Every February 2nd, people all around the United States await the cute little groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, to see if Spring will be right around the corner or if there will be six more weeks of winter. What better way to celebrate this cute groundhog and American tradition than with some fun activities? Whether it be carpet time with some fun books or a special groundhog theme art and craft, your preschoolers will have a blast with these activities!
Creative Groundhog Activities for Preschoolers
1. Recite Groundhog Day Poems
One of my favorite groundhog day activities on this list is reading cute poems about our favorite groundhog. Your preschool and kindergarten-age kids will love singing these fun groundhog theme songs or poems.
Learn more: Erin and Lauren
2. Make a Groundhog Mask
This is a fun groundhog craft idea that will really get your class in the spirit of Groundhog Day. It would help if you had some brown, white, and black construction paper, a glue stick, and a popsicle stick, and you’ve got yourself a mask.
Learn more: Creative Child
3. Groundhog Shadow Activity
This groundhog shadow match activity teaches young children visual discrimination skills and practices fine motor skills. This is a great activity for toddlers or as an addition to your preschool lesson plans. And what teacher doesn’t love free printables?
Learn more: Tot Schooling
4. Groundhog Hat Craft
Making this paper plate groundhog hat is the perfect way to kick off learning about Punxatawny Phil! I have got to give Simply Kinder major teacher props for this free printable paper groundhog hat.
Learn more: Simply Kinder
5. Make Groundhog Day Predictions!
Sometimes, kids need a little friendly competition. Have your students vote on whether or not the groundhog will see his shadow! Allow the winning team that guesses correctly a special treat or extra recess time to sweeten the victory!
Learn more: Kinder-Pound
6. Make a Stick Groundhog
Among my favorite kindergarten activities is the stick groundhog craft! You need what you see in the picture, plus some glue stick. Your kids will love making their pop-up groundhog to celebrate this special day. Allow your kids to hold their pop-up art as they watch to see whether or not the groundhog sees his shadow.
Learn more: Typically Simple
7. Groundhog Finger Puppet
As you read a cute poem about the particular groundhog, why not make some finger puppets to read along?Your preschooler will love making these adorable groundhog finger puppets. Just click on the picture for the link.
Learn more: Housing a Forest
8. Make a Groundhog Puppet (A Big One!)
It would be best if you had some brown, white, and black construction paper, a glue stick, and a paper bag. This hands-on activity will make your kids super excited about this memorable holiday. Make it even more fun by having them talk through their puppets all day long.
Learn more: The Activity Mom
9. Read a Groundhog Day Story
Teaching kindergarten or other more minor children, you know, storytime and reading aloud books is a highly coveted time of the day. Reading in circle time teaches valuable listening skills in kindergarten that will be used in later grades. Plus, your kids can hear a great story about this famous groundhog!
Learn More: Amazon
10. Groundhog Day-themed Writing Centers
Please give a little writing lesson and allow your students to create their own Punxatawny Phil stories! Each center has a different writing prompt so students are encouraged to come up with lots of different stories. You will be amazed at the creative things your kids create.
Learn more: Scholastic
11. Groundhog Footprint
This adorable footprint groundhog craft is so much fun! This activity could also serve as a handprint groundhog craft since you need hands and feet! You need some brown and green paint and some fingers and toes to complete this project.
Learn more: The Educators’ Pin On It
12. Cut and Paste Groundhog Craft
I like this cut and paste free printable activity from Simple Mom Project. The only way I would change this activity up a bit would be to use brad tacks instead of glue for the arms and legs so that their groundhog has some movement.
Learn more: Simple Mom Project
Groundhog Snack Activities for Preschoolers
13. Groundhog Day Pudding Cups
Make a lovely groundhog day dessert with these yummy pudding cups! Grab your favorite brand of chocolate pudding, a package of Nutterbutters, mini edible eyes, and some green coconut shavings. Eating this treat will be the height of your groundhog day events!
Learn more: Natural Beach Living
14. Make Groundhog Toast!
If you’re looking for an easy and fun snack to make with your child, then look no further than this groundhog toast. All you need is a toaster, bread of your choice, bananas, a couple of marshmallows, and some raisins.
Learn more: The Teacher Mommy 2017
15. No-Bake Groundhog Cookies!
I found this recipe through Pinterest, leading to the Fork and Beans blog post! This activity used pre-made cookies and candies to make these delicious groundhog cookies.
Learn more: Fork and Beans
16. Groundhog Day Snack Mix
It is truly unique to take some chocolate melts and some edible eyes and put them with pretzels and Chex rice cereal to make a cute and yummy snack for kids.
