Friday, April 8, 2011

Buddies for Buddies and Buddies for Bees

Today I worked with a grade 4/5 class and their buddies in kindergarten. One of my favorite things about this school is their mentorship program and it works really well with art projects.

The older students helped the k's paint a rock for bees to rest and sun themselves. (Painted rocks should not rest in water.) Then they painted the outside of a terracotta dish (leaving the inside unpainted!) and filled it with sand and pretty rocks. You can place this "bee oasis" in your garden and keep moist with the rocks above the water level so the bees can land on the rocks to take a drink. Don't use too much water or you will be growing mosquitoes! (I learned this trick from my friend Brian Campbell.) You can use water without sand, but then you need to change it every day. It would be a good idea to take the terracotta bee oasis inside during the winter so it doesn't freeze and break.

The students created designs inspired by floral designs and bees. It's lovely to see the sense of compassion the older kids develop for their buddies.





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