Great British Bee Count | Friends of the Earth

Bees are fascinating insects. Learning about them is a great way to introduce young children to nature.

These free resources are designed for teachers, parents and carers, and can be used as standalone activities, or to support the Great British Bee Count.

To join our bee survey, adults can download the free app which allows you to contribute your bee sightings to our survey. You can also download our Bee spotter's guide for children to use independently.

Why do we need bees?

Bees pollinate many of the plants that we rely on to eat such as tomatoes, jam, fruit yoghurts, and juice. They also pollinate many of the flowers, trees, and wild plants around us.

Life is becoming hard for bees, as many of their habitats have been destroyed. We need to learn more about them, so we can help protect them.

Help us by joining the Great British Bee Count - download the free app to your smartphone or tablet.

Easy ways to help bees

Bee spotter's guide

Did you know there are different types of bee? If you look closely, you'll learn to spot the differences between them.

Download our Bee Spotter's Guide to help you discover some of the special bees you might notice this summer.

Bee spotter's guide

Busy Bee word search

Can you find all the words? Print and play our fun word search, a fun activity to teach young children more about bees this summer.

Word Search

School child colouring in bee for Great British Bee Count

Colour in the bee

Download our handy template to colour in your own bee.

Remember they're not all black and yellow. Take a look at our Bee spotter's guide to discover what different colours you can choose for your bee.

Colour your bee

Make a bee and bug hotel

Make your own hotel for wild solitary bees, and give these special insects somewhere to nest. You can make a large bee and bug hotel with wooden pallets – these are ideal for school. You can also make a small bee hotel – perfect for school, gardens, or to give as a gift!

Make a bug and bee hotel

photo of child looking at bee landing on flower

Fun facts about bees

Did you know there’s many types of bee, and each one has a very special job? By visiting flowers, they collect food, but they also pollinate the plants. This means plants can then produce fruit, vegetables or seeds. You’ve probably eaten food today that was pollinated by bees.

How much do you know about bees? Take our bee quiz and find out!

Bee quiz for children