Over 60 children in Year Two at Hampton College Primary Phase, Peterborough, learnt all about bees with Kids Country, in a bespoke afternoon workshop delivered by the East of England Agricultural Society’s education team to support the school’s ongoing ‘The Scented Garden’ project in class.
Richard from Peterborough Beekeepers and some of the children
Kirsten Hodgson, Key Stage One team leader and Year Two teacher at Hampton College Primary Phase, said: “The children at Hampton College Primary Phase had a fabulous time during their bee workshop this week. They got to learn lots of facts by following a trail to answer questions about bees. The honey tasting was a firm favourite and liked by all!
“The children loved having the chance to look at some real live bees in their hive and dressing up in bee suits. We incorporated this into our topic ‘The Scented Garden’ and have spent time with the children talking about the importance of bees. Following the workshop, we have been able to do lots of follow-up work in class.”
The afternoon included learning all about bees with Richard from Peterborough Beekeepers, including why we need bees, what bees do, and their three-week life cycle. Children were able to look at an old straw ‘skep’ – the first beehives that man built – and try on a bee suit, before searching a glass-fronted hive for the Queen bee.
The workshop also included a bee trail and quiz, before tasting three different types of honey. Children were able to draw on their maths skills to examine the benefits of the hexagonal cell shape within honeycomb, as well as learn how to help bees at home and school – including how to make a simple bee bath, bee houses out of bamboo canes, and the best types of flowers to grow. The classes even had a go at doing the bee ‘waggle dance’.
Kids Country education manager, Sandra Lauridsen, said: “The children at Hampton College Primary Phase were enthusiastic and showed fantastic knowledge about bees, something they had already been learning about in class as part of their ‘The Scented Garden’ topic.
“It is great to see how events delivered by Kids Country can support existing class topic work, and we hope that any other primary schools in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland will get in touch if they would like our support. We think that children learn best when education is delivered in a hands-on and imaginative way, and of course food, farming and countryside topics lend themselves so well to that.”
Kids Country work with 1000s of primary school children every year to being food, farming and countryside learning directly into the classroom and playground, and if you think your primary school could benefit, please contact slauridsen@eastofengland.org.uk
