🧶 Beautiful ✨ Detailed 💝 Adorable

Sorting Bees Educational Toy Crochet Pattern

Sorting Bees Educational Toy Crochet Pattern
4.1★ Rating
12-15 Hours Time Needed
2.5K Made This
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Intermediate Level

Ideal for those with basic knitting experience, featuring slightly more advanced stitches and techniques to expand your skills.

⏱️

Slow & Steady

A 10-12 hour project—great for savoring the process over several sessions.

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Cute Companion

An adorable friend to cherish, handcrafted with love to bring comfort and joy for years to come.

About This Sorting Bees Educational Toy Crochet Pattern

This sorting bees pattern creates an interactive educational toy that combines learning with play. The set includes seven hexagonal bowls in rainbow colors, each paired with a matching striped bee that magnetically attaches to its corresponding flower. Children will love sorting the bees while developing color recognition and fine motor skills through this engaging hands-on activity.

Sorting Bees Educational Toy Crochet Pattern crochet pattern - detailed view of completed project

The pattern uses special increase techniques to create the unique hexagonal bowl shape, while the bees feature alternating color stripes and magnetic connections. Safety considerations are built into the design with secure magnet placement.

Why You'll Love This Sorting Bees Educational Toy Crochet Pattern

I absolutely love how this pattern combines creativity with education in such a brilliant way. The satisfaction of watching children engage with something you've handmade while they learn is incredibly rewarding. The magnetic feature adds that special interactive element that keeps kids coming back to play, and I find the color-sorting aspect helps develop important cognitive skills naturally through play.

Sorting Bees Educational Toy Crochet Pattern step 1 - construction progress Sorting Bees Educational Toy Crochet Pattern step 2 - assembly progress Sorting Bees Educational Toy Crochet Pattern step 3 - details and accessories Sorting Bees Educational Toy Crochet Pattern step 4 - final assembly and finishing

Switch Things Up

I love how versatile this pattern can be with just a few creative tweaks. Try making the bowls in pastel spring colors for an Easter theme, or go bold with jewel tones for a more sophisticated look. You could even create themed sets - maybe ocean blues and greens with little fish instead of bees, or autumn colors with tiny acorns.

For older children, consider adding numbers or letters to each bowl to practice counting or spelling. The magnetic concept works beautifully for matching games beyond just colors. I've seen crafters add small bells inside the bees for a delightful sound element, or use glow-in-the-dark yarn for magical nighttime play.

The bowls themselves make gorgeous home decor when not in use - perfect for holding small trinkets or displaying on a shelf as modern art pieces.

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

✗ Forgetting to insert magnets in the same direction causing bees not to connect properly with flowers ✗ Not securing magnets well enough inside the bee bodies leading to safety concerns during play ✗ Skipping the special increase technique in bowls resulting in round instead of hexagonal shapes ✗ Placing safety eyes incorrectly or using oversized ones that don't fit the small bee proportions

Sorting Bees Educational Toy Crochet Pattern

Create this delightful educational sorting toy featuring colorful hexagonal bowls and matching bees with magnetic connections. This interactive pattern combines fun with learning as children sort adorable striped bees into their corresponding rainbow-colored flower bowls. Perfect for developing color recognition, fine motor skills, and cognitive development while enjoying hours of creative play.

Intermediate 12-15 Hours

Materials Needed for Sorting Bees Educational Toy Crochet Pattern

— Main Fabric

  • 01
    280 grams of yarn total: 35 gr for each rainbow color (7 colors)
  • 02
    20 gr white yarn for wings and flower centers
  • 03
    15 gr black yarn for bee stripes
  • 04
    DROPS PARIS or any other 10 ply yarn in rainbow colors

— Tools Required

  • 01
    Crochet hook 12 UK / 2.5mm / C2 US
  • 02
    Polyester fiberfill stuffing
  • 03
    Magnets (28 pieces, 2cm/0.8 inches diameter)
  • 04
    Stitch markers
  • 05
    Needle for sewing
  • 06
    Scissors
  • 07
    Safety eyes 5mm (optional)

Progress Tracker

0% Complete

— Bowls (Make 7):

Round 1:

MR + sc X 6 => 6

Round 2:

inc X 6 => 12

Round 3:

(1 sc + 1 spInc) X 6 => 18

Round 4:

