daily activities

NEXT DAY

Kingdom of Bugs

The Hardest Working Bugs on Earth

You've probably heard the phrases “busy as a bee” and “ants in your pants,” and that's for a good reason: When it comes to getting the job done, no other bugs beat the production capabilities of bees and ants. (And did you know that ants and bees are "cousins"?) Find out today what makes these two creatures such hard workers and good team players.

DAY 2

what you’ll need

Your Camp Kinda toolkit
A large jar
A piece of sponge
An empty soda can
Food scraps
Construction paper (black)
An old egg carton
Paint and a paint brush
4 pipe cleaners

You'll also need some dirt and a few ants for today's activities, but we'll collect those later!

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FOR PARENTS

Ask About Today

What are the different roles you'll find in an ant colony or a beehive? How do these insects communicate with one another?

Dinner Discussion

Where would you prefer to live: an ant colony or a beehive? Why?

Skip the Ads

Unfortunately, online videos often start with short advertisements. Remind your campers to click the "Skip" button as soon as they can to move ahead to the video.

Content Alert

There are a whole lot of creepy crawly bugs in the videos ahead!

explore

30 minutes

Get down to business with the busiest bugs around.

All the Ants

There are over 14,000 species of ants with different environmental adaptations, but they all have perfected the art of teamwork and communication.

Remember: Online videos often start with advertisements. (Annoying, we agree!) Click the "Skip" button as soon as you can to move ahead to the video.

Finding Food

You know how ants always seem to be showing up at a picnic? How do they know there's food around?

Bees to the Rescue

You might want to avoid a run-in with a stinger, but the truth is, we need bees—a lot. Years ago, ancient Egyptians used honey as medicine to cover wounds and burns. And course, today, our planet still relies on these insects to help plants reproduce.

Bug Relations

One flies from flower to flower while the other marches across the ground. But these two insects have more in common than you might think.

Queen of the Hive

Queen bees expect all the luxury that comes with royalty—they even make their worker bees fan the air with their wings to keep the hive cool. Find out more about the different roles bees play within the hive.

At Your Service

Meanwhile, ants are just as loyal to their queens as queens are demanding of their colonies. They work so closely together to support the queen that ant colonies are often referred to as a single organism, also known as a “superorganism."

Hey Honeybee, Why Hexagons?

If you've ever looked at a honeycomb, you know it's made up of perfectly shaped hexagons. Why do bees choose this shape? Find out in this video from TED-Ed.

create

15-45 minutes

Build an Ant Home

Underground cameras can give us an up-close and personal look at the lives of ants in their colonies. But you don't need high-tech equipment to observe these underground insects. All you really need is a glass jar (or another clear container), a soda can, tape, a piece of sponge, and some black construction paper. Take a look at these directions and then build your own ant habitat.

Test Your Habitat: When you've got their habitat made, head outside to add some dirt and a few ants, if you can find them. They might be hanging out around that food you put out earlier. Check with an adult first!

move

30 minutes

Did you know that bees are also choreographers of their own dances? Today, dance like a bee...kinda.

The Waggle Dance

Bees have created their own dance move. It's called The Waggle Dance. (Seriously.) Bees do this dance move to inform other bees in the hive where to find an excellent source of pollen. First, watch this short video about the Waggle Dance, then try dancing like a bee.

Flight of the Bumblebees

Next, go above and beyond by thinking of your own new dance that communicates something important. Choreograph your dance to "Flight of the Bumblebees," then perform it for your family.

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