Make a beehive model from pattern blocks

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Last spring my son took a real interest in learning about bees. My kids took a bee-themed class offered through our school district’s homestudy program, and we did additional activities at home and in our community to learn about bees.

One area of focus during our bee unit was the beehive. A beehive is a structure where bees live and raise their young. Beehives in the wild are generally formed in naturally occurring structures like hollowed out trees. However, bee keepers who raise bees for honey have created man-made structures that are also referred to as “beehives.”

The internal structure of a beehive is formed of densely packed groups of hexagonal cells made of beeswax. This structure is commonly referred to as a honeycomb. Bees use the hexagonal cells to store food, such as honey and pollen, and to keep young bees (e.g., eggs, larvae, and pupae) safe.

Note: You’ll find more resources for learning about bees and other insects on my Insects Unit Study page.

The idea to make a beehive model from pattern blocks came about on a whim. I had set the pattern blocks out for my kids to play with, and QBoy started naturally putting the hexagons together. I then noted that the shape looked like the honeycomb in a beehive, and he decided to take it from there.