To be honest, I’m not sure why I love Groundhog Day… it is in the dead of winter, and Punxsutawney Phil almost always tells us to expect six more weeks of cold. But I do love it!
Somehow, February 2nd sneaks up on me each year. So, if you are like me and need to grab a few ideas quickly for Groundhog’s Day, I have you covered. In this blog post, I’m going to share some of my favorite Groundhog Day activities to help sharpen those kindergarten literacy and math skills.
What is the history of Groundhog Day? Groundhog Day is rooted in ancient European traditions and associated with Candlemas, a Christian holiday. This celebration, held in early February, sought to determine the weather pattern for the remaining winter months. According to folklore, if a hibernating animal, like a groundhog, emerged from its burrow on Candlemas Day and saw its shadow, there would be six more weeks of winter weather.
How do you explain the tradition of Groundhog Day? It is celebrated every year in the United States on February 2nd. According to the legend, on this morning, if a groundhog can see its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If it cannot see its shadow, spring is on the way. This is a great time to teach children about shadows, weather, and the groundhog himself.
Can I be honest? When I lived in San Diego, I did not pay as much attention to Groundhog Day. We now live in Colorado, so that little groundhog is more important.
In the spirit of Groundhog Day, how about learning a little about this rodent? This is a great video your class might enjoy and it is a great way to have students
After watching a groundhog video like the one I linked above, students can write about what they learned about groundhogs. This is a fun way for students to show what they know.
I made a few graphic organizers and response pages you can download for free.
You can find them in my Google Drive account by clicking:
I wrote this poem many years ago, and it has always been one of my students’ favorites.
You can find this fun Groundhog Day poem in the February set of Poems.
There are some pretty great books out there that feature our friend, the groundhog!
This is a fun book. Even groundhogs need someone to fill in for them every once in awhile.
We loved this book so much that we turned into a listening center activity.
Each book in the listening center set has multiple pages for you to pick from.
Sometimes worksheets are a great way to let students practice a skill while still having fun!
These editable Spin and Color worksheets are great because you can add your own letters or words in just minutes!
Here are a few fun math activities for your kindergarten classroom!
These are part of my Themed Math and Literacy Centers.
Here are few other activities that are in the same resource.
I don’t know about you, but every time I walk into Target, I stop at the Dollar Spot!
Here are few of the worksheets that are in my own Dollar Spot!
I hope you have a fun Groundhog Day with your students!
My teaching career allowed me to experience teaching in different classroom environments and grades. My heart belongs to early childhood education. My job is to make teaching FUN, ENGAGING, and EASIER. Welcome!
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11 Responses
Love your Peek at my Week plans! Would like to see what you did for Groundhog Day week. Thanks!
A) Your email address it AMAZING! Ha!
B) I didn’t type them all out this last week, but I will be sure to add them next week!
Oooooh! Yes, please do include your previous version of Peek at my Week. They were so helpful. It really helps me get a clear visual of how to organize my own planning with your amazing resources! 🙂
You bet! I will be sure to include them next week!!!!
Thank you for sharing! I purchased your poetry music and video files! My kinders LOVE them! They did have a question about the squirrel in your hibernation song. They asked why you used a squirrel because they don’t hibernate. They wanted me to write to you! LOL! I told them it was a fiction song. They are excited to use your Groundhog poem on Thursday. Thank you again for ALL you do!
Okay, how do you keep your stamps so clean? Mine have ink all over them!!
HA! These are fairly new. I had to replace mine because I had an unfortunate accident with them in transport. HA! they are usually a hot mess and I am totally okay with that. Let it go… let it go….
PLEASE INCLUDE PEEK AT MY WEEK!!! I ADORE those posts!!! Thank you!!!
Hi there! YES! I started adding them back to my weekly blog posts in 2018-2019. You can find those by clicking:
Weekly Blog Post Lesson Plans
I am looking for the worksheet to go with Substitute Groundhog and haven’t found a link that works. Is this still available anywhere?
Hi Lauren,
I have retired the 2014-2015 series, but you can still get it in this bundle: