17 Exciting Family Activities to Celebrate Pollinator Week
Pollinator Week is right around the corner, from June 17 to June 24, 2024. It’s the perfect opportunity for families to engage in fun and educational activities together. Here are seventeen engaging ideas to help you celebrate Pollinator Week and learn about pollinators’ crucial role in our ecosystem.
Understanding Pollinator Week
Pollinator Week is an annual event in the United States that highlights the importance of pollinators like bees, butterflies, birds, and bats. These vital creatures are essential for pollinating many of the plants that produce our fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Pollinator Week aims to raise awareness and encourage actions that protect and support these critical species.
The Importance of Pollinators
According to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, pollinators reproduce over 75% of flowering plants and nearly 35% of global food crops. They are key to producing our food and maintaining healthy ecosystems.
Without pollinators, our food supply and biodiversity would be in jeopardy. Pollinator Week reminds us of the urgent need to protect these invaluable creatures and their habitats.
Fun Ways to Celebrate Pollinator Week
Reed Lievers, Partnerships and Development Coordinator at Pollinator Partnership, suggests that Pollinator Week is an ideal time to get outside, dig into the dirt, and plant habitats for pollinators. “The best way to help bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds is to create more habitat for them, preferably with native plants,” he says.
There are many exciting ways to celebrate Pollinator Week. Here are seven fun and educational activities for the whole family.
Explore a Local Butterfly Garden
Visit a local butterfly garden for an up-close view of these beautiful pollinators. Butterfly gardens provide a habitat for various butterfly species and often offer educational programs and tours.
Many butterfly gardens, like in Arden, an Agrihood community in Florida, offer gardening workshops and tours. “We’ve carefully handpicked native plants to grow to attract lovely pollinators like bees and butterflies,” says Charmaine Peters, Farm Director at Arden. These activities can teach your family about butterflies’ life cycles and habits.
One of our family’s favorite traditions when visiting South Carolina is visiting Brookgreen Gardens’ Butterfly House. It’s a beautiful spot and a great choice for all three generations of our family to visit together.
Plant a Pollinator-Friendly Garden
Start a garden that attracts and supports pollinators. Whether in your backyard or a community plot, choose native flowers, shrubs, and trees that bloom throughout the year for your pollinator-friendly garden. This variety ensures a continuous food source for pollinators.
Reid recommends visiting the guides section at pollinator.org to find the best plants for your local pollinators. You can also use organic gardening practices to avoid harming pollinators with pesticides.
Provide a water source, such as a shallow dish with stones for them to drink from, and include plants like milkweed for butterflies and sunflowers for bees.
Discover the World of Bees
Bees are among our most important pollinators; learning about them can be fascinating. Visit a local apiary or beekeeper to see how bees live and work.
Alternatively, watch documentaries or read books about bees and their role in pollination. For a hands-on project, create a bee hotel to provide nesting sites for solitary bees.
Host a Pollinator Craft Day
For families with young children, plan a pollinator craft day. Spend an afternoon making pollinator-themed crafts, such as DIY planters for pollinator-friendly plants. This activity helps younger children learn about different pollinators creatively.
Provide crayons and free online butterfly garden coloring pages for younger kids. Use construction paper and markers to make butterfly wings or create simple bee masks with paper plates and paint.
Give each child a set of fun pollinator printable activity sheets to complete for a more educational twist. Tweens, teens, and adults can design flower pots and other DIY gardening crafts with a pollinator theme and then plant them with flowers that attract butterflies and bees.
Organize a Pollinator Scavenger Hunt
Plan a scavenger hunt in your backyard or a local park. Create a list of pollinators and pollinator-friendly plants for your family to find.
Include common pollinators like bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and flowers such as daisies, clover, and lavender — reward participants with a small prize for finding the most items.
Build a Birdhouse
Birds are also important pollinators. Building a birdhouse can provide a safe nesting place and encourage them to visit your garden. Use simple birdhouse kits, create your design, or make bird feeders from recyclables.
This hands-on activity is suitable for all ages. It is a great way to upcycle materials that might otherwise end up in the trash. Once complete, place the birdhouse in your garden’s quiet, shaded area. Keep it clean and monitor it for any signs of pests or damage.
