Singing activities help with language learning and it is a fun and engaging way to start the day. Sing "Baby Bumblebee" together and use actions to involve the body in the learning. There are several versions of this song, and some may scare children from bumblebees since you sing about the bee stinging. There are versions of the song where the ending has been changed. Bumblebees lack barbs and they can sting several times. However, bumblebees normally do not attack but may sting if their nest is disturbed. Talk about why bees sting and explain that it is best to keep calm around bumblebees. After the action song, one child can make a buzzing sound and move around in the room. The rest of the children can practice to stay calm.
Make a picture using yellow finger paint or a yellow ink pad. Let the children use their thumb to make large bumblebees and their pinkie to make the babies. Let the children press their finger in the paint or on the ink pad. Allow the paint to dry, and then children can add additional bee features with a black crayon. If you use an ink pad, the picture can be decorated immediately. Ask children to add black stripes, wings and eyes to the body.
Build a bumblebee using empty toilet rolls. In advance, cut out two round circles in cardboard for each child. The circles should be large enough so that they completely cover the ends of the toilet rolls. Let the children paint the toilet rolls and one side of the circles with yellow paint. Let the paint dry. Ask children to decorate the bumblebees using black markers. Draw black stripes on the toilet roll and paint a face on one of the round circles. Use tape to attach the circles to the toilet rolls. Make wings out of white paper. Ask children to draw a heart shape, approximately 5 inches, and to cut it out. Attach the heart-shaped wings to the toilet roll with glue. Make black antennae out of paper and attach them to the face.
Rhyming activities help children develop pre-reading skills and they help children identify sounds that make a word. In advance, make two giant bumblebees out of cardboard or paper. Use one shape to write a couple of words that rhymes with bee. Read the words and let the children try to find more words which sounds similar to the word bee. Ask the children to make up lines for a nursery rhyme about a baby bumblebee's day. Write the finished rhyme inside the second shape. Read the finished rhyme and help the children memorize the rhyme. Learn two lines every day and then put the whole rhyme together.