Turns out our friend Linda is scared of bees – so scared that she does not want to play outside after seeing a bee. I have a pet peeve about being scared of bees, which probably signifies some sort of deep psychological issue, but that’s for another day. For now, I decide to do a little impromptu “bee advocacy.”
Hexagonal Graph Paper. I print two sheets per child, but they only decorate one.
Honey Colored Paint and a Round Sponge Brush. 
They mix a bit of orange and yellow paint and splotch it on. The sponge brush gives it a nice texture and variety. I pour the girls a little yellow paint, a little orange paint, and have them mix it to make a golden color.
Vocabulary Worksheet I wanted to slip some literacy into the activity, so they color in these spring pictures and glue them around the edges of the hive.
Bees I don’t think the tiny bees on the vocabulary page will inspire kind feelings, and that’s really my goal here. So I print up the bee craft from First School and cut out the body and head.
Vellum and Brass Brads. I can’t resist embellishing, so I cut the wings out of vellum and attach them to the body with a standard paper fastener from Office Max. I glue the head on to cover the brad.
Staples. To save myself from insanity, I staple the extra hive to the back to make a little pocket to keep the bees in.
The result is very cute, and I’m rewarded when Linda’s mom says she plays with her bees at home all the next day.
