10 Pollination Activities for Kids: pollinator lesson ideas to try in your classroom!

If you’re learning about pollination with your students or kids this school year, try out some of these fun
pollination activity ideas in your classroom!

1. Insect Vision

A flower that looks fairly plain to the human eye may look completely different through the eyes of an
insect! Flower petals sometimes reflect UV and infrared light, which are colors that the human eye
cannot see but are visible to some insect pollinators. Grab black light marker, black light, paper, and
regular markers. Start by using a regular marker to draw the outline of a flower. Then, create “invisible”
patterns on the petals with the black light marker. Then shine the black light on your flower to reveal the
hidden designs!

A flower that looks fairly plain to the human eye may look completely different through the eyes of an
insect!

2. Pollinator Garden

Plant a pollinator garden with native wildflower species to attract pollinators to your yard. Start by
researching native wildflower species in your local area. A plant nursery or garden center can be a great
place to start.

3. Flower Dissection

Dissect a flower to learn about flower anatomy. Can you find the stamen, carpel, petals, and sepals? Talk
about how bright colored petals can attract pollinators, and how stamens spread pollen onto the
pollinator’s body or legs, and how carpels have pollen tracked onto them by the pollinators.
 A

natomy of a flower!

4. DIY Flower Anatomy Diagram

Here’s a fun pollination activity idea that’s completely free! Color in my printable diagram of flower
anatomy. 
5. Pollination in Action

Visit a butterfly pavilion or butterfly house to observe pollination up close!

6. Metamorphosis and Migration

Raise and release monarch or painted lady butterflies. You can even find kits to band monarch
butterflies and discover if they migrated successfully! For more information on monarch banding and
tracking visit Monarch Watch.

7. Healthy Habitats

Participate in an invasive species removal workday at a local natural area. This will help create room for
the native wildflowers to grow and feed pollinators!

8. Honey Fun

Learn about how bees make honey (for example, here’s an article about bees making honey from
Southern Cross University). Then cook or bake with something with honey!
Bees making honey. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

9. Waggle Dance

Read about or watch a video of the “waggle dance” that bees use to tell hive-members the distance and
direction to flowers (e.g., here’s a waggle dance video on YouTube from Bienentanz GmbH). Then, try
doing your own waggle dance in the same pattern as the bee!

10. Pollination at Night

If you have night-time opening flowers in your area (e.g., evening primrose, moonflower, night phlox),
go for a nighttime walk with a flashlight to observe the open flowers. Go back during the day to see
them when they are closed.