Bees: fun facts and activities for children

Inspire future generations to help save our bees.

Find interesting facts about bees and a Bee Quiz in The Bee Cause: Pack for Educators. This popular resource also provides fun lesson and assembly plans, bee games and outdoor activities.

All the resources are free and suitable for primary school children (infant and junior). 

"I passionately believe that outdoor learning and play are vital ways of connecting children with the wonders of the natural world. Discovering the life cycle of bees and their role in the wider ecosystem encompasses many areas of the curriculum."

1. Get a bee saver kit

Help fight the decline of bees with your very own bee saver kit. It includes:

1. Wildflower seeds – grow bee food so your neighbourhood bees don't go hungry.
2. A garden planner – to help you create a bee-friendly garden all year round.
3. A bee spotter guide – so you can identify your new garden visitors.
4. Step by step guide – full of useful hints and tips for saving bees.
5. A bee postcard – to send to your loved ones.

2. Plant a bee-friendly garden

Try growing some bee-friendly plants. Cottage garden flowers like geraniums, wallflowers, lavender and hollyhocks make a great display. A pond or bird bath can be a useful source of drinking water for bees.

Note: Some bee friendly plants are potentially harmful. Have a look at the Royal Horticultural Society's list of potentially harmful plants.

3. Fundraise for bees

You could raise money to buy bee-friendly plants. If children raise the money themselves, they will feel more ownership of the garden. Check out our fundraising resources to help get you started.

4. Grow some herbs

A lot of herbs are good for bees, and smell delicious – they can be added to children’s cookery or school meals as well. A herb garden is a relaxing sensory place for children – or even a pot of herbs near a bench if space is limited. Have a look at our top 5 tips for growing bee friendly herbs.

5.  Create a bee corridor

Try to link your bee-friendly area to other ones to make it easier for bees to move between spaces. You could do this by creating a corridor of wildflowers around the edge of your school field. Digging up the grass in some areas and planting wildflower seeds or plugs will give them a better start.

6. Don’t use herbicides or weed killers

Cut weeds back where they really need to be removed, but leave them where you can. You might need to talk to your council if they look after your grounds.

7. Grow some fruit

Fruit trees and plants are great for bees, as well as encouraging children to eat healthily. Cherries, strawberries and raspberries are an especially big treat and even more so if you pick them yourself!

8. Create bee hotels

You can make these by tying together bamboo canes, making gaps under paving slabs or drilling holes in wood. Put the bee hotels in your beefriendly areas. Find out how to create a large bee and bug hotel with wooden pallets or a small bee and bug hotel.

9.  Make bees your bedtime story

The beautiful, illustrated storybook "Philippa and the Homeless Bumblebee" is a great way to engage with children on important environmental issues. Author David Greaves said: "I love their bumbling, slightly comical movements – like clumsy little astronauts who haven't quite mastered their rocket suits (...) I loved writing this story as I want to encourage others to help save these unsung heroes of the British countryside.”

Order your copy now.

10. Grow sunflowers and honeysuckle

Growing sunflowers encourages children to look after their own plant. The sunflowers could all be planted along the edge of a playground or they could take them home to encourage bees in their own garden. If you have some wall space on a side of the school, a boundary or outbuilding, you could grow honeysuckle too.

Teaching resources to learn about bees

Waggle Dance game 

• Learn the waggle dance! Ideal for younger children.  

Bee template

• Download our handy template to colour in your own bee. Remember they're not all black and yellow.

Family resources to help save the planet

Looking for something to inspire the whole family to help the environment? 

Become Planet Protectors and we'll provide you with all you need to get started.

We'll send your children a colourful Planet Protectors pack, full of fun resources and activities. And we'll keep you up-to-date with our award-winning magazine, green lifestyle tips and opportunities to get involved with our campaigns.