Buzzy Bees at Botanic Gardens

By Miss Melinda Hamilton, Junior School Teacher

This week our Kindergarten students visited the Australian National Botanic Gardens to undertake a Buzzy Bees workshop. The students have been learning about ‘How the World Works’ and have been focusing on bees in particular.

At the Gardens, the students got to explore lots of native bee friendly plants and take note of their bright colours and attractive smells. Upon closer inspection, there were quite a few bees collecting nectar from the plants. The students also learnt about the tiny hairs that bees are covered with and how this helps them to collect and spread pollen.

A highlight was to see some small bee hotels and the large bee hotel. The students found out more about how the queen bee lays eggs in the holes and leaves with them all the food they will need. The holes then get covered with wax or a piece of leaf. These larvae grow and eventually hatch out of the hole as baby bees.

The students got to play a game which acted out the process of seeds growing and pollination. It was great fun for them to be part of the story!

'My favourite part was having a picnic lunch and a play' – Arjan

'I liked playing the plant and bee game' – Grace

'The insect hotel was so big, there were lots of bees living there' – Eleanor