Participate in a Citizen Science Project
Join community-level citizen science projects to celebrate Pollinator Week. These projects track and monitor pollinator populations, providing valuable data that helps scientists protect these species.
Programs like the Great Sunflower Project or Monarch Watch are great options. Record your observations, submit them to the project’s database, and encourage friends and neighbors to join in.
Create a Pollinator-Friendly Water Feature
Add a simple water feature to your garden to help pollinators stay hydrated. Use a shallow dish or birdbath, adding stones or marbles for the pollinators to land on while they drink.
Change the water regularly to keep it clean and fresh. This small addition can make a big difference for thirsty bees, butterflies, and birds, providing them a safe place to drink.
Organize a Community Pollinator Planting Day
Get your community involved by organizing a pollinator planting day. Coordinate with local schools, garden clubs, or community gardens to plant native flowers and shrubs in public spaces.
This collective effort can create larger habitats for pollinators and raise awareness about their importance. Encourage participants to bring their gardening tools and plants, and make it a fun, educational event for all ages.
Create Pollinator-Themed Art
Express your creativity while celebrating pollinators by making pollinator-themed art. Use materials like paints, clay, or recycled items to create representations of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Display your art in your home or garden, or organize an art show in your community to share your creations. This activity raises awareness and appreciation for pollinators while showcasing your artistic talents.
Make Seed Bombs for Pollinators
Seed bombs are a fun and easy way to help pollinators by planting more flowers. Mix native wildflower seeds with a bit of clay and compost, then form them into small balls.
Once they’re dry, you can toss them into areas that need more flowers. This is a great activity for kids and adults alike, and it can help create more habitats for pollinators in your community.
Watch Pollinator Documentaries
Spend an evening watching documentaries about pollinators to learn more about their vital roles and the challenges they face. Films like “Wings of Life” or “The Pollinators” provide fascinating insights into the world of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
This can be a relaxing yet educational way to wind down after a day of outdoor activities. Plus it helps deepen your understanding of why pollinators are so important.
Host a Pollinator-Themed Picnic
Organize a picnic with pollinator-themed foods and decorations. Include dishes made with ingredients that rely on pollinators, such as fruits, vegetables, and honey.
Decorate with flowers and other items that attract pollinators. This is a fun way to celebrate Pollinator Week while enjoying delicious food and spending time with family and friends. You can even incorporate a brief educational segment to share what you’ve learned about pollinators.
Create a Pollinator Observation Journal
Encourage your family to start a pollinator observation journal. Spend time in your garden or a local park observing different pollinators and noting their behaviors.
Record the types of plants they visit, the time of day they’re most active, and any other interesting observations. This activity helps develop observation skills and a deeper appreciation for the diversity of pollinators in your area.
Pollinator Photography Contest
Host a pollinator photography contest to engage your family and community in celebrating Pollinator Week. Encourage participants to capture photos of pollinators in action, whether bees buzzing around flowers, butterflies resting on petals, or birds visiting feeders.
Set up categories for different age groups and offer small prizes for the best photos. This activity raises awareness about pollinators and inspires creativity and appreciation for nature.
Create Pollinator Educational Videos
Involve your kids in creating educational videos about pollinators. They can research interesting facts about bees, butterflies, and other pollinators and present their findings in a fun and engaging way.
Use a smartphone or a camera to record short videos and share them on social media or with local community groups. This project enhances their learning and helps spread awareness about the importance of pollinators.
Design a Pollinator-Friendly Landscape
Plan and design a pollinator-friendly landscape in your yard. Work together as a family to choose the best plants, flowers, and shrubs to attract pollinators. Create different zones in your garden for pollinator species, and add features like water sources, nesting areas, and flowering plants. This long-term project can be incredibly rewarding as you watch your garden flourish and attract diverse pollinators.
Pollinator Week offers families a fantastic opportunity to learn about and support pollinators through engaging activities. By participating in these fun and educational events, you can help ensure the survival of these essential creatures and contribute to a healthier environment.
