Bumblebee Crafts for Preschoolers

Bees in the Hive

• Bees live in a hive that has many compartments. To make a hive replica, glue honeycomb-shaped cereal in a circular fashion onto a sheet of construction paper. Make sure the cereal pieces are touching each other. When the glue is dry, let the children draw bumblebees in and around the hive with crayons or markers.

Sponge Painting a Bee

• Cut household sponges into shapes. A bee needs a small circle for the head, a larger circle for the middle body and a triangle for the lower body and stinger area. Let the preschoolers dip the sponges into yellow poster paint and then gently press them down onto a white sheet of construction paper in the correct anatomical order. Dip a paintbrush into black paint and draw the stripes across the body. Continue using the black paint to draw antennae and wings.

TP Bumblebee

• Give each child a cardboard toilet paper tube. On one end, fold the sides inward to close the tube. This will be the bumblebee’s face. Paint the tube yellow with poster paint. When the paint is dry, either glue strips of black paper onto the body of the bee or use black paint to create stripes. Make two eyes from construction paper and glue them onto the face. Cut waxed paper into wings and attach them with glue or a staple to each side.

Make a Nectar Necklace

• Present templates of a bee and flower to the children. Let them trace the templates on colorful construction paper. Cut at least six pieces per child. Punch a hole in each shape. Provide a length of yarn about 36-inches for each child. Show the preschoolers how to string a bee-flower-bee pattern on the yarn. Tie off the yarn ends in a knot and invite the children to wear their "nectar necklaces." Talk about the relationship that bees have with flowers.

Edible Bumblebee Craft

• Mix together 1/2 cup of peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1/3 cup of dry milk powder and 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds in a bowl. Use a teaspoon of the mixture and roll it into an oval shape to make a bee. Dip a toothpick into cocoa powder and draw stripes on the bee. Stick small, square crackers on each side for wings. Chill the craft in the refrigerator for a least an hour before eating.