Pollination by Bees {Hands On Learning Activity Idea}

For National Public Gardens Day, we packed up and traveled to a local garden. It was free in honor of the day, but truth be told, I would have paid for it. It was worth an admittance fee.

The gardens we visited were cultivated with local flora. Many species of flowers were in bloom and created beautiful vistas for our walk.

Along our walk, volunteers had set up numerous learning stations. Among them was a lesson about pollinators and the process of pollination. One of the hands on activities children were encouraged to do was pollinate flowers with a bee.

Children received a small bee fashioned from yellow and black chenille pipe cleaners.

The bee fit on a child's pointer finger.

Each child was then asked to 'fly' the bee to different large (fake) flowers set up in the grassy lawn.

As the children flew their bees onto each flower, the bee would become coated with 'pollen' (a corn meal-like mixture).

Taking the pollen from one flower to the next provided each child with a hands on pollinating experience. Not to mention it was fun!

My only disappointment was not having this idea before I taught about bees during co-op science. However, as I'll be teaching botany to first and second graders next year, this is one hands on learning activity I want to include.


Related:
Experiments on Insects
Ladybug Observations
Ladybug Craft - Demonstrating Both Sets of Wings