hexagons.

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STEP 2

Fit the hexagons together to make your beehive.

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STEP 3

Paint your beehive! The honey at the top is yellow, the nectar is orange, the brood is red, and the queen cells are light yellow.

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Grown Ups-Are you looking for more ways to extend your child’s learning? Check out these extension activities to build upon today’s STREAM activity!

Reading Connections:

Beehive by Petra Bartikova

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Real-World Connections:

As pollinators, bees are important to the ecosystem. They support trees, flowers, and plants that are food and shelter for many other animals.

Math Connections:

Hexagons are useful because they hold many things for the bees! Bees work hard to make honeycomb and the geometry of hexagons are special because they hold the most weight with the least amount of material. See if you can make a beehive with another shape!