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Here are a few fun Groundhog Day Activities that your preschoolers and toddlers will enjoy.
When I was younger I didn’t really understand what Groundhog Day was all about. I just knew we celebrated it and people were mad about more winter in Michigan. With these crafts and activities, children will begin to understand what this holiday is all about and what it means when the groundhog sees his shadow or doesn’t.
History of Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day is on February 2nd. People come to Pennsylvania every year to see if the groundhog will see his shadow. If it’s a sunny day and Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, then there will be six more weeks of Winter. If it’s a cloudy day and he doesn’t see his shadow, then warmer temperatures are on their way with an early Spring. Studies have shown that there isn’t really a correlation between his shadow and the weather, but it is still a fun tradition that we look forward to.
Groundhog Theme Crafts
Make Groundhog faces with hearts from Lucky Me. I love these! Make faces of different sizes to make a groundhog family or turn smaller faces into ornaments to hang. Tell a story about your groundhog family.
Make Paper Bag Groundhog Puppets from Our Kid Things. My favorite thing about paper bag puppets is that you can make them talk with your hands. So these are the perfect way to tell the story about the groundhog or let the children make up a story with two puppets talking to each other.
Groundhog Day Shadow Puppets from Typically Simple. Move the popsicle stick up and down to see how the groundhog comes out of his hole.
Groundhog Day Paper Plate Craft from Crafty Morning. Use the paper plate craft as a simple way to illustrate what happens on Groundhog Day.
Make your own groundhog finger puppets from Housing a Forest. Aren’t these adorable? Made from construction paper or craft foam, children will get creative with these puppets.
Groundhog Day Educational Activities
Use these themed activities, free printables, and great ideas to make learning fun!
Match the different shapes with Groundhogs from KidsSparkz or play Memory with these cards. I love how these look more realistic and I believe they will spark questions about groundhogs like what do they eat or do they hibernate?
Groundhog Day Magnet or Dot Markers Page from Making Learning Fun are great for fine motor skills. Use circle magnets, dot markers, buttons, or stickers to fill in the circles.
Science experiment with shadows like they did at Lessons 4 Little Ones. Children will see how shadows are created that are similar to the groundhog’s shadow. This will lead to different ways to experiment with shadows by moving the light around and making shadows with hands and fingers.
Groundhog Day Prediction Crowns from Preschool Mom. There are two printable crowns – one for early Spring and one for more Winter. These are so cool and a great opportunity for children to make predictions, graph, and analyze results.
Matching capital and lowercase letters with alphabet matching from Making Learning Fun
Tracing Shadows on white paper from How Wee Learn takes a lot of pencil control and concentration. It is really cool to see the outline of the shadow when you are finished. You can even paint it when you are done. Don’t stop with a groundhog shadow. Experiment with what other shadow you can create and trace.
A printable, Groundhog Day Mini Book for young readers from Kinderteacher.com is a great way to read and learn about the tradition.
Shadow Matching Game from In My World is a fun way to practice visual discrimination. She also has other free printables available. Use these cards as a sequencing activity too. Put them in order of how the groundhog looks as he is coming out of his hole.
Groundhog Day Poem
Sleepy Little Groundhog
Up through the ground,
Creep, creep, creep-
The sleepy little groundhog
peek-peek-peeks.
If he sees a shadow
And the sun is bright,
He jumps down his hole
And ducks out of sight!
Up through the ground,
Creep, creep, creep-
The sleepy little groundhog
Peek-peep-peeks.
If there is no shadow
And the clouds hide the sun,
He jumps out of his hole
And he’s ready for fun!
From CanDoKinders.com
Other Ideas:
Groundhog Mask from I Heart Crafty Things
Fun Snack Ideas from Pre-K Pages
From crafts and puppets to letter matching and experiments, there is something here for every child. We hope you enjoy these fun activities as much as we do. Experiencing these crafts and activities as well as reading fun books will deepen the understanding of Groundhog Day for kids.
You’ll also love our new Groundhog Day coloring pages for kids of all ages!
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or beliefs, but I can provide you with information on the concepts mentioned in this article. Let's go through each concept one by one:
Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated on February 2nd each year. It originated in the United States and Canada and is based on the belief that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat back into its burrow, indicating that winter will continue for six more weeks. On the other hand, if the groundhog doesn't see its shadow due to cloudy weather, it will stay outside, indicating an early arrival of spring. The most famous Groundhog Day celebration takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog, is observed to predict the weather. However, it's important to note that there is no scientific evidence supporting the accuracy of this prediction.
Groundhog Theme Crafts
The article suggests several crafts related to Groundhog Day that can be enjoyed by preschoolers and toddlers. These crafts include making Groundhog faces with hearts, creating paper bag Groundhog puppets, making Groundhog Day shadow puppets, and crafting Groundhog Day paper plates. These activities aim to engage children in understanding the traditions and concepts associated with Groundhog Day through creative and hands-on experiences.
Groundhog Day Educational Activities
The article also provides educational activities related to Groundhog Day. These activities include matching different shapes with Groundhogs, playing memory games with Groundhog-themed cards, conducting science experiments with shadows, creating Groundhog Day prediction crowns, matching capital and lowercase letters with alphabet matching, tracing shadows on white paper, and using a printable Groundhog Day mini book for young readers. These activities aim to make learning about Groundhog Day fun and interactive while promoting various skills such as fine motor skills, visual discrimination, and reading comprehension.
Groundhog Day Poem
The article includes a Groundhog Day poem titled "Sleepy Little Groundhog." The poem describes the groundhog's behavior based on whether it sees its shadow or not. It highlights the groundhog's actions of either retreating back into its hole or coming out for fun, depending on the weather conditions. The poem adds a playful element to the understanding of Groundhog Day.
I hope this information helps you understand the concepts mentioned in the article. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!
