World Bee Day | EYFS & KS1 Activity Ideas

**Note: This page is for educational inspiration and is not officially affiliated with World Bee Day. World Bee Day is celebrated annually on May 20th. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2017, following a proposal from Slovenia. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy. It highlights the threats they face, such as habitat loss and pesticide use, and encourages global action to protect them. The date, May 20th, was chosen as it is the birthday of Anton Janša (1734–1773), a pioneer of modern beekeeping. For official information, themes, and how to get involved, please visit the United Nations World Bee Day website: www.un.org/en/observances/bee-day.

Wednesday 20th May 2026

20th May every year

• 🤔 What is World Bee Day?

  World Bee Day raises awareness of the vital role bees and other pollinators play in our ecosystems. It highlights how bees support plant life, food production and biodiversity across the planet.

• 🐝 Understanding World Bee Day in EYFS & KS1

  This theme provides a rich opportunity to explore:

  • minibeasts and insects

  • plants and growth

  • life cycles

  • food and where it comes from

  • the natural world

  This supports:

  EYFS:

  • Understanding the World (nature, environments, life processes)

  • Communication & Language (describing, questioning, explaining)

  • PSED (care, respect, responsibility)

  KS1 (National Curriculum):

  • Science (plants, animals including humans, habitats, seasonal change)

  • Geography (environmental awareness, caring for the planet)

  • Design & Technology (food origins, healthy eating)

• 🌱 A Developmentally Appropriate Approach in the Early Years

  In high-quality EYFS practice, themes like bees and pollination are explored through:

  • observation

  • play

  • real-world experiences

  • responsive interaction

  👉 Find out more about developmentally appropriate practice in EYFS by exploring our ‘Curriculum & Pedagogy Suite’.

  Pathways available for:

  ↪ Babies | birth-18 months

  ↪ Toddlers | 18-36 months

  ↪ Preschool | 3-4 years

  ↪ Reception | 4-5 years

  ↪ Childminder | Mixed-Age Care

• 💛 Why This Theme Matters

  Exploring bees supports:

  🌼 Understanding Nature’s Interconnectedness

  Children begin to see how plants and animals rely on each other.

  🍎 Awareness of Food Sources

  Children learn that many foods depend on pollinators.

  🐾 Empathy & Care

  Children develop respect for living things.

  🔍 Curiosity & Inquiry

  Children ask questions and explore how things work.

  🌍 Environmental Awareness

  Children begin to understand simple ways to care for the world.

🌿 EYFS: Provision & Child-Led Ideas (0–5 Years)

These ideas are not activities to be planned or completed. They support learning through exploration, play and real experiences.

• 👶 Babies (0–18 months)

  Exploration is sensory and relational.

  Babies may:

  • watch movement (e.g. flying insects)

  • explore textures and natural materials

  • respond to sounds and visual changes

  Adults can:

  • provide safe natural materials

  • narrate simple experiences

  • support sensory exploration

  👉 Additional curriculum & planning support for this age group may be found on our ‘EYFS Planning for Babies (0–18 Months)’ hub page.

• 🚶 Toddlers (18–36 months)

  Toddlers explore through movement and repetition.

  Children may:

  • notice insects outdoors

  • show curiosity about movement and sound

  • engage in simple pretend play

  Adults can:

  • follow children’s interests

  • model simple language (“bee”, “flower”)

  • allow time for repeated exploration

  👉 Additional curriculum & planning support for this age group may be found on our ‘EYFS Planning for Toddlers (18–36 Months)’ hub page.

• 🧒 Preschool (3–4 years)

  Children begin to explore ideas about nature and life.

  Children may:

  • ask questions about insects and plants

  • engage in imaginative play

  • explore sorting and grouping

  Adults can:

  • support curiosity through conversation

  • introduce simple ideas about growth and life cycles

  • extend play through language and questioning

  👉 Additional curriculum & planning support for this age group may be found on our ‘EYFS Planning for Preschool (3–4 Years)’ hub page.

• 🎓 Reception (4–5 years)

  Children develop deeper understanding of the natural world.

  Children may:

  • explore cause and effect

  • make simple connections (bees → plants → food)

  • use more complex language

  Adults can:

  • support reasoning and explanation

  • introduce simple scientific ideas

  • extend vocabulary and thinking

  👉 Additional curriculum & planning support for this age group may be found on our ‘EYFS Planning for Reception (4–5 Years)’ hub page.

