Here are some activities you can do on
Groundhog's Day (or whenever)
Groundhog Activities
Images & Photos: #1, #2 (information & a black and white picture to color), Woodchuck (line drawing to color), Google Search: Woodchuck
Science/Social Studies
Activity: Go to google.com
Image Search. Type in woodchuck
or groundhog to view some
photos of this animals. You can go to Marysie's
Farm Conservation Center to see one.
The groundhog is brown with black claws. It is a rodent and it
has sharp teeth. It is mostly a herbivore. It eats plants
seeds, roots,
grass, leaves, flowers, fruit, etc. It also eat eggs and some
insects.
Activity: Go to google.com and
type in woodchuck or groundhog to find out some more
information about this animal.
A groundhog is another name for a woodchuck. This animal is a
marmot.
The groundhog (woodchuck) lives in Alaska, Canada, and the northern parts of the United States.
Activities:
- Locate on a globe (or map) the countries and states that the
groundhog lives.
- Find other states (besides Alaska) where the groundhog (woodchuck)
lives. Go to google.com to
locate that information.
Discussion: Talk more about hiberbation and how different animals hibernate.
The groundhog (woodchuck) hibernates. He eats a lot of food.
He gets big and fat so he doesn't have to go out in the cold
weather. He sleeps all winter. He sleeps in underground in
burrows (holes).
Read a book about a groundhogs shadow before
February 2nd. You can read more on that day (or the day after for
this year).
In the United States, Groundhog's Day is February 2nd. The groundhog comes out of his hole to see if it can see its shadow. If he sees his shadow, it goes back into the ground. He stays there since it will be bad weather for six more weeks. If it is cloudy, he can not see his shadow. This is a sign of spring and he come out of the ground.
Math: Using a calendar, count six weeks. Then count the days (for six weeks). Spring is March 21st.Lie on your stomach. Turn your head around in different directions (looking around your hole). Crawl out of your burrow (hole). Stand up. Take your hands and pretend to grab a plant (seeds, roots, grass, leaves, flowers, fruit). Put your hands close to your mouth and pretend to eat.
Math- Have the children make different animals or shapes (or just move their hands around). Have them make their shadows between a lamp and a light colored wall (or door) or outside.
To make a butterfly by placing their thumbs together and move their other fingers like the wings of a butterfly. (Younger children may not understand how to do it so let them do it however they like. It may not look like a butterfly to you but it is to them.Physical
Education
Tunnel Game
Stand with your legs spread out some distance. Go under the other
person's legs on your stomach. If you want to do it another variation,
have
one person place his/her hands on the floor and stick his/her buttocks
(bottom)
up in the air. Take turns.
Shadow Tag
Discuss the opposites: long and short and show examples with the
shadows. Now, have each child pair up into partners and they can
chase their partners shadow. When they have caught their partners
shadow, they step on their partners shadow and they can say, "I got
it", "I got your shadow", "You're it!", "You're turn!", etc.) Let
the next partner do it.
Art
Draw a groundhog (woodchuck). You can use a photo from your
search at google Image search. You can use crayons, a pencil,
colored pencils, etc. You can place your groundhog on a stick or
on a small paper bag. Pretend your groundhog is going into his
burrow (hole). (Your arm can be the burrow.)
Pop-Up Groundhog Craft
Cut a small circle and an oval out of brown construction paper.
Glue the circle onto the oval. Draw eyes, a nose, and a
mouth onto the head. Add brown legs. Cut a hole out of the bottom
of a paper cup (or styrofoam cup). Use kids paint or markers and
decorate it to look like a groundhog's habitant (home): dirt, grass,
flowers, etc. Let dry. Place your groundhog on the
bottom of the cup and let it pop up.
You can sing this song after finishing this art project or craft.
Music (Song)
The Groundhog
Tune of: The
Muffin Man
Copyright © 2003 Barbara Pratt. All rights reserved.
Oh, do you know the grou-ndhog,
the grou-ndhog, the grou-ndhog?
Oh, do you know the grou-ndhog,
That li-ves in a hole?
Oh, here he comes, the grou-ndhog,
the grou-ndhog, the grou-ndhog.
Oh, here he comes, the grou-ndhog,
He came out of his hole.
But he went back into his hole,
into his hole, into his hole.
But he went back into his hole,
because he saw his shadow.
Note: Sing this part during the spring.
Oh, do you know the grou-ndhog,
the grou-ndhog, the grou-ndhog?
Oh, do you know the grou-ndhog,
That li-ves in a hole?
Oh, here he comes, the grou-ndhog,
the grou-ndhog, the grou-ndhog.
Oh, here he comes, the grou-ndhog,
He's out because its spring.
Oh, yes we know the grou-ndhog,
the grou-ndhog, the grou-ndhog.
Oh, yes we know the grou-ndhog,
He came out in the spring.
