Honey bees are a fun insect for kids to learn about because they do pretty incredible things. Did you know they form colonies that could include 50,000 bees at once?
All the bees in a colony are led by the queen. Then there are hundreds of drone bees (aka male bees) that spend all their time trying to get a queen’s attention. The other thousands of bees are female worker bees who collect the pollen and nectar from the flowers to make honey.
Want to craft your own honey bee colony? Here’s how!
You’ll Need:
- Yellow, black, brown, and white paper
- Tape and/or Glue
- A Pencil
- Scissors
Step 1: Make Your Queen Bee
A queen bee is always the biggest bee in the hive with the shortest wings! Remember, she’s the one all the other bees work to serve and protect. To make your queen, follow these directions:
- First, fold a piece of yellow construction paper in half horizontally. Then open it up and cut on the folded line. Take one half and roll it horizontally until it is about the width of a toilet paper roll. Glue it together.
- Now, fold a black piece of construction paper into quarters horizontally. Open and cut on the folded lines. You should have 4 black strips. Use one black strip to cut 2 vertical strands (for the body), 2 circles (for the eyes), and 1 thin triangle (for a stinger). Save the other strips.
- Next, wrap the strands around the bottom half of the body and glue them on. Glue the circles toward the top of the body. And glue the triangle to the inside of the roll with the point sticking out of the bottom.
- Finally, cut out 2 squares equal to about ⅓ of your queen bee’s body. Cut these into wing shapes and glue them to the back of your bee.
- If you’d like, you can also add antennas and six legs!
Step 2: Make A Drone Bee
Drone bees are close to the queen in size. However, they are slightly shorter and slightly wider. They also have bigger wings and don’t have a stinger. To make a drone bee, follow these directions:
- First, take the leftover half of yellow paper and cut a ½ inch off the longer side. Then, roll this piece together horizontally until it is a bit wider than the queen bee. Glue it together.
- Now, use another black strip to cut 2 vertical strands (for the body) and 2 larger circles (for the eyes). Drone bee eyes are larger than a queen bee’s and worker bee’s eyes!
- Next, wrap the strands around the bottom half of the body and glue them on. Then, glue the circles toward the top of the body.
- Finally, cut out 2 rectangles equal in length to ¾ of your drone bee’s body. Cut these into wing shapes and glue them to the back of your bee.
- If you’d like, you can also add antennas and six legs!
Step 3: Make Your Worker Bees
Worker bees are the smallest ones in a colony. They are shorter and skinnier than the queen and drone bees. To make your worker bees, follow these directions:
- First, fold a piece of yellow paper into thirds horizontally. Open and cut on the folded lines. Then, roll each piece horizontally and glue together.
- Use your remaining black strips to cut 6 vertical strands (for the bodies), 6 smaller circles (for the eyes), and 3 small triangles (for the stingers).
- Now, wrap the strands around the bottom half of the bodies and glue them on. Glue the circles toward the top of the bodies. And glue a triangle to the inside of each roll with the point sticking out of the bottom.
- Finally, cut out 6 rectangles equal in length to ¾ of your worker bee bodies. Cut these into wing shapes and glue them to the back of each bee.
- If you’d like, you can also add antennas and six legs!
Step 4: Make Your Hive
A hive is the home of a honey bee colony. It’s also where the bees store their honey in hexagonal honeycomb pockets. You’ve likely seen these on honey-themed products or maybe in real life! To make your own honeycomb hive, follow these directions:
- First, trace 10-15, 2” hexagons on a yellow piece of paper.
- Then, cut out and glue the hexagons ¼ inch apart across a brown piece of paper to make your honeycomb.
- Now, let your happy honey bees assemble in their colony!
Are insects a bug deal with your kids?
