Bees Only Fly to the Buzz
Children are bees waiting in their flowers who only fly when they hear the "bzzz" buzz; for other animal sounds they stay still. It practices responding only to one specific signal and holding back the urge to move.
How to play
- Each bee sits inside its flower (a hoop), spread out around the room (1 min).
- When the teacher goes "bzzz," the bees fly among the flowers; when the teacher stops, each bee lands in a flower (1 min).
- Trick sounds: the teacher says "moo," "woof" or "meow" and the bees stay still in their flowers (1 min).
- Mix long buzzes, short buzzes and trick animals; bees fly only to their sound (1 min).
- The last buzz is very soft and slow: fly gently and fall asleep inside a flower (1 min).
Rules
- We fly only to the bzzz.
- If we hear another animal, we stay in our flower.
- One bee per flower: if it's taken, find another.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use only one trick sound, and the teacher flaps hands like wings while buzzing.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, use three trick sounds without the gesture.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, use look-alike tricks like "zzz" for sleeping or "bsss," and remove a hoop or two so they hunt for a free flower.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the bee flies by flapping wing-arms in place or moves in the wheelchair with a buddy.
- Hearing impairment: pair the buzz with a fixed gesture (flapping hands) and show a picture for each trick animal.
- Autism: let the child always return to the same flower, marked with a sticker in their color.
Learning goals
- Respond only to one specific sound.
- Hold back movement when they hear similar sounds.
- Warm up with gentle movement.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Hoops: 25
Teacher tip
Space the hoops out so no one trips coming back. Make the buzz nice and long at first; you can shorten it later.
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