Beavers 1
Meeting Plan

Resources

You'll need the following:

• a Seed Bomb Kit per participant;

• tables;

• a projector/screen (if using the video);

• printed instructions (if not using the video); and

• for the Honey makes the world go round game:

  • something to mark lines (e.g. tape, chalk or rope);

  • bowls; and

  • small items to collect (e.g. spoons or bean bags).

Meeting

Opening (5 minutes)

Open your meeting as usual.

Honey makes the world go round game (15 minutes)

We've chosen this game as the purpose of the challenge is to encourage bee populations locally.

The full game instructions are on the Scouts website, and are summarised below:

• Everyone should split into six teams of bees. Each team should sit behind a beehive.

• Each team member should number themselves. If the teams aren’t quite even, one person should take two numbers.

• The person leading the activity should call out one of the numbers. The bee from each team with this number should stand up and run to collect one piece of nectar at a time to bring back to their hive.

• After around 30 seconds, or once the nectar has all run out, the person leading the game should shout ‘stop!’. All the bees should return to their hives and count how much nectar they collected.

• Someone should spread all the nectar out in the large hexagon, so the game can start again.

• Everyone should keep playing until every bee has gone out foraging at least once.

• The person leading the game should explain that bees collect nectar from flowers. As they collect nectar, they also collect and spread pollen, pollinating flowers so that more flowers grow. The bees need to collect as much nectar as they can to support their hive, but if other bee colonies didn’t have enough, there wouldn’t be as many great plants and flowers. It’s in every bee’s interest to make sure all the other bees have enough to go around.

• The person leading the game should explain the new rule: every time a bee comes back with some nectar, they must check on the hive to their left. If that beehive has less nectar than their own, they should give their nectar to that beehive.

• Everyone should play again with the new rule. This time, the aim of the game is to make sure that all the beehives have enough nectar

Making Seed Bombs (30 minutes)

Make the Seed Bombs by following the Instructions. You can either use the video, if you've got somewhere to show it, or you can use the written instructions.

Environmental Benefits (5 minutes)

Spend some time reflecting with your colony about the importance of bees to the environment and our lives. You could talk about:

• Scouts make a Promise to do their best and be kind and helpful and to help other people: by creating more environments for bees to thrive, they are helping the environment and hence those around them.

• If all the bees go, there will not be as much food and we may all have to start eating less!

• Bees are important for farmers especially, as if they have no food to sell they don't make any money.

Close (5 minutes)

Open your meeting as usual.