Groundhog Day, Groundhogs, and Hedgehogs

February is packed with fun classroom themes, but one of the most loved (and most adorable!) is Groundhog Day—that special day when a furry little animal makes a famous weather prediction.

This year, I’m featuring three resources that fit perfectly into your February plans: Groundhogs Fact Booklet, Groundhog Day theme activities, and Hedgehog Fact Booklet (because so many kids—and adults!—mix them up!)

Let’s explore these fun February animals while keeping learning simple, meaningful, and engaging for K–2.

Groundhog Day, a classroom favorite, is celebrated every year on February 2nd, and the tradition says that if the groundhog sees his shadow, we’ll have six more weeks of winter… and if he doesn’t see his shadow, spring will come early! 

Students LOVE this concept because it’s fun, predictable, and easy to connect to science topics like:

winter weather, shadows, seasonal changes, and animal behavior.

Groundhog versus Hedgehog are not the same animal! This is one of my favorite February “teacher moments” because kids often confuse the two. A Groundhog is a burrowing rodent also called a woodchuck, is known for hibernation and the Groundhog Day tradition.  The Hedgehog is a small animal covered in spines/quills and not part of the Groundhog Day tradition.  It’s also known for being nocturnal and rolling into a ball for protection.  Including both animals is such a fun way to teach students that sometimes things sound alike, but they’re not the same!

My featured February resources include:  Groundhogs Fact Booklet.  It’s a perfect nonfiction option for young learners to explore what groundhogs are, where they live, what they eat, and why they hibernate. It’s great for reading groups, nonfiction practice, early finishers, simple research, and use during sub days!

 

The Hedgehog Fact Booklet is a wonderful companion resource to add comparison and vocabulary—plus hedgehogs are always a hit with kids because they’re so unique! 

 Finally there's my Groundhog Day Fact Booklet that describes the fun day!

Here are 5 read aloud favorites that fit your February theme:

Groundhog Day! by Gail Gibbons is a nonfiction favorite that explains the tradition clearly for young students. 

Groundhog’s Day Off by Robb Pearlman is a funny story that kids love—Groundhog gets tired of all the attention. 

Groundhog Weather School by Joan Holub is a cute story with a classroom-style theme! 

Groundhog’s Runaway Shadow by David Biedrzycki is great for SEL and friendship themes too!

Hedgehugs by Steve Wilson is an adorable story about friendship and hugging… even when you’re prickly! 

Here are 5 engaging activities that fit perfectly with your fact booklets and Groundhog Day:

1) Groundhog Day Prediction Graph where students vote on Early Spring or More Winter;

2) Shadow Science (Flashlight Fun!) - Use a flashlight and objects to test what makes a shadow bigger/smaller and what happens when the light moves;

3) Groundhog vs. Hedgehog Compare & Sort by making a simple anchor chart. Are they same, different? Students can add pictures/words as they learn.

4) “If I Were a Groundhog…” Writing Prompt where kids can write and be creative; Questions can include: Where would you live? What would you eat? Would you want to hibernate?

5) Prickly Hedgehog Craft that includes a Kindness Connection.  Pair your hedgehog craft with an SEL message: “Even if someone seems prickly, they still need kindness.” Kids can add “kindness spines” with kind words written on each strip.

Groundhog Day is the perfect February theme because it feels like a celebration, but it’s also packed with learning, nonfiction reading, weather and seasons, shadows units and, graphing and predictions and  animal comparisons.  And including hedgehogs is such a fun bonus—especially since students love learning that groundhogs and hedgehogs are NOT the same animal even though they sound alike!

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