Bees and Honey Preschool Centers

Description

Buzz into learning with our exciting bees and honey theme! Your preschoolers will explore the busy world of bees, discover how they make honey, and strengthen early literacy and math skills along the way.

From buzzing bees to golden honeycombs, there’s so much to explore in the hive! 

This set of 12 printable activities will have kids keeping as busy as bees, learning and having fun at the same time!

These Bee Themed Preschool Centers Will Help Preschool Develop These Skills:

• phonological awareness
• phonemic awareness
• letter formation
• phonics

As Well As These Math Skills:

• number sense
• algebra
• geometry
• measurement
• data analysis and probability

Buzz into a sweet learning adventure with this exciting collection of bee-themed activities for preschoolers!

These buzzing preschool activities cover a wide range of early learning concepts, making them perfect for different skill levels in your classroom. From busy worker bees to golden honeycombs, there’s something for every little learner to explore!

Here’s What’s Included:

This pack includes 82 pages of printable bee theme literacy and math activities to use for whole group teaching or to add to your preschool centers. Activities are as follows:

Bumble Bee Literacy Activities

• Bees and Honey Alphabet Letter Matching (Alphabet Knowledge) – Match the lower case letter on each hive letter card to the bee with the corresponding upper case letter.
• Vocabulary Word Tracing Words (Letter Formation) – Cut apart the tracing cards and place in a dry erase pouch. Use a dry erase marker to trace over each word.
• Pollinating Flower Rhyming Cards (Phonological Awareness) – Cut apart the flower rhyming cards and cut each card in half along the dashed line. Mix up the cards and match them again according to the rhyming pictures on each.
• Honeycomb Onset and Rime Game (Print Awareness) – Cut apart the hexagon rime cards, mix them up, and put them in a draw pile. Have a set of counters handy. Draw a rime card and have match the rime card to any onset on the game mat. (/p/-in). Say the onset and the rime together to form a real word or a nonsense word. Place a counter over the onset and continue until the game mat is filled.
• In the Beehive Beginning Sounds Matching (Phonological Awareness) – Cut apart the hexagon cards and place in a pile. Place the letter cards in a separate pile. Draw a letter card and place it on the mat. Add the corresponding beginning sound hexagons. (To simplify, place a select group of letters and matching beginning sounds and have your student work with only a few letters and sounds at once, rather than the entire alphabet).
• Bees and Honey Word Building (Phonemic Awareness) – Cut apart the word building cards. Use lettercards to spell out the word on each card.  Alternatively, magnetic letter manipulatives can be used. Find matching letter manipulatives here: Magnetic Letter Manipulatives

​Bumble Bee Math Activities

• Bees and Flowers Ten frame Counting Cards (Number Sense) – Place the counting cards in dry erase pouches. Select a counting card and identify the number. Count the bees, covering each one with a counter. Then, transfer the counter to the ten frame and count again. Finally, use a dry erase marker to trace the numeral on the bottom of the card.
• Honey Number Pattern Block Mats (Geometry) – Use pattern blocks to form each number, then count the honey images that correspond with the number.
• What Comes Next Patterning (Algebra) – Cut apart the pattern completion cards and place them in piles according to their picture. Set the corresponding sets out with each patterning mat. Use the picture cards to complete each pattern.
• Honeycomb Hexagon Measurement Cards (Measurement) – Cut apart the hexagon measurement cards and place them in dry erase pouches. Have a set of manipulatives of choice handy. Count the number of hexagons on the card and write the number in the corresponding box. Then, use counters to measure the height of the hexagon tower and write the number is the corresponding box. The counters total may not match the number of hexagons.
• Draw and Graph Mats (Graphing) – Cut apart the graphs and the corresponding picture cards. Mix up the corresponding picture cards and place them in a pile. Draw a picture card and follow the directions on it for graphing.
• Pollinating Bees Addition Mats (Number Sense) – Place the addition mats in a dry erase pouch. Roll a die, identify the number of pips, then place the dice in the first square. Then use a counting manipulative to show the same quantity on the flowers. Repeat with a second die. Then add the total together and write in the final box.

How to Use Bees Theme Printable Preschool Centers

These preschool activities are not limited to only centers. They can also be used in the following settings:

• printable preschool centers
• small group activities
• table top activities
• sensory table activities
• quick circle time activities
• whole class skills practice
• informal assessments

How to Add This to What You Are Already Teaching

Of course, these thematic activities pair wonderfully with my Daily Lessons in Preschool Literacy and Math Curriculum because they target the same skills. With the thoughtful design of the daily lesson plans included in my curriculum, you will know exactly which arctic centers to pull out during the theme. Together, they make the perfect team for a well-rounded, engaging theme based curriculum.

Are the bee-themed activities suitable for different skill levels?

Yes, the activities are designed to cater to a range of skill levels, allowing for differentiation in the classroom. This ensures that all preschoolers, regardless of their initial abilities, can participate and benefit from the activities, exploring at their own pace while being gently challenged.

Can these activities be used at home as well as in the classroom?

Absolutely! These printables are perfect for both classroom and home use. Parents can use them as supplementary educational tools to enhance their child’s learning at home, providing opportunities for hands-on engagement in a familiar setting.