Buzzing bees

7
AIM

Moving and being together to encourage pretend play and an imaginative response to the music.

2
BENEFIT

Play connects children to nature. Being active helps children explore their environment, develop motor skills, and build a lifelong appreciation for nature and physical activity.

WHAT YOU NEED:
  • Sheets, blankets or parachute for cubby covering
  • Chairs or tables for cubby structure
  • Streamers or scarves
  • Music and a musical instrument for an adult
WHAT TO DO:

Build a small cubby that can be a hive (somewhere the children could fit under or in). You could put sheets between chairs or over a table. You might want to talk or show children how bees have hairy legs that they use to gather pollen from flowers to take back to the hive to make honey. Put hoops or bean bags or something to represent flowers on the floor.

Flight of the Bumblebee
  • Give the children and adults a scarf or streamer. Play the Rachmaninoff’s “Flight of the bumblebee”. Tell the children they are bees, and they are going to move to the music and hover over flowers to gather pollen on their hairy legs.
  • Guide children and adults to safely move their scarves or streamers around the room using different levels- high, low, mid height, twirling around. Remind them not to bump into other bees (this helps with their spatial awareness and cooperation with others).
  • The adults can help them to pretend to land on flowers (the hoops or beanbags represent flowers) and gather pollen on their legs.
  • At a signal (maybe a bell) the bees land on a flower and gather pollen.
  • Carry on with more music and then the beat of a drum (or other sound different to bells) to signal they need to go to the hive.
  • Adults help them nestle in their hive and not bump into others. Show them how to imitate gathering pollen on their legs and brushing it off in the hive.
  • Signal for them to come out again and move to collect more pollen. Repeat a few times.
Honey Banana Oat Bites

A no-bake, natural snack great for lunchboxes or an energy-boosting treat  (check for child allergies first). 

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana (mashed), 1 cup rolled oats, 2 tablespoons sunflower butter, 1-2 tablespoons honey (to taste), ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional), ¼ cup raisins

Instructions:

  • In a bowl, mash the banana until smooth.
  • Stir in the sunflower butter and honey until well combined.
  • Add oats, cinnamon, and optional raisins. Mix until it forms a sticky dough.
  • Scoop and roll into small bite-sized balls.
  • Place on a tray and chill in the fridge for 20–30 minutes to firm up.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Use this part of the video as a SPARK for the activity

Playgroup WA has been supporting, servicing and establishing playgroups throughout Western Australia since 1972.

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