EYFS: Listen and Play - The Bear and the Bee Tree

School Radio > EYFS > Listen and Play > Traditional Tales

Liz Kitchen returns with more songs, rhymes and listening games to join in with and also the Native American story of ‘The bear and the bee tree.’

Suggestions for classroom use

Introduction
Listen all around: Native American rain chant. Individual sounds: brown bear; swan; bees.

Song: Here is the beehive
Here is the beehive (Interlink fingers so they are hidden inside)
Where are the bees? (hands, with thumbs like doors)
Hidden away where nobody sees
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive
One two three four five. (Release one forefinger pointing upwards, then more fingers till five are on view.)

Watch and you’ll see them land on the floor
One two three four. (Point down to release four fingers)
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the tree
One two three… (Point sideways to release three fingers)

Repeat first verse

Bzzzzzz they’ve all gone away (Release hands and flutter fingers in the air.)
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Show picture of hive and hands to explain how to act out the finger rhyme, or demonstrate yourself.

Rhyme time:
Swan swam over the sea
Swim, swan, swim!
Swan swam back again,
Well swum, swan!

Encourage children to learn this and other tongue-twisters.

A bear called Bella went off to see
If she could find some honey for tea
She found a nest high up in a tree
But the nest was full of buzzy bees!
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Story time: The Bear and the Bee Tree
Once upon an American time… To hold attention on first hearing show the appropriate pictures for the animals.
Help children to learn the story by heart using the techniques described in other units.

Small group discussion:

• America – what do the children know about it?
• Do they know about Native Americans?
• What do they know about bears, bees swans? Has anyone ever been stung? Have they eaten honey – how?

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