Every year on February 2, people celebrate Groundhog Day when "Phil," a groundhog at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, leaves his burrow at 7:20 a.m., observes weather conditions, and makes an official prediction. If Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, there will be an early spring.
If you can't be there at the official proclamation, you can watch the Groundhog Day 2012 webcast. Plus, there's always the 1993 comedy movie "Groundhog Day."
Do Groundhogs Live in Your Area?
My daughters wanted to stake out local groundhogs (aka woodchucks, marmots) to watch for their predictions, so we used eNature's zip guide to find out where to look. Unfortunately, the Yellow-Bellied Marmot is the nearest cousin to Punxsutawney Phil (Eastern Marmot) who lives in our part of the world.
At first my girls were disappointed that we didn't share territory with the classic groundhog. However, as we learned more about the yellow-bellied marmot we found that he appears just as cute and knowing as Phil.
Groundhog Coloring Pages and Printable Activity Sheets
Here are a few of my family's favorite groundhog printables.
- Labeled Groundhog/Woodchuck Printout - Enchanted Learning
- Groundhog Day Mini Book, page 1 (gif), page 2 (gif) - Step by Step CC
- Predicting Groundhog (jpg) - Dulemba.com
- Groundhog and Horse (gif) - Coloring-Pages-Kids.com
- Kids Spotting Groundhog (gif) - Activity-Sheets.com
- February Groundhog (jpg) - Prairie Storms
More Groundhog Day Activities
Here are some more resources for exploring groundhogs and Groundhogs Day.
- Shadow Activities: A Lesson Plan for Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day is about the shadow.
- Watch videos to see the groundhog's shadow. Tricia Edgar shares history and information about Groundhog Day celebrations and links to videos of past celebrations.
- Preschool science lessons for Groundhog Day.
- Read a brief history of Groundhog Day. Eric Benac says it's older than you think.
- Take a Groundhog Day quiz for kids. How much do you know about groundhogs and woodchucks?
- Host a Groundhog Day party. Maria Banciu has Groundhog Day party tips.
- Make a Groundhog Day craft project. Divert cabin fever by making your own Punxsutawney Phil.
- Make chocolate groundhog cookies. A perfect treat for celebrating Groundhog Day.
- Learn more about groundhogs. How much do you know about Marmota Marmax?
These activities from cookies to crafts to lessons should give you plenty of ways to commemmorate the Groundhog Day tradition.
Sources:
"About Groundhog Day." groundhog.org, Retrieved 31 Jan 2012.
"Yellow-Bellied Marmot," "Woodchuck." eNature.org, Retrieved 31 Jan 2012.
You might also enjoy:
- A Timeline of Famous Historical Events in February
- World Thinking Day: Namibia
- Valentines Day Printables and Card Crafts
Sara McGrath - Sara is a veteran homeschool mom of three, Usborne consultant, and the author of Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Learning.
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