Young Pupils Buzz with Excitement on World Bee Day Visit
To celebrate World Bee Day, 30 Year 5 pupils from Christ the King RC Primary School enjoyed an exciting and educational trip to Accrington Eco Station to learn about the vital role bees play in the environment.
The day began at Burnley Manchester Road railway station, where the children met Dave for an important railway safety talk before travelling by train to Accrington. For around a quarter of the pupils, it was their very first train journey, making the experience even more memorable.
On arrival at the Eco Station, the group was welcomed by eight volunteers from East Lancashire Beekeepers Association. The pupils were split into four groups and took part in a range of hands-on workshops and activities throughout the day.
Candle Rolling
Candle Rolling
Pupils learned about beeswax and saw examples of wax in its natural state before making and decorating their own rolled beeswax candles to take home.
Pollination and Planting
Discussing the importance of bees
Children explored different types of pollination and discussed which foods and plants depend on bees, birds, insects or wind for pollination. They also learned about nectar-rich flowers before planting flower seeds in biodegradable pots to take home or plant at school.
Observation Hive and Bee Life Cycle
Searching for the Queen Bee
Life cycle of bees
One of the highlights of the day was observing live bees in an observation hive. Pupils spotted the queen bee, worker bees and drones while learning about the bee life cycle, from larva to adult bee.
Hive Parts and Bee Types
Bee Keepers Hat
The children examined a real hive and discovered how different sections, such as supers and brood boxes, are used. They also practised removing hive frames and learned about the many different species of bees, as well as the protective equipment worn by beekeepers.
Honey Tasting and Pollination Game
During this interactive session, pupils learned fascinating bee facts, including how fast bees flap their wings and how little honey a single bee produces in its lifetime. They then took part in a fun pollination game before tasting different varieties of honey and discussing how flavour changes depending on the flowers available to bees in different areas.
The visit also included a guided tour of the Eco Station, where pupils discovered its sustainable and environmentally friendly features.
The trip was a fantastic opportunity for the children to learn about biodiversity, sustainability and the importance of protecting pollinators, all while having plenty of fun on World Bee Day.
The Lancashire Climate Action Network (LancsCAN) publish a monthly newsletter and the May 2026 has an article about World Bee Day being celebrated at the Bunker in Accrington and the newsletter cam be downloaded on this link: LancsCAN newsletter May 2026