The tireless pollinators

Author: Zsóka Vásárhelyi

Recommended age: 8-99

Number of players: 3-30

Space needed for the game: the larger the better

Difficulty level: 2

Playing time: 10 minutes

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Accessories: 1 package of white beans, kidney beans and lentils (or something similar), small paper discs in 3 different colours (approx. 2 cm in diameter), straws, small forks/spoons, and as many cups or other boxes as the number of players

Short description: Players are representing different pollinators, and thus they can understand the ecological importance of pollination.

Preparations: Place “flowers”, that is, paper discs, and beans, lentils at random places in the space.

Course of the game: Split the players into three groups: bees, butterflies and winds. If there are not many players, they could choose between the roles. Bees are collecting pollen by putting the pieces of beans and lentils one by one in their cup, using only the forks/spoons. Butterflies collect drops of nectar by placing their straw on the paper discs, sucking in air as to hold the paper with vacuum, and thus putting it in their cups. Winds are running up and down between their cups in one corner and the flowers around, and thus can put pieces of pollen or nectar in their cups, but only one by one. If all flowers are empty or minutes passed, finish collecting and sit down to discuss the game. Look at how much and how many different kinds of pollen/nectar each player collected. Then talk about how during this process they could have accidentally pollinate the flowers, if they were true bees, butterflies or winds.

Biological background: Pollinators are crucially important organisms for both the diversity of nature, and for humankind. Pollinators are essential because a vast number of plant species are unable to reproduce without their help. While pollinators are collecting pollen or nectar, they accidentally bring pollen from one plant to the other, where they go for further feeding only. If thus the pollen gets from the male flower to the female flower, pollination is done, and hopefully the pollinator also gets fed. Well-known pollinators are bees and butterflies, but certain bats and colibris also do pollination. But, as in the game, the wind is also an important pollinator. In the game you do not see pollination, only the collection of pollen and nectar. This is similar to nature: just like pollinators, players are only competing for “food”, and the more flowers they visit, the more “useful” they have been. (Obviously, the wind is an exception, because it does not consume any of the pollen/nectar.)

References: Hungarian Natural History Museum, Beporzók napja (Pollinator's Day) , own idea