Crafts and activities for Groundhog Day

February 2 is Groundhog Day and in southern Illinois, the weather forecast doesn't give any clues on whether Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow in Pennsylvania or not. In southern Illinois, the day is expected to start out cloudy and cold then warm up into the 40s with partly sunny skies. What will the groundhog determine?

Who knows?

No matter what that rodent decides about the coming of spring or the extension of winter, you can enjoy some crafts and activities on Groundhog Day.

If you want learning activities - look for things dealing with animals (especially groundhogs), winter, spring (and the changing of seasons in general)

A simple groundhog craft can be to make a groundhog stick puppet (using a small cut-out of a groundhog and a popsicle stick).

Glue brown pom-pons together to create a groundhog. Add a magnet to create a fridge magnet or glue the groundhog onto some yarn to make a necklace.

If you have a large group of kids, play "Spot the Groundhog's Shadow." Cut out several small groundhogs from paper and color some of them brown (groundhog) and some of them gray (shadow). Tape a groundhog to each child's back but keep track of how many groundhogs and how many shadows. Instruct the kids to try to figure out (without helping each other) if they are a groundhog or a shadow by paying attention to what the other kids have on their backs. When a child figures out if they are a groundhog or a shadow, they should take their seat. After everyone is seated, figure out who guessed correctly.

See Groundhog Day Printable Coloring Sheets, Crafts and Activities for a list of websites that have activities specific to Groundhog Day.

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