About bumblebees - games for preschoolers and schoolchildren
Last updated: 4/5/2021
Introduction
This set of games about bumblebees and for little bumblebees was prepared by Petra, the author of the blog U meduněk The blog has the subtitle "Ideas for playing" and I think that says it all.
The blog is full of ideas and games, not just about bumblebees. It will surely inspire you. Petra is very creative and implements a lot of amazing ideas together with her children. Even though she teaches at a grammar school, not science, she knows how to entertain young children. She is full of ideas on how to teach them in a playful way and convey useful information about nature. Her children help her with this and are her inspiration. The fact is that she is passionate about bumblebees. You will soon find out.
We gave Petra some tips and a description of the life of a bumblebee family . As you can see, it can be turned into a wonderful day full of fun for everyone – parents and children. There will be more of those days. It is better to play individual parts with the children on different days and keep their attention. Or keep them entertained and tell them what happens next? It's up to you...
Thank you very much for your time and preparation of the games, text and photos. It was an honor for us to have a small part in this. We are very happy to be able to share the result. The original is available HERE.
Petra supplements the description of the games with a number of photographs, which we intentionally did not discuss because they also serve as instructions for preparing the game.
on the U Meduňek , you just need to take the time.
You will surely choose what suits you, what you dare to do and play bumblebees at your home, school or kindergarten. Write to us how you did and attach a few photos from the event. Our address is info@cmelaciplus.cz
About bumblebees - Bumblebee reading
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - The evolution of the bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees
This article was created for the Čmeláci PLUS group.
In previous years, my friends and I have observed bees at the turn of March and April, but this year's colder days were not very kind to the bees. Fortunately, flowers are not dependent on one type of pollinator, so this year we saw with our own eyes the "heroes of our fields" - bumblebees, who are definitely not afraid of a little cold.
While the market is almost saturated with children's books about bees (and even among beekeepers you have to decide between Lumír, Josífek and Mr. Beekeeper :-)), with bumblebees you are not seriously at risk of decision paralysis.
I highly recommend the Čmeláků PLUS website as the most reliable source of information. Many thanks for the consultations and help go to Ondra Hercog.
So if you find any errors in our article, they are caused solely by my inattention. Because sometimes fatigue is greater than good advice from experts. 🙂
So let's see what it looks like for bumblebees.
Peter
The Queen Thaws
At the beginning of everything, there is a young queen frozen in a chamber underground with a superpower - to survive freezing.
After winter, however, each surviving bumblebee must first thaw. We go to her aid with a hammer, but you can also use gentler methods – for example, leave one queen free in the sun, help the second with salt, hide the third in a fur coat, immerse the fourth in a warm bath.
Observe, compare, evaluate. How will it entertain the children?.
About bumblebees - The Queen thaws
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - The Queen thaws
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - The Queen thaws
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - The Queen thaws
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
To create the frozen queen, we used the yellow inside of a Kinder egg. We stuffed it into an inflatable balloon, carefully filled it with water (hold the balloon really tight on the tap and fill it with a small stream). Then just tie it in a knot and leave it in the freezer (ours lasted about five days).
And what's the first thing a proper queen does when she comes out of her closet after winter? She dresses up to be a lady.
About bumblebees - The queen is adjusting
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - The queen is adjusting
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - The queen is adjusting
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
We will also prepare the bumblebees that we helped thaw.
About bumblebees - We will also adjust the bumblebees
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - We will also adjust the bumblebees
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
And now it's time to find some goodies to replenish our strength after the winter. We're investigating which flowers look the most delicious through a blue filter (that's how bumblebees see).
About bumblebees - Replenishment after winter
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Replenishment after winter
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
.
The Great Search
Flying low above the ground and exploring the surroundings – the young queen is looking for the most suitable place to live.
We explored various places in the area and thought about why they were or were not suitable for setting up a bumblebee home. Is the place well-covered from overheating? Is there any padding material (feathers, hair, etc.)? Is it not too open?
An abandoned mouse house underground would be ideal, but we wouldn't disdain an old birdhouse in the shade. Well, maybe it's not so abandoned after all.
About bumblebees – The Great Search
Photo_ Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
The bumblebee raises its front legs and shows its stinger as a sign that it is determined to fight. After a tough fight, it wins.
About bumblebees - Battle for nesting sites
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Battle for nesting sites
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Nest
The construction of a great WORK begins.
About bumblebees - Construction of the work
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Cover the floor with wax. Make the first jug for supplies. And a feather nest for the eggs.
About bumblebees - Construction of the work
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Construction of the work
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Now all that's left is to fill the house with supplies of nectar and pollen so that the first bumblebee babies have something to grow from.
We collect the nectar - juice with a tongue - a straw and transfer it to the prepared jugs. We took them a little closer because it is not as easy as it might seem.
About bumblebees - Nectar reserves
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Nectar reserves
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Nectar reserves
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees c- Nectar reserves
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
We collect pollen – pompoms – into baskets on our hind legs – scrunchies stuck to our socks. And we fly it to the nest, where we fill the jugs.
In case of a shortage of pompoms, we use yellow lentil beads and pick-up mechanisms that are at hand.
About bumblebees - Pollen reserves
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Pollen reserves
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Sometimes it has to carry pollen from far away. Who can do it faster?
About bumblebees - Pollen reserves
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Pollen reserves
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Bumblebee development
About bumblebees - The evolution of the bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
First, the first generation of responsible workers hatches, which are selected by the queen herself.
