Honey Bee Day

August ^21st is National Honey Bee Day. The honey bee is such an important insect to every living creature on the planet. Without the honey bee, our crops and plants would not be pollinated, and we would not have delicious honey. Yum!

Today we are going to learn how the honey bee collects the pollen and takes it back to its hive. Then we are going to use the honey to make our own cookies.

In our first project, we are going to decorate a bee with pollen. In the wild, bees collect sweet nectar from each plant to take back and make honey. While they are collecting nectar, the fuzz on their bodies collects pollen and then distributes it to other flowers. Spreading pollen helps the flowers to produce seeds and food. Let’s give our bees pretend pollen.

Bee

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Supplies:

1. Card stock
2. Sponges
3. Small paper plate
4. Yellow paint

Directions:

1. Print bee onto card stock.
2. Pour small amount of yellow paint onto paper plate.
3. Dip sponge into paint and sponge paint honey bee.

After the bee is full of nectar, it returns to its hive. This is where the nectar is turned into yummy honey. Let’s make the bees fly around our hive.

Beehive

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Supplies:

1. Copy of beehive
2. Black ink pad
3. Black marker
4. Diaper wipes

Optional: Sponge paint beehive.

1. Sponge
2. Yellow paint
3. Small paper plate

Directions:

1. Print out beehive pattern.
2. Press thumb onto ink pad.
3. Press inked thumb onto beehive.
4. Repeat for every bee you want to make.
5. Wipe off fingers with diaper wipes.

Optional:

1. Pour small amount of paint onto paper plate.
2. Dip sponge into paint.
3. Sponge paint beehive.

Next let’s make cookies with honey.

Honey Cookies

Supplies:

1. 1/4 cup sugar
2. 2 tablespoons canola oil
3. 1 large egg
4. 3 tablespoons honey
5. 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6. 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
7. 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
8. 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
9. 1/8 teaspoon salt
10. Bowl
11. Spoon
12. Oven
13. Measuring cups and spoons

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix in sugar and oil until blended. Mix in egg; beat in honey and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. Place spoonfuls of dough 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pan to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

I hope your little artist had fun learning about National Honey Bee Day. However you choose to celebrate, I know you will be telling your little artist, “You’re so creative!”