• 🧠 Key Principle Across EYFS

  Understanding nature develops through:

  • observation

  • exploration

  • conversation

  • real-world experiences

🌱 Environment Enhancements & Invitations (EYFS)

These are optional enhancements that may be added to provision if they align with children’s interests in minibeasts and the natural world.

• 🐝 Exploring Minibeasts Through Play

  You might enhance provision by:

  • adding small world insects and minibeasts

  • including materials for sorting and grouping

  • allowing children to explore insects through play

  Resources that may support this include:

  • Minibeasts resources

  • Bumblebee Pack

• 🌼 Plants, Flowers & Pollination

  You might enhance provision by:

  • adding flowers (real or artificial) to play areas

  • providing opportunities to explore plants and growth

  • allowing children to notice connections between insects and plants

  Resources:

  • Plants

  • Gardening

  • Life Cycles

• 🗣️ Language, Curiosity & Conversation

  You might enhance provision by:

  • introducing simple vocabulary (bee, flower, nectar)

  • responding to children’s questions

  • modelling descriptive language during play

  Resources that may support this include:

  • Word mats and visual supports

• 🌿 Outdoor Exploration & Observation

  You might enhance provision by:

  • encouraging time outdoors

  • observing insects safely and respectfully

  • noticing changes in plants and environments

  Resources that may support this include:

  • Minibeast Search Checklists

• 💛 Care & Respect for Living Things

  You might enhance provision by:

  • modelling gentle behaviour towards insects

  • supporting children to care for plants and nature

  • encouraging respect rather than fear

  Resources:

  • The Environment

  • Recycling

  • Wildlife

• 🎨 Creative & Representational Play

  You might enhance provision by:

  • offering materials for drawing, modelling or creating insects

  • allowing children to represent bees and nature in their own way

  • valuing children’s interpretations

  Resources that may support this include:

  • Creative materials

  • Playdough and loose parts

📘 KS1 Learning Activities for World Bee Day

In Key Stage 1, this theme can support more structured learning about pollination, food and ecosystems.

• 🐝 Learning About Bees

  Children can:

  • explore bee anatomy and behaviour

  • understand bee life cycles

  You may use our:

  • World Bee Day Colouring Poster

  • Bumblebee Pack

  • Bee Body Parts Posters & Writing Sheets

• 🌼 Pollination & Food

  Children can:

  • learn how bees help plants grow

  • explore where food comes from

  You may use our:

  • “Save the Bees” Food Poster

  • Fruit & Veg Poster

• 🌱 Helping Bees Thrive

  Children can:

  • explore simple conservation actions

  • understand how environments support bees

  You may:

  • plant flowers

  • identify bee-friendly plants

  Resources:

  • Gardening

  • The Environment

  • Recycling

• 🐞 Minibeast Exploration

  Children can:

  • observe insects

  • collect data

  • explore patterns

  You may use our:

  Maths

  • Bee Counting Puzzles

  • Minibeasts Counting Resources

  • Tally Charts

  Literacy

  • Minibeast Word Mats

  • Alphabet Cards

  Creative

  • Minibeast Colouring

  • Playdough Mats

  • Movement Cards

  Observation

  • Pictogram Charts

• 🎲 Bee-Themed Games

  Children can explore bee behaviour through simple games:

  • Buzz Like a Bee (movement & sound)

  • Find the Flower (pollination & matching)

  • Bee Dance (communication & teamwork)

  *See below for games

• 🌍 Explore More Resources | EYFS Enhanced Provision & KS1 Activities

  You may wish to explore:

  • Minibeasts

  • Plants

  • Life Cycles

  • Gardening

  • The Environment

  • Wildlife

  • Spring

• 🧠 Using Special Dates Thoughtfully

  A helpful question: “Does this support real understanding of the natural world?”

  If it supports:

  • observation

  • curiosity

  • connection

  → it is meaningful

• 🐝 In Summary

  World Bee Day supports children to:

  • understand nature and ecosystems

  • develop curiosity and care

  • explore the natural world

  • build early environmental awareness

  In the EYFS, this is most effective when it is:

  • play-based

  • exploration-led

  • rooted in real experiences

  In KS1, it can be:

  • explored through structured learning

  • supported through investigation and discussion

👉 To explore more early years events, visit our Special Dates Calendar.