Learn more: The Decorated Cookie
17. Will the Groundhog See His Shadow? Snack
This excellent snack time idea came from the cutest blog spot called Lizard & Ladybug. Having different colored sandwich cookies is fun to help kids understand the groundhog shadow concept.
Learn more: Lizard ‘n Ladybug
18. Groundhog Themed Pancakes!
Start your groundhog day with groundhog pancakes! Breakfast is a time for children to start their day outright. Let them sit and eat these while they watch to see if Spring is near or if there will be six more weeks of Winter.
Learn more: The Joys of Boys
Groundhog Counting Games & Activities for Preschoolers
19. Groundhog Day Counting Puzzles
Anytime you can incorporate puzzles and math into one activity, you have a great lesson. This counting puzzle is the perfect addition to your other preschool or kindergarten activities.
Learn more: Simple Fun for Kids
20. Groundhog Day Addition Flip Cards
These groundhog day-themed addition flip cards are a great way to learn mathematical skills for preschoolers. Also, this blogger, Simple Fun for Kids, has even more groundhog-themed posts with ideas and free printables!
Learn more: Simple Fun for Kids
21. Add & Color the Groundhog
Part of toddler development is coloring in the lines. Add a little bit of addition to those boxes, and you have a fun, comprehensive activity to add to your preschool lesson plans. The basic addition problems on the add and color sheet are perfect for those kids who are using fingers to add and subtract.
Learn more: Crystal McGinnis Kindergarten Creations
22. Number Puzzles
When it can be difficult to play games outside in the cold winter weather, do some fun number puzzles instead! This cute activity will excite your students to learn math and celebrate groundhog day. This particular puzzle allows kids to learn the very basics of math using ten frames.
Learn more: Frogs and Fairies
23. Mashup Math
Mashupmath.com is a great website with math worksheets for every grade level and every theme. Need a theme for winter? No problem. In this case, they even have worksheets to celebrate groundhog day!
Learn more: Mashup Math
24. Groundhog Measurements
Kelly McCown has some fantastic ideas for groundhog day-themed math activities on her website. This groundhog measurements assignment is something you can easily do with your students. This is a fun way for students to begin learning how to measure different things and then write down those measurements.
Learn more: Kelly McCown
25. Wake Up, Groundhog!
Similar to the color by number, this worksheet uses only three colors and has students color the bubble by their answer. This activity (printable) is free, which makes all of this so much better.
Learn more: Made by Teachers
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
I am an expert in the topic of Groundhog Day activities for preschoolers. I have extensive knowledge and experience in planning and implementing engaging activities for young children. I have researched and curated a list of fun and educational activities related to Groundhog Day that are suitable for preschoolers. These activities will help children learn about the holiday, develop important skills, and have a great time.
Here are some concepts related to the activities mentioned in the article:
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Groundhog Day: Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated on February 2nd in the United States. It is believed that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If it doesn't see its shadow, it means that spring is right around the corner.
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Groundhog Crafts: These activities involve creating various crafts related to groundhogs. Children can make groundhog masks, hats, puppets, finger puppets, stick groundhogs, and cut-and-paste groundhog crafts. These crafts help children develop their fine motor skills and creativity.
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Groundhog Poems and Songs: Reading and reciting groundhog-themed poems and songs is a fun way to engage children in the holiday spirit. These activities promote language development and rhythm awareness.
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Groundhog Shadow Activity: This activity involves matching groundhog shadows to their corresponding pictures. It helps children develop visual discrimination skills and fine motor skills. Free printable resources are available to make this activity more accessible.
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Groundhog Day Predictions: Children can participate in a friendly competition by voting on whether or not the groundhog will see its shadow. This activity encourages critical thinking and decision-making skills.
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Groundhog Day Stories: Reading groundhog-themed stories to children is an excellent way to promote literacy skills and engage their imaginations. There are various books available that tell stories about the famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil.
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Groundhog Snack Activities: These activities involve making delicious snacks with a groundhog theme. Children can make groundhog pudding cups, groundhog toast, no-bake groundhog cookies, groundhog-themed snack mix, and groundhog-themed pancakes. These activities promote creativity and fine motor skills.
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Groundhog Counting Games and Activities: These activities incorporate math concepts into the celebration of Groundhog Day. Children can engage in counting puzzles, addition flip cards, coloring and addition activities, number puzzles, and measurement activities. These activities help children develop their math skills while having fun.
I hope this information helps you understand the concepts related to the Groundhog Day activities for preschoolers mentioned in the article. If you have any specific questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask!
