How to explain Groundhog Day to kindergarten?

If the groundhog comes out of his burrow and sees his shadow, the weather supposedly will be cold and wintry . If the groundhog emerges and does not see his shadow because the day is cloudy, warmer weather is supposed to be on the way.

What is the answer for Groundhog Day?

It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks ; if it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early. In 2024, an early spring was predicted.

What lesson does Groundhog Day teach?

Aside from plenty of laughs, “Groundhog Day” delivers powerful messages about change, love and being a good person . Phil is unable to break the time loop until he totally changes who he is.

What are 5 facts about groundhogs?

5 Fun Facts About Groundhogs Groundhogs are the largest members of the squirrel family. Although they are usually seen on the ground, they can climb trees and swim. Groundhogs are considered a true hibernator. ... Groundhog burrows can be as deep as 6 feet and as large as 20 feet or more. More items... Feb 2, 2023

Why do we celebrate groundhog's Day?

It's part of a tradition rooted in European agricultural life, marking the midpoint between the shortest day of the year on the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It's also a time of year that figures in the Celtic calendar and the Christian holiday of Candlemas.

What happens if Phil doesn't see his shadow?

If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring . Are the predictions made in advance? No! Phil's forecasts are not made in advance by the Inner Circle.

What are groundhog babies called?

Baby groundhogs go by several names. They can be called pups, kits, and cubs . Groundhogs usually give birth to litters with around three to six pups, though they can occasionally give birth to 10 young in some litters. Adult groundhogs are also called woodchucks and even whistlepigs.

What type of animal is a groundhog?

The groundhog (Marmota monax), also known as the woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae , belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots.

What is another name for a groundhog?

1. Groundhogs are also known as woodchucks or “whistle-pigs.” The familiar name woodchuck actually has nothing to do with wood, and stems from the Native American names for them: wuchak, wejack, and possibly otchek, which is a name for fishers.

How do you teach Groundhog Day to preschoolers?

Create Groundhog Puppets Put on shadow puppet plays, or just have fun with paper bags with a Groundhog Day paper puppet craft! After using the printable template, students can work in groups to write small skits and use their puppets to act out the play in front of their classmates.

What is one interesting or surprising thing you learned about Groundhog Day?

Origins of Groundhog Day. It turns out that the concept of Groundhog Day actually originated in Germany . Germans used a hedgehog to "predict" the weather on Candlemas Day, a Christian holiday celebrated on February 2nd each year.

How do you teach preschoolers about Groundhog Day?

Discuss with your preschoolers that according to tradition, if the groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter . If not, spring will come early. It's a playful way to engage children in learning about seasons and weather prediction.

What is the Groundhog Day explanation?

Classified as a marmot, the groundhog is a member of the squirrel family, Sciuridae, within the order Rodentia. According to popular legend in the United States, it emerges from hibernation each year on February 2 , which is designated as Groundhog Day, and if it sees its shadow, winter will last six more weeks.

35 Fun Groundhog Day Activities for Kindergarten (K-2)

Table of Contents

1 History of Groundhogs Day
2 Favorite Groundhog Day Activities
3 Fun Groundhog Day Crafts Projects
4 Groundhog Day Videos for Kids
5 Fun Groundhog Day Books
6 Groundhog’s Day Printables and Lesson Plans

Get ready for February 2nd with these 35 fun Groundhog Day activities for kindergarten through second grade.

First, you’ll find a quick rundown of the history of Groundhogs day. Then, you can browse the groundhog activities, crafts, videos, books, and lesson plans.

History of Groundhogs Day

Groundhog Day originated in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It is supposed to make a prediction about how long winter will be. Punxsutawney Phil is the semi-mythical groundhog that the entire day is based on.

If Punxsutawney Phil comes out of his burrow and sees his shadow, he will head back into his den. This means that winter will continue for six more weeks. If he comes out and does not see his shadow because of cloudy weather, then spring is supposed to arrive early. It is a fun tradition and an easy one to incorporate into school lessons and celebrations.

Favorite Groundhog Day Activities

Let’s take a look at some of these favorite activities for Groundhogs Day.

I’m a Little Groundhog Printable Poem

Sung to the tune of “I’m a little teapot”, the kids love adding this Groundhog Day song to their poetry

notebooks. You can also get this poem on TPT.

Shadow Experiment and Shadow Watching

If you have discussed the involvement of shadows in Groundhog Day, students will love a simple science experiment.

Grab a flashlight and a small groundhog stuffed animal. Let the kids experiment and observe shadows on the wall. Then, encourage them to draw or write to record their findings.

Shadow Matching Game

This shadow matching game is great for visual discrimination. Kids learn to distinguish similarities and differences by matching the shadows to the objects.

Class Book of Student Shadows

Set up a light, white paper, and markers in a center. Let the kids trace the outline of the shadow their peer casts onto the paper.

Funko Groundhogs Day Game

Relive Phil’s day round after round in this clever cooperative card game. Choose strategically how to react to the same obnoxious townsfolk and events as you get better at leading Phil’s life. Win by playing out the perfect day in which a kind and charitable version of Phil wins hearts and can return to normal life!

