World Bee Day: Simple Ways to Celebrate Through Play 🐝

At Wonder Seekers, we’re all about creating meaningful moments through play—and World Bee Day (May 20th) is the perfect excuse to slow down, get a little messy, and spark some curiosity about the magic of bees.

Bees are more than just buzzy little insects—they're pollination powerhouses that help keep our plants, flowers, and food systems thriving. And teaching kids to care about them doesn’t have to be complicated.

Here’s a bunch of easy, bee-inspired sensory and messy play ideas you can set up at home using things you probably already have on hand.

🐝 1. Painting with Dandelions

Simple, effective, and straight from the backyard. Grab some dandelions and yellow paint, and let the kids stamp, dab, and swipe their way across the paper. It’s a great way to explore texture and colour while gently introducing the relationship between bees and flowers.

🐝 2. Plant Bee-Attracting Flowers

Dig in—literally! Get little hands planting lavender, daisies, or any other bee-attracting flowers. It’s a lovely sensory activity with a bigger purpose: giving the bees a helping hand while connecting your kids to the natural world.

🐝 3. Split Peas & Black Beans Sensory Tray

Create a stripy bee-inspired sensory base using dried split peas and black beans. Add in scoops, spoons, toy bees, and flowers. Simple setup, big play potential. Great for fine motor skills and imaginative play.

🐝 4. Gelatine & Pasta Beehive

This one’s a bit wobbly—in the best way. Set dried pasta into yellow gelatine to create a squishy, sticky beehive feel. Add in toy bees and florals and let the sensory exploration begin. A cool combo of science, texture, and messy fun.

🐝 5. Bee Oobleck Tray

Messy? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely. Mix up some natural-coloured oobleck and throw in your favourite bee-themed eco cutters, toy bees, gold scoops, and florals. Squishing, scooping, swirling—it’s a full sensory experience.

🐝 6. Bird Seed Sensory Tray

Bird seed makes a beautiful textured base—and it’s great for nature play. Add in timber bowls, eco cutters, bees, and oversized flowers for a hands-on setup that’s rich in sensory detail.

🐝 7. Bee Playdough Invitation

Whip up a batch of yellow and black playdough (or grab one of ours if you're short on time!). Set out natural tools, wooden stampers, and florals for an open-ended invitation to create little bees, flowers, and hives. It’s one of those quiet activities that can turn into something magical.

🐝 8. Black & Yellow Rice Tray

Layer dyed black and yellow rice to mimic bumblebee stripes. Add in bees, flowers, honey dippers, and some favourite tools. Bonus idea: pop in a real insect house—ready to be filled and perfect for sparking conversations about how we can care for pollinators in our own backyards.

You can find these insect houses at Bunnings 😉

🐝 9. Rice Paper ‘Bee Hive’ Craft

Hang a white rice paper lantern and let the kids paint it with yellow paint while it gently moves—great for hand-eye coordination and a lovely way to create a whimsical ‘beehive’ prop. It can be used in dramatic play or simply hung up to inspire a little pause and wonder.

🐝 10. Fizzy Potions

You know we couldn’t leave out a classic Wonder Seekers favourite. Add yellow fizz to a bowl, sprinkle in florals, and grab some honey dippers. It’s fizzy, bubbly fun with all the right sensory sounds and scents—and a sneaky way to start conversations about bees and nature while they play.

You could add a squirt of honey to give it an extra level of sensory fun!

🐝 11. Bee Craft with a Sensory Twist

Yellow paint, wool, tissue paper squares, and a sprinkle of glitter. This one’s part craft, part sensory play—and all about giving little hands something fun and purposeful to do. Bonus: it’s great for fine motor skills and creativity.

Let’s Celebrate the Bees—Together

Play doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. But it can be purposeful. By setting up even one of these activities, you’re planting a seed—one that grows into care, curiosity, and connection.

So here’s to the bees. And here’s to the little ones who’ll grow up knowing just how important they are.

Tag us in your bee-themed play—@wonderseekerssensoryplay—we’d love to see what you create.**

> Please remember: All play activities should be supervised by an adult. Always consider the age and stage of your child, and adapt as needed for safe and joyful exploration.