National Trust: Acorns – Don’t Worry BEE Happy at Sheringham Park

Today Maebh & I attended Don’t Worry BEE Happy session put on by the Acorns Toddler Group from Sheringham Park – National Trust.  

As I posted before, it is the outdoor learning group for kids 2-4. Same as those who organized the Animal Adventure Adventure Soren & I attended back in February Half Term.  As well as the two events we did with  Godelieve & Harvey – It’s A Shore Thing & most recently Magnificent Moths.

We started off doing a little search for stickers with photos of various bees, hives & insects (some of which we saw today) scattered all around before heading outside into The Bower section.

We started off in the Wild Flower field looking at different bees.  We were to look at their bottoms – some were white, others were orange.  While I know there are many different types of bees, I never took note the different color bottoms. 

We then went just behind the pond and were each given a little bug jar, heavy duty net catcher and a pad to dump our findings.  Rob showed us how to maneuver the heavy duty nets though the bushes to capture as many bugs as possible.   Maebh and I caught a large amount of common green capsid bugs.  When you put them in the little jar, they were all over each other and another little bug – as if they were attacking each other.  Rob says they are vegetarians, but they really did look like they were killing the other buggy, so we released them quickly.  

We then walked over to the large field where we played a game.  Jenny had a beehive and the kids had to run off like bees and buzz around finding the yellow pollen and return it to to the beehive.  We then played a game with a bear in the middle who fell asleep (eyes closed) and a person would come steal the honey when the bear woke up, she/he had to guess who is hiding the honey behind their back.  Like last time, only a few of the older kids played. Perhaps next session, Maebh will get in there, now that at least two of the older more aggressive assertive kids will be gone. 

\

After our bug adventure, we went inside for a tea, biscuit & craft.  We made these cute little pine cone bees, which now live in our flowers on the mantel in the dining area. 

After we had a story about bees and a song before saying goodbye.  Then Maebh and I walked around a bit.  We checked  out the wild flower section again, stick art, the new insect hotel and at the pond where she spotted many tadpoles but still not a single frog.  She also spotted a Pond Snail and then ran over to the sign and pointed at it. 

She also pointed at the Crayfish photo  and said, “We got that at the market.”.   I think she means the lobsters we have had back in Boston. 

And finished off the fun with a ride on William’s Postman Pat scooter.

This was the last session of Little Acorns, but while Maebh will be in Nursery school in the Fall, but I’ll just book her in for 5 days so the school gets the funding but will take her out of school every other week to attend this session, as we really like it.

Plus I heard today that I got the part time Visitor Services & Admin. Assistant role at Sheringham Park, so I’m very psyched!!

 Great day, only missing our friends Godelieve and Harvey! 🙂