Shadow Blocks

Match colorful wooden blocks to their shadow cards with this Wooden Shadow Matching game.

Fun Groundhog Day Crafts Projects

These crafts are all centered around groundhogs and ground hog Day. They are all perfect for this age group and young kids from kindergarten to first grade will enjoy all of them.

Groundhog Puppet Craft: This adorable puppet is perfect for any age and the backdrop can be made into anything they like. Just use a craft stick and construction paper!
Groundhog Mask: Young elementary age students love to get dressed up for celebratory days. This craft is a fun way to do so.
Groundhog Burrow Craft: All that these adorable little groundhogs take is an easy printable and paper plate.
Groundhog Hand and Foot Print: Parents love having keepsakes from younger students. Handprints and footprints are an easy way to make something personal.
Groundhog Shadow Craft: A key part of Groundhog day traditions are shadows. This craft lets them make an adorable groundhog and matching little shadows.
Groundhog’s Day Hat: Another great way to let your students dress up for the day.
Groundhog Egg Carton: Getting to reuse old items, like egg cartons, is a great way to make inexpensive crafts. These egg carton groundhogs are adorable!
Wake Up, Groundhog Craft: Another cute craft showing a groundhog popping out of its burrow. This time with snow!
Groundhog Cup Craft: This creative craft lets your students actually pop their groundhogs out of their burrows!
Groundhog Paper Bag Puppet: Paper bags are a classic craft material. An easy and accessible craft.
Heart Groundhog: A creatively shaped and simple groundhog craft.

Groundhog Day Videos for Kids

After a fun game of shadow tag, or coloring pages of groundhog faces, your kids will learn fun facts with these groundhog day theme videos.

Fun Groundhog Day Books

Do you have a favorite book to celebrate this fun day with the kids?

Nearly all of the fun books listed here are perfect for many elementary grade levels. They are all super informational about the holiday. Some may be more fictional and include a variation of the Punxsutawney Phil story. Some may be a narrative about a separate groundhog entirely. All of these will be interesting for your class to read. They will also be a perfect way for your students to easily remember what started groundhog day and why we celebrate it each year.

Groundhog Gets a Say:This groundhog is out to prove that he has more to offer than just predicting how many weeks of winter there will be.
Substitute Groundhog:Groundhogs get sick too. When they do, someone else has to see how long winter will be!
Groundhog Weather School:These groundhogs are learning all about Groundhog day —just as your students are.
Grumpy Groundhog:Groundhogs like to stay in bed all day sometimes too.
Secret of the First One Up:Lila is a young groundhog that is the first to wake up after winter hibernation. She learns her shadow is extremely important.
Groundhog’s Dilemma:This groundhog has to announce a few extra weeks of winter.
Punxsutawney Phyllis:Phyllis believes there will be an early spring this year. How will she get her uncle Punxsutawney Phil out of bed to make the GroundhogDay prediction?
Wake Up, Groundhog!:This groundhog’s friends try to wake him up for hibernation to see how long winter will be.
Will Spring Be Early? Or Will Spring Be Late?:A perfect Groundhog’s Day book all about the history of Groundhog Day.
Ten Grouchy Groundhogs:These groundhogs are anxiously awaiting the time they can leave their den.

Groundhog’s Day Printables and Lesson Plans

Some teachers in the United States may only discuss Groundhog Day on February 2nd. Others may take the whole week to discuss the holiday and everything surrounding it. If you need last minute activities to celebrate, here are quick lessons and fun activities to follow.

If you are planning on teaching this throughout the week, there are plenty of printable and lesson plans online for you to check out. Your student’s will love doing something a little different no matter what you choose to do.

Groundhog Day Build a Poem Activity: This poem is a simple way to bring the class together. Grab this fun pocket chart activity here or on TPT.
Groundhog Day Differentiated Readers and Crowns:This package includes crowns for dressing up and two different level readers all about Groundhog Day.
Shadow Detectives:Kindergarteners love learning about and playing with their shadows. This is they part of Groundhog Day that students look forward to the most. Get them out of their seats and excited!
Groundhog Facts and Activities Unit:This is a unit that goes into detail about the history of Groundhog Day. If you are looking for multiple day Groundhog Day activities, this unit might be the one for you. There are plenty of printable and activities for you to choose from.
Groundhog Day Math:A fun way to incorporate Groundhog day into your math lesson. Fun activities and special days are not only for English lessons and craft times. Many of these can easily be incorporated into math lessons. Count how many groundhogs or how many weeks until spring!
Groundhog Day Craft Story:These books are an adorable way to learn about why Groundhog day came to be. Your students will get to color, write, and follow a plot line. The perfect idea if you are covering the concept of story in your regular classroom plans.

Giving students, particularly young ones, a way to break up the school year, keeps them excited. These little celebrations keep students excited about coming to school. Students and teachers can dress up, have special celebrations, integrate fun learning opportunities, and eat special snacks for the holidays. I hope you’ve enjoyed these Groundhog Day Activities for kindergarten, first, and second graders.

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35 Fun Groundhog Day Activities for Kindergarten (K-2) - Little Learning Corner (2024)