It’s finally here! It’s Groundhog Day! It is the day when we look to the groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, to predict the weather for the next 6 weeks. Will we have a long winter or will spring come early?
There is a legend about Groundhog Day that a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil comes out of its home to see if winter is over each year on February 2nd. If he sees his shadow, it scares him away and he goes back to his home in his burrow and sleeps for another 6 weeks. If he doesn’t see his shadow then he stays above ground, and we take it to mean that winter is almost over! We sure hope Phil doesn’t see his shadow – that way Spring Breakout will come much sooner to the lodge. Visit our website to learn more about Spring Breakout.
On Groundhog Day, there are plenty of ways to celebrate! Whether you’d like winter to be over right away or want it to stay, you can take part in these fun Groundhog Day activities.
Learn History and Fun Facts About Groundhog Day
You can learn more about how Groundhog Day first started and the importance of February 2nd as it is halfway between the first day of winter and the first day of spring. Learn about the origins of the day and when it was first celebrated. On National Geographic, you can learn fun facts about groundhogs like how they sometimes dig burrows up to 66 feet long!
Make Groundhog Day Pancakes
To celebrate Groundhog Day, why not make a big plate of pancakes that look like a cute groundhog? Use 1 large pancake for the body, 2 small, silver dollar pancakes cut in half for the ears, small pancakes for the cheeks and a few marshmallows and chocolate chips for the eyes, nose and mouth. An easy, fun and delicious groundhog activity. For more wintertime breakfast ideas, check out our Healthy Winter Breakfast Ideas blog.
Make a Groundhog Puppet!
To make your very own groundhog puppet you’ll need green paper, googly eyes, a foam cup, a popsicle stick and some supplies like tape and scissors. Here are the full instructions. You can also make a puppet out of a brown paper bag. For the brown paper bag puppet, you’ll be adding small little ears to the bag and cutting a nose and big teeth to glue on the bag. Don’t forget to add the googly eyes or draw some cartoon eyes!
Color Pictures of Groundhogs
There are plenty of groundhog coloring pages you can find to color. These coloring pages are a
fun Groundhog Day activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners. Print them out and color all 4! Make sure you have plenty of green and brown crayons or markers and be sure to wish everyone a Happy Groundhog Day.