(2 sc + 1 spInc) X 6 => 24

Round 5:

(3 sc + 1 spInc) X 6 => 30

Round 6:

(4 sc + 1 spInc) X 6 => 36

Round 7:

(5 sc + 1 spInc) X 6 => 42

Round 8:

BLO sc X 48 => 48

Round 9-16:

sc X 48 => 48

Edges (Repeat 6 times):

Sl X 8, go down with 9 X sc over rows 16-8, go back up with 10 X SL

— Bee Magnet Support:

Round 1:

MR + sc X 6 => 6, slip stitch, leave tail for sewing

— Bee Wings (Make 2):

Round 1:

MR + sc X 6 => 6

Round 2:

inc X 6 => 12, slip stitch, leave tail for sewing

— Bee Body:

Round 1:

MR + sc X 6 => 6 (main color)

Round 2:

inc X 6 => 12

Round 3:

(1 sc + 1 inc) X 6 => 18

Info:

Sew magnet socket around rows 1/2, sew eyes in increases 1 and 3 of row 2

Round 4-5:

sc X 18 => 18

Round 6:

sc X 18 (black)

Round 7:

sc X 18 (main color)

Round 8:

sc X 18 (black)

Round 9:

sc X 18 (main color)

Round 10:

(4 sc + 1 dec) X 3 => 15 (black)

Info:

Sew wings between rows 7 and 9, start stuffing

Round 11:

(3 sc + 1 dec) X 3 => 12 (main color)

Round 12:

(2 sc + 1 dec) X 3 => 9 (black)

Round 13:

(1 sc + 1 dec) X 3 => 6

Round 14:

Close with needle through front loops

— Flower Magnet Support:

Round 1:

MR + sc X 6 => 6, slip stitch, leave tail for sewing

— Flower (Make 7):

Round 1:

MR + DC X 13 => 13, sl stitch in second DC (white)

Petals (Repeat 6 times):

Sc X 2 in current stitch, 3 treble crochet in next stitch, sc X2 in current stitch, slip stitch in next stitch (main color)

Info:

Sew magnet cover to back of flower, ensure correct magnet direction

Assembly Instructions

  • Sew magnet supports to the center back of each bowl, ensuring magnets are properly oriented
  • Attach magnet supports to bee bodies around rounds 1-2 before stuffing completely
  • Sew wings to bee bodies between rounds 7 and 9, centered between the eyes
  • Attach magnet supports to the back of each flower, testing connection with corresponding bee
  • Embroider or sew eyes onto bees in increases 1 and 3 of round 2 using black thread
  • Optionally sew bowls together in hexagonal honeycomb pattern for stability
  • Test all magnetic connections before final assembly to ensure proper polarity

Important Notes

  • 💡Ensure all magnets are inserted in the same direction to guarantee proper bee-to-flower connections
  • 💡Supervise children during play due to small magnetic components for safety
  • 💡Use high-quality safety eyes or embroider eyes instead for younger children
  • 💡Stuff bees firmly but not too tightly to maintain proper shape and magnetic function
  • 💡Test magnet strength before use - weak magnets may require multiple pieces per component

This charming Sorting Bees educational toy brings together the joy of crochet with the magic of learning through play. Watch as little ones discover color matching while developing fine motor skills with these delightful magnetic bees and their rainbow flower homes. The hexagonal bowls create a beautiful honeycomb display that's both functional and decorative. 🐝 Happy crocheting! 🌈✨

You ask,

we answer.

FAQs

What if my magnets are too large for the small magnet support?

Simply add an extra round to the magnet support (R2: inc X 6 => 12) to create a larger pocket that will accommodate bigger magnets.

Can I use different yarn weights for this pattern?

While the pattern is designed for 10 ply yarn, you can adapt it by adjusting your hook size. Just ensure consistent tension and test your gauge first.

How do I ensure all the magnets have the correct polarity?

Use one test magnet to check that it attracts to all bee magnets on the same side. This ensures proper connections between bees and flowers.

Is this toy safe for toddlers?

With proper construction and supervision, yes. Ensure magnets are securely sewn in and consider embroidered eyes instead of safety eyes for very young children.

Why do the bowls need special increases instead of regular ones?

Special increases (sc + ch + sc) create the hexagonal shape rather than a round bowl. The extra chain helps form the polygon edges that give the bowls their distinctive geometric appearance.