About Orchard & Hive
About Orchard & Hive
children’s creative studio
Orchard & Hive is a creative studio dedicated to storytelling, teaching, and design. We create meaningful, childhood‑inspired products for kids of all ages, all rooted in the belief that creativity grows when it’s tended with care. From curriculum design to surface pattern design, stories shape everything we make. They connect us, teach us, and spark imagination, creativity, and wonder.
We imagine Orchard & Hive as a little world of its own, where creativity lives in every corner. Through our reader’s theater scripts, STEAM stories, creative paper crafts, and original art and pattern designs, we delight in helping you bring your own stories to life.
This studio is our orchard – our creative home – where ideas are nurtured and shared. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, fellow maker, or creative beginner, you are welcome here.
where imaginations grow
Who We Create For
Orchard & Hive isn’t just a business – it’s a place where imaginations grow and ideas take root. Our illustrated teaching resources, creative projects, and children’s patterns are crafted to nurture curious classrooms and creative homes. Whether you teach, make, or explore, there’s a path in the orchard waiting for you.
Teachers
Makers & Designers
Creative Kids & Families
See How We’ve Grown!
Orchard & Hive began with the belief that childhood should be filled with creativity, imagination, and just a little bit of magic. In 2012, that belief was planted in a teacher shop on Teachers Pay Teachers, where our Mz Applebee brand began publishing literacy materials, interactive activities, and creative digital products for teachers, parents, and students.
As the years passed, our company kept growing. What started as a small children’s studio slowly expanded into a creative world – one rooted in a simple mission: to create spaces where children can learn and grow.
Today, Orchard & Hive is a place where you’ll find stories, characters, patterns, and hands-on learning experiences. A place where children can plant their own ideas and discover adventures that spark curiosity.
SEEDS
In 2012, the Mz Applebee teacher shop opens, publishing interactive learning activities, reader’s theater scripts, and crafts.
SPROUT
The teacher shop keeps growing. Mz Applebee celebrates ten years of publishing creative educational resources for kids.
TREE
In 2023, the Mz Applebee brand begins to branch out, blossoming into today’s Orchard & Hive creative studio.
our roots
A Note from Our Founder
“At its core, Orchard & Hive is about nurturing the creativity, curiosity, and wonder in all of us. I’ve always believed that anyone can be creative with a little time, a little tending, and a space that feels welcoming enough to explore. Orchard & Hive was created to be that space – a storied world where creativity is planted and imaginations grow. If you’d like to wander a little deeper into the orchard, you can explore the Founder Q&A for a behind‑the‑scenes look at how everything here is made.”
read the blog
Browse Our Creative Library
Explore our growing library of creative activities, projects, stories, and resources designed to support curious classrooms and creative homes. Whether you’re looking for storytime inspiration, hands‑on science experiments, nature crafts, or seasonal projects, our blog offers inspiration for makers of all ages.
