Approach the bee buzzing curricula and activities as a science unit. Display colorful photos of bees on the wall in the science area or classroom. Play a tape recorder with the sounds of different species of bees, and see if the children discern differences in the sounds. Post homemade fun-facts cards about bee sounds. For example, honeybees can communicate location with their buzzing sounds. Title a mural with the words, "What's the Buzz?" or "Did You Know That?" Add other fun-facts such as, bees are blind to the color red, or bumblebees will chase a human farther than any other type of bee. Take the children on a field trip to see and hear a bee hive. Ask the children to take notice of what bee workers wear and discuss the reasons for the special clothing.
Stories and chants reinforce the humming buzz of the bees. "I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumble Bee" is a classic nursery song.
"The Bees-Knees" is a finger-play chant combining motion, rhythm and sound.
Fingers open wide........................."Here are the Bees
Wiggle fingers................................These are their knees
Fingers closed in a fist....................And this is the hive
Move the fist in figure eights...........Out they come
Open one finger at a time................1 ,2 ,3 ,4, 5
Spread fingers wide and flutter.......Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"
"The Flight of the Bumblebee," the classical composition by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, simulates the sound of a bee's hum. Give the children yellow scarves or bee costumes to free dance with the music. Place hoops flat on the floor, one per child for a non-competitive version of bumble-bee musical chairs. When the music stops, each "buzzing bee" finds a hoop on the floor and sits in the middle of the hoop.
For older children, ask them to draw a picture of a bee buzzing. Instruct them to write a tall tale on how "bees got their buzz" and to include the sound of the buzz in the story. The story must include factual information in addition to fiction. Poll the class on each tall story and to discern which is the fact and which is the fiction. Create class poems about bees, using words that rhyme with buzz. They may use any word except fuzz. Pair kids up to write a fill-in-the-blank-buzz story. The blanks would normally have the sound of a bee's buzz. Read aloud the stories, and where there is the cue for a sound, the class can buzz. Encourage students to use props to create whimsical stories, and to make up puns with the word "bee" and "buzz."
With smaller children, simple bee activities are best. Plan your bees unit with the appropriate season of the year to include an outdoor bees unit and activities. For accompanying non-buzz bee activities, offer the children a honeycomb with honey in it to scoop out for a snack. Children can spread the honey on crackers. Light natural candles made of beeswax. Ask the children to compare the texture of the beeswax candles with the honeycomb. Because some children are allergic to honey and bee stings, caution is advised for field trips and honey-based snacks.