*Bee related Games for Preschool/Early Years & Key Stage 1 Children

• 1. "Buzz Like a Bee" (Movement and Sound)

  This game is all about imitation and understanding the primary sound a bee makes.

  • How to Play:

    1. Introduce the Bee Sound: Start by asking children, "What sound does a bee make?" Encourage them to make buzzing sounds.

    2. Explain the Action: Tell them that when you say "Buzz like a bee!", they need to move around the space (safely!) while making buzzing noises, perhaps wiggling their bottoms like a bee flying.

    3. "Freeze" or "Go to the Hive": You can add a command like "Freeze!" where everyone stops buzzing and moving, or "Go to the hive!" where they gather in a designated "hive" area (e.g., a hoop, a corner of the room).

    4. Discussion: Afterwards, you can ask questions like, "Why do bees buzz?" (To fly, to communicate), or "Where do bees live?"

  • Learning Points:

    • Sound Recognition: Reinforces the distinctive sound of a bee.

    • Movement: Encourages gross motor skills and imaginative play.

    • Basic Bee Behaviour: Introduces the idea of bees flying and buzzing.

• 2. "Find the Flower" (Pollination and Colour Matching)

  This game helps children understand the concept of bees visiting flowers to collect nectar/pollen.

  • How to Play:

    1. Prepare "Flowers": Cut out simple flower shapes from coloured paper (different colours are good). Scatter them around the play area.

    2. Explain the Bee's Job: Tell the children, "You are now busy bees! Your job is to fly around and find flowers. Bees collect special food from flowers."

    3. The "Nectar" Task: You can make it slightly more complex for KS1 by having small coloured pom-poms or beads (representing "nectar" or "pollen") placed on each flower. Children can use tongs or their fingers to "collect" the "nectar" from the flowers and bring it back to a central "hive" pot.

    4. Variations:

       • Colour Matching: "Only find the yellow flowers!"

       • Counting: "How many flowers did you visit?"

       • Team Play: Assign teams to collect nectar from different coloured flowers.

  • Learning Points:

    • Pollination Concept: Introduces the idea that bees visit flowers.

    • Purpose: Helps them understand that bees collect things from flowers (nectar/pollen).

    • Observation/Matching: Encourages visual discrimination and counting skills.

• 3. "Bee Communication Dance" (Waggle Dance Introduction)

  This is a simplified version of the bee's famous "waggle dance" used to tell other bees where food is.

  • How to Play:

    1. Tell a Short Story: "Imagine one bee finds a super yummy flower patch far away! How does she tell her friends?"

    2. Demonstrate: Explain that bees do a special dance. Show them a simple "waggle" by wiggling your hips and walking in a small figure-eight shape.

    3. "Follow the Leader": One child (or you) can be the "scout bee" and do the waggle dance, pointing in a direction (e.g., towards a designated "flower patch"). The other "bees" then follow the "scout" to the "flower patch."

    4. Swap Roles: Let different children have a turn being the "scout bee."

  • Learning Points:

    • Bee Communication: Introduces the fascinating idea that bees "talk" through dance.

    • Teamwork: Highlights how bees work together.

    • Observation: Encourages children to watch and imitate movements.

Printable resources to support teaching & learning surrounding: ‘World Bee Day’

Free EYFS & KS1 ‘Bee’ Printable Resources and Activity Ideas:

EYFS & KS1 ‘Bee’ Printable Resources and Activity Ideas:

Explore additional ‘Bee’ Printable Resources and Activity Ideas on our ‘Minibeasts’ page:

Additional Pages you may like to explore which cover relevant &/or connected themes

More Early Years Event Pages for May

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Browse our ‘Special Dates Calendar’ page using the link below. You’ll find calendars for every month of the year to aid your planning!

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Disclaimer:
This page is for educational purposes only and is intended to support early years and primary practitioners with ideas and resources related to 'World Bee Day'. We are not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the United Nations, which established this international observance. We do not claim any rights to specific trademarks or official materials associated with this event. For official information, themes, and how to get involved, please visit the United Nations World Bee Day website: www.un.org/en/observances/bee-day.