🔎 Project information
- Project name: Do bees have homes & what do they do inside?
- Service: Bambini’s Childcare Centre, Centennial Park
- Award: Joint NSW Winner of the Excellence in Early STEM Education Awards 2024
- Frequency: Several times a week for 9 weeks
- Number of children: 22
- Age of children: 3-6 years
💥 Project Summary
During their Friday sports session at Centennial Park, the children heard lots of bees buzzing, but they couldn’t see where the bees were coming from. One child asked “Do bees have a home?” and another asked “What do the bees do in their home?” This kickstarted their inquiry-based STEM project, which involved the children learning about where bees live, how to make a bee hive, and the various roles of the bees.
Along with their educators, the children engaged in researching many aspects of the insect, such as First Nations links to bees and connecting bees to their local geography of Centennial Park in Sydney.
🧪 Collecting Ideas & Experimenting
When educators asked the children what they knew about bees, some children knew that bees make sticky honey, that the shape of their homes is hexagonal, and that “bees are yellow and black”. They also shared that bees often live in trees in “hives”. One child raised the idea that bees have ovens in their homes with different fruit. One child shared their knowledge about bee habits, including “If they are in danger, they will sting you.”
The children then drew pictures of what they thought a bee home might look like and looked at digital photographs of beehives. This led to more questions about how to make a beehive and designing their own beehive prototype using materials like paper, bubble wrap, and cardboard. The children investigated the structural integrity of their beehive prototype by comparing the strength of glue stick versus liquid glue. They discovered that liquid glue stuck better than glue stick! The children also discussed how to protect their prototype from rain, such as by using bubble wrap.
The children used their frequent excursions to Centennial Park to continue their research into bees. They observed how bees interact with the natural world and if they live independently or in groups. While exploring the concept of bee pollination, the children observed that bees play an important role in the natural world. One child reflected: “They have to go from flower to flower.”
Some children also engaged in a sensory honey dough experience. They tested their theories about what honey smells like and what would happen if honey was put inside dough. One child guessed that “it’s going to stick on my hands”, while another asked “maybe I can stretch it?”
The children also integrated creative arts into their STEM explorations. They created paintings based on First Nations artworks depicting Sugarbag bees and learnt about their significance to the Gadigal people who are the Traditional Owners of their area of Sydney. They also put on a dramatic play with children acting as the Queen Bee, the Drone Bees, and the Worker Bees!
🏘️ Involving the Community
The project had many touch points with families and the wider community. During the course of the project, families were invited into the centre so that the children could share their bee investigations. The children also shared their new bee knowledge with their friends at the aged care home they engage with as part of intergenerational play.
The children also learnt from an external bee specialist and park rangers. Educators organised for the beekeepers at Centennial Park to visit the centre so that the children could see what bees look like in a hive. The children were also keen to explore flowers as part of their investigation into bees, so their educators organised an excursion to a local farmer’s market where the children could see a range of flowers up close and speak to the flower sellers.
Joint NSW Winner: Excellence in Early STEM Education Awards 2024
This project was the 2024 Joint NSW Winner of the Excellence in Early STEM Education Award as part of the Little Scientists Early STEM Education Awards. These biennial awards call upon early learning services and classrooms to nominate by submitting an inquiry-based STEM project co-developed with their children 0-8 years. Projects were judged on originality, STEM content, alignment to the inquiry cycle, child-led approach, and use of a gender lens.