Looking for a fun and easy spring craft for kids to make? This paper plate bee craft is perfect!

When we think of spring we think of all the beautiful flowers that pop up during this season.

And since we can’t have flowers without bees, it’s natural to think of our helpful little pollinators.

We love paper plate crafts because they are super simple! This one even comes with a free printable template so it’s perfect for making with toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarten children.

Read on below or watch our quick video tutorial to see how we make this cute little bee!

Bumble Bee Craft Idea

Supplies

• Paper plates
• Yellow paint
• Paintbrush
• Colored card stock or construction paper (in black and light blue)
• White card stock
• Black pipe cleaners
• Black marker
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Tape (optional)
• Paper trimmer (optional)
• Bee craft template (download form located at the end of this post)

Directions

Download the bee craft template, print, and cut out the pieces.

Paint your paper plate in a thin coat of yellow paint and let dry completely. If you’re using acrylic paint, this usually only takes 15 minutes to dry all the way. If you want or need it done faster, you can always use a hairdryer to speed up the process.

Take the bee eyes and glue them towards the top of the paper plate. We placed them just inside the middle circle line of the plate.

Use a black marker to draw on a small smile line just underneath the eyes. You’ll want to make it close to the eyes so you have room for the two bee stripes.

To make the bee’s stripes you have 2 options:

1. Paint the stripes on with black paint after the yellow paper plate has dried.
2. Cut out two long thin strips from the black card stock.

The painting method is trickier to get straight and will take more time to dry, but it also works on hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

The paper method is simpler and less messy.

If you’re using the paper method, add glue to the back of the card stock and glue in place just below the smile. Leave a small gap of yellow between the stripes. Cut off any paper that hangs off the sides of the paper plate.

Glue or tape on the bee’s stinger to the back of the paper plate. Whenever we have to attach something to the curved parts of the paper plate, we prefer tape. It holds a lot better and there’s no drying time before moving on to the next step.

If you decide to use glue, just make sure you have enough glue on there for it to hold and let it dry completely before you move on.

While the paper plate is flipped on the back, attach the two bee’s wings to either side of the plate. Again, we used tape to attach it to the plate.

Take a black pipe cleaner and cut it in half. Loop one end of the shortened pipe cleaner around your finger to make the antennae. If you want the whole piece to have a curled effect, drag your finger or fingernail along the pipe cleaner in a curved motion.

Flip the paper plate back over again and attach the bee’s antennae to the back of the paper plate.

Now your kids have a cute little bee craft they can play around with! If your kids enjoyed this, they’ll also love this paper plate butterfly craft.

Bees As Pollinators

If you want to incorporate this bee craft into something educational, we’ve got some ideas for you!

Since bees are so important and research shows their population is declining it’s a wonderful teaching opportunity.

Depending on the age of your children, you can start off by asking them if they know how bees help us. Let them know that bees are responsible for pollinating not only flowers but also the food we eat!

If they’re older and are interested in bee facts, check out this fact sheet by Nat Geo Kids.

You can also read books like Five Bizzy Honeybees or Nat Geo Kids book on bees. Both are fun and engaging ways to help kids learn a little bit more about these amazing creatures!

More Insect Ideas For Kids

Are your kids interested in learning more about the wonderful world of insects? We’ve got some great activity ideas to help them discover, observe, and learn about these fascinating creatures.

Keep on reading below to discover some of our favorite insect ideas for kids!

Bug Children’s Books

Whenever we introduce a new theme or if we want to go deeper into it, we always start with children’s books! They’re an easy way to fill time and help kids learn to read or develop their vocabulary. Below are some of our favorite insect books for kids!

The Very Quiet Cricket– Everyone loves Eric Carle and this book is just as good as all his others! In it, a cricket is trying to discover how to make a sound, but when he rubs his legs together nothing happens. Follow him on his journey to find his very own sound! Kids love the ending where he and your child can hear the chirping!

Bugs A to Z is a great introductory insect book for kids. It’s great for kids to browse through and look at pictures and to find a short snippet about each bug.

Ten Little Ladybugs – This cute book is not only fun to read, but also fun to touch! Kids will want to read this book day after day and it helps them learn to count.

Kids’ Insect Crafts

Crafting is a great way for kids to let their imaginations run wild! These craft projects will help kids express their creativity and build fine motor skills, such as cutting, gluing, and drawing.

Not only will your kids create something special, but they’ll also feel a sense of accomplishment once they’re done. And they’ll love having a token of their hard work to show off to their loved ones! Here are some super fun insect crafts your little ones will love.

Ladybug Toilet Paper Roll Craft – Your little bugs will love making this adorable and easy ladybug craft. By simply giving your kids a toilet paper roll and some craft supplies, they can create their very own recycled insect masterpiece. Your ladybugs will be so excited to complete this fun project!

Bee Name Craft – Here is an awesome activity that’ll have your kids buzzing with joy! Our bee name craft is the perfect combination of fun and education. Using our free downloadable template, this bee name craft helps little ones practice their spelling and develop various skills.

Popsicle Stick Butterfly Craft – Turn your kids into master crafters with this popsicle stick butterfly craft! They can create colorful butterfly decorations with just a few basic supplies. Painting and gluing are always a good time, and your little ones will love fluttering around with their new creations!

Dragonfly Craft for Kids – Unleash your kids’ creativity and let them create a one-of-a-kind dragonfly! This craft will also help children build fine motor skills as they tear tissue paper to decorate the wings of their dragonflies.

Best of all, no two dragonflies will look alike! Their colorful creation will be entirely unique – just like your little one!

Kids’ Insect Activities

Try out these butterfly worksheets for a fun and educational activity that your children will love! With engaging illustrations to color in, your kids will stay entertained while they work on letter recognition. Your children will have so much fun with these fluttering worksheets they won’t realize they’re learning!

These bee cutting practice worksheets are the perfect way to help your little ones develop their fine motor skills. With each careful cut, they’ll strengthen the muscles in their hands and fingers.

So while your kids work through these buzzworthy worksheets, they’ll also set a strong foundation for writing, drawing, and crafting!

Our bug coloring pages are an excellent no-prep activity that’s sure to delight your little ones. Just print them out and let the creative fun begin! This activity is great for children of all ages, and their enthusiasm will fly through the roof! Your kids will be engaged for hours as they color and identify each bug.

For the younger kids in your life, these preschool bug activities are just the thing to keep them entertained while learning. With the help of these printable worksheets, your children can practice skills such as pattern-making and handwriting. And who knows – it might inspire them to learn more about the world of bugs, too!

Spring Fun

• Fun honeybee bingo printables
• Awesome butterfly wings for kids to wear
• Cute chick soaps for kids

Share With Us

Did you make this craft with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!

For a chance to have your child’s craft featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!

More Spring Activities

Bee Craft Template