“Honey Hoopla” Gives Visitors the Buzz on Tiny Insects with Big Impact
Long Island Children’s Museum is encouraging visitors to bee-curious as they explore the world of bees during Honey Hoopla, a two-day celebration (August 16 & 17 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to encourage awareness of the importance of these little insects. Honey Hoopla is made possible with support from PSEGLI, Reworld and bee lovers and fans of LICM.
“The Museum is committed to supporting the local honey bee population and educating our community about the importance of bees through our observational beehive all year long,” explained LICM President Erika Floreska. “Honey Hoopla allows us to highlight this and use LICM’s play-based learning methods to encourage children to become environmental stewards.”
During the two-day program, which is tied to National Honey Bee Day, visitors will learn that honey bees are responsible for pollinating some of Long Island’s most abundant crops including melons, pumpkins, tree nuts and berries and that the honey bee population is in danger and decreasing rapidly. Without these pollinators, we would lose some of our favorite foods such as chocolate, grapes, apples and pears.
A local beekeeper will be on hand to demonstrate how honey is harvested from the combs. A honey tasting station will enable children to learn how the color, flavor and aroma of honey differs, depending on the nectar of flowers visited by the bees that made it. Bee-themed crafts will be found throughout the Museum to highlight how we can help the bees so that our fruit and vegetable crops can be healthy.
The LICM Theater will present free theatrical readings of author Gay Thomas’ book, “Beezy County Fair: A Bee Tale,” at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Honey bees have been residents of LICM since 2012, when LICM opened its Feast for Beasts exhibit, featuring a large indoor observation beehive, home to more than 20,000 bees. The Museum’s outdoor exhibit, Our Backyard, includes a pollinator garden including milkweed and wildflowers. These exhibit components enable visitors to learn how bees collect pollen, make honey, and work together to support the hive’s wellbeing.
Visitors can also join the effort to preserve the bees at Long Island Children’s Museum by participating in the Name a Honey Bee Campaign. A donation of $10 allows visitors to name one of the Museum’s bees and will be recognized on a visual display featuring the bee’s new name and the donor’s name through the end of the year.
Museum admission: $18 for adults and children over 1 year old, $16 for seniors, FREE to museum members and children under 1 year old. Additional fees for theater and special programs may apply. For additional information, contact 516-224-5800.
Hours: (September-June) Tuesday through Sunday/ (July-August) Open Daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and most school holidays.
About the Long Island Children’s Museum (www.licm.org)
The mission of Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) is to connect all our communities’ children, and those who care for them, to a life of wonder, imagination and exploration. At LICM, children discover their passions and their relationship to the world we share. The 40,000-square-foot museum serves over 300,000 children and adults annually. The private, not-for-profit institution chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, offers museum-based educational programs and cultural experiences, as well as an extensive community outreach program offered in schools, libraries and youth centers across Long Island. Additionally, the Children’s Museum operates the historic Nunley’s Carousel in association with Nassau County, one of three intact Stein & Goldstein carousels still in existence.
Recognized with several honors, including the National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), LICM is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the gold standard of museum excellence. It is currently the only accredited children’s museum in New York State and is one of only 16 accredited children’s museums nationwide. LICM has earned 4-stars on Charity Navigator and has Platinum Transparency on Candid.