Friends, you need a Bee Busy learning area in your classroom! When the lovelies come by the jellybean table and say 'what can I do now I'm finished' - you point and say 'bee busy'! They L-O-V-E it, I promise!
Most children just want to be doing something and engaged. Give them the independence to do so.
This week I featured our new 'Bee Busy Pocket Chart' on Instagram stories.
In this learning space you will place activities that students can busy themselves with in a second. Everything is easy-to-access and has minimal set-up.
Bee Busy Area
Find a spot in your classroom that suits your students and available space.Make it:
- flexible (easy to switch out activities each week)
- feature new activities/cards each week/month
- easily accessible for students (pull the activities out of their bins, boxes, packets and pouches)
- have pens or equipment like dice, close by
It could be:
- in a drawer unit
- on a shelf
- on a low desk (activities in cute little boxes and containers)
- in a tote tray stand
- in a pocket chart, shoe organizer or similar
Activities should be
- independent activities that consolidate concepts already taught
- easily explained (so students can help one another if needed)
- engaging
Great activities include:
- card games - commercially produced - e.g. snap, matching, drills
- write-n-wipe - kids love these and they also provide a platform for extra writing practice
- centers - printable games from our 'print and play' range for example
- reading - provide independent level texts
- tracing pages - especially worksheets laminated for use as write-n-wipe
- tracing in a mini photo album book
- Grab the Dragon
- coloring pages
KMart Pocket Chart
To made our own pocket chart for a Bee Busy learning space, we used 3 wall organizers from KMart.To make it I:
- removed each organizer from its dowel rod and slid the three together onto one large broom handle
- put a screw carefully in each end of the broom handle, to attach a new hanging-rope
- removed the poms
- added cute visuals - laminated headers and bee pictures - available in the starter pack
Starter Pack
- includes 18 printable card activities perfect for kindergarten or first grade
- is 50% off individual pricing
Bee Busy Drawers
You may also find our past post on the Bee Busy Drawers useful. It is a similar idea but provides more structure and activity-types.
I wish you the best of luck with your Bee Busy space, please let me know how you find it and I would love you to snap a pic and tag me on Insta so I can see it!
I wish you the best of luck with your Bee Busy space, please let me know how you find it and I would love you to snap a pic and tag me on Insta so I can see it!