Generating Buzz

BUSY BEES:  Monday we had a special event - the kick off event for a spelling bee training club. The two hour get together included a screening of the (very enjoyable) "Akeelah and the Bee" movie.

And if you are having a movie matinee, you need snacks. There was popcorn, of course, but we thought we'd make some bee-themed goodies.

First up were some Honeycomb cereal snacks. They were similar to Rice Krispies treats snacks - cereal squares held together with melted marshmallow glue. We added some fresh honey to the mix, of course. Those went quickly!

We also made some cookies and decorated them with homemade fondant and bee colors and motifs. 

I didn't want to only bring platters of sugar, so I thought it would be fun if we took some healthier snacks. Enter the swarm of hard boiled bees.

The movie was sweet. And predictable. But really enjoyable. If you haven't seen it yet, it's worth a look.
https://youtu.be/8Sf4Lwxg6lQ

The movie got a number of kids fired up to participate in a spelling bee themselves. We came home with a list of 40-plus spelling words from the movie, as well as a list of National Spelling Bee Winning Words from 1925-2016.

In reviewing the list, it was the 1990s when the words started getting a little crazy. I wonder if that had to do with the advent of the Internet, and new and better ways to prep for the bee.

I've often watched the Scripps spelling bee on ESPN. I'll never forget 1997's contest, when a homeschooled girl from New York won by spelling euonym.