About bumblebees - The evolution of the bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
And they then help the younger sisters hatch and take care of them. In bumblebees, work responsibilities are not divided by age like in bees, but everyone does more or less what is needed at the moment.
If you would like to try out individual "professions", you can find inspiration in the bee article .
About bumblebees - The evolution of the bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - The evolution of the bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
And finally, in the summer, the bumblebee boys will show up.
About bumblebees - The evolution of the bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - The evolution of the bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Preparing cocoons is worth it…
About bumblebees - The evolution of the bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - The evolution of the bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
They will be reinforced from the reserves…
About bumblebees - The evolution of the bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
And then the bumblebees fly out and in and out and in. The main thing is to hit the entrance.
About bumblebees - bumblebees fly
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees – bumblebees fly
Photo: Blog U Meduněk
They don't forget to map out their flight path. It helps them to mark their path with markers – for both children and bumblebees in nature.
Our children like to create "ballet" paths - they walk along a drawn line and have agreed-upon signs for spinning, jumping, hopping on one leg, etc.
About bumblebees - bumblebee trails
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - bumblebee trails
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
At the end of the entire bumblebee cycle, the tired old mother staggers out of the nest and dies dramatically.
These theatrical studies are unpublishable, but if the children are interested, feel free to try them out.
Bumblebee anatomy
We have examined and counted the parts of a bumblebee's body. You can use your own or prepared materials.
About bumblebees - Bumblebee anatomy
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
For older children, another set can be used. Children can come up with the correct names for the bumblebee body themselves.
You can use the attached file, it is intended for non-commercial use only.
Bumblebee anatomy
Source: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
We also have a file with counting images ready for you to count.
Count, pin, arrange in ascending order - there are no limits to your imagination, the only limit is the age of your children.
About bumblebees - Bumblebee counting
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Bumblebee counting
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
We made bumblebee bodies from a variety of materials.
About bumblebees - We collect bumblebees
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - We collect bumblebees
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - We collect bumblebees
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - We collect bumblebees
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Bumblebee learning or rather playing?
You can start at home. Don't be afraid to use the nature books you already have or buy some.
You can also use Bumblebees PLUS ideas from the Bumblebees PLUS at School , for example, bumblebee coloring pages by Jana Lörinczová.
About bumblebees - Bumblebee learning
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Bumblebee learning
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
What if it's nice outside?
We also hid a few bumblebees around the garden – each one contains a secret word.
About bumblebees - Bumblebee hide-and-seek
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Bumblebee hide-and-seek
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
You need to find the bumblebees, fly them to their destination, and find out what they are hiding.
About bumblebees - Bumblebee hide-and-seek
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Bumblebee hide-and-seek
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
School children can write down the revealed words and schoolchildren can put them together according to the instructions.
At the end, the children explain what the words mean.
We have also hidden examples for calculation in some of the bumblebees.
About bumblebees - Bumblebee hide-and-seek
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
.
About bumblebees - Bumblebee hide-and-seek
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Bumblebee Maze
About bumblebees – Bumblebee Maze
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees – Bumblebee Maze
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees – Bumblebee Maze
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees – Bumblebee Maze
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Bumblebee exercise
We practiced a meadow yoga routine. We really got into a groove and stretched.
About bumblebees - bumblebee exercise
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Bumblebee creation
We got our hands a little dirty with the paints, like bumblebees in a blooming meadow from the colorful pollen.
You can easily make bumblebee stamps from raw potatoes or toilet paper rolls.
About bumblebees - Bumblebee creation
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Bumblebee creation
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Bumblebee creation
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Bumblebee creation
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Bumblebee gallery – or types of bumblebees. Children choose which bumblebees they like and color them on a template.
We will provide frames, labels, a nice place in the garden and we can exhibit.
About bumblebees - Bumblebee gallery
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
The most famous species of bumblebees – ground, garden, agricultural, rock, rokytový, happy honey and rainbow-colored.😉
About bumblebees – Bumblebee gallery – Ground bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees – Bumblebee gallery – Field bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees – Bumblebee gallery – Bumblebees of the mountain and rock
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees – Bumblebee gallery – Rainbow-colored bumblebee
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Bumblebee help
Even a little help counts.
How can children help bumblebees? Actually, in any way. How about making a drinking bowl?
Taking care of the bumblebee food source also counts. For more ideas, explore the Bumblebee PLUS .
About bumblebees - Bumblebee help
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Bumblebee help
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Bumblebee reading and singing
We read Bumblebee Annika as the only purely bumblebee children's book.
And they looked at many bee and insect books, where bumblebees appeared at least for a moment.
The Honeybee is very popular with us, so we remembered the chapter dedicated to the bumblebee queen.
And we looked at Tales of the Bee Bears and sang songs from them.
Hopefully there will be more children's books about bumblebees..
About bumblebees - Bumblebee reading
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Bumblebee reading
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Bumblebee reading
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
About bumblebees - Bumblebee reading
Photo: Blog U Meduněk 4/2021
Bumblebee watching
Don't forget to watch bumblebee movies together.
You can also visit the Bumblebee TV YouTube channel Bumblebees PLUS , where you will find a number of amateur videos from the life of bumblebees.
Thanks
A special big thank you for this article goes to both Meduňka and Medvídek for their amazing cooperation and the taste with which they got into bumblebee games. Although this topic did not arise from their interest, I suggested it to them.
We wish you a nice bumblebee game!
Petra, Medunka and Teddy Bear for Bumblebees PLUS