It’s almost time to find out if spring is on the way or if more winter awaits us…Groundhog Day is here! And really, in my opinion, Groundhog Day is one of the cutest holidays to celebrate in the classroom. The books, the videos, and crafts…and ALL of them have that cute little animal all over the place! :)
Anyway, you obviously want to keep your young students continually learning and growing, throughout EVERY holiday, so here are 7 ideas and activities that are perfect to keep your students learning WHILE having lots of fun with this adorable holiday.
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1. Groundhog Day Books
Reading is one of the easiest ways to incorporate holiday fun into your classroom full of little learners! I’m ALL about getting out those themed books and learning facts about the holiday, as well as having some fun with some related fictional stories. So, here are some of my favorite books to read to my little learners during Groundhog Day week.
Groundhog Day! by Gail Gibbons
Grumpy Groundhog by Maureen Wright
Groundhug Day by Anne Marie Pace
Groundhog’s Day Off by Robb Pearlman
Groundhog Day by Lisa M. Herrington
Most of these books are fiction, but have lots of non-fiction themes and details throughout. A couple of them are completely non-fiction as well, so a little bit of everything!
Worksheets are a no-prep, super easy way to bring holiday fun into your classroom while keeping the learning going! They’re perfect to include in literacy or math centers, send home as homework, or use to review skills in small groups.
These interactive worksheets are GREAT for preschool and kindergarten kiddos, with lots of interaction and fine motor skill practice! And these worksheets are perfect for kindergarten, first grade, or even advanced preschool students. There are 6 literacy worksheets and 6 math worksheets included in this resource.
And, if you need a simple writing assignment, these writing pages make a cute bulletin board display or easy sub plan lesson.
Press the easy button this Groundhog day with these no-to-low prep activities! :)
Getting all the independent work centers themed to match the current holiday is one of my FAVORITE things to do with little learners. I love how they connect all the holiday learning with actual academic skills as they work. And, refreshing your centers activities to match the holiday helps make all the academic skill practice highly engaging and motivating because it’s different than the “norm”.
This Groundhog Day Busy Box is a super engaging activity for toddler and preschool learners. CLICK HERE to peek at it!
And these activities for beginning and ending sounds and writing the room are just a few ideas for how to incorporate Groundhog Day fun into your learning centers with your preschool and kindergarten students! :) Click the links to see each activity in more detail.
4. Groundhog Day Videos
Some kiddos are very visual learners and, in my experience, MOST kids really love to WATCH their learning whenever possible. Haha! So, here are some of my favorite videos for teaching the facts and traditions behind Groundhog Day!
Using sensory bins with little learners is an awesome way to boost engagement, practice academic skills, AND fine tune motor skills. Sensory bins are also SUPER simple to create…all you need is a few bins, some bin-filler of your choice (like beans, shredded paper, or dry pasta?), and some cards and mats for kiddos to search for and match up.
For some fun Groundhog Day sensory bin ideas, click HERE and HERE and HERE.
6. Groundhog Day Crafts
Creating crafts to celebrate Groundhog Day is a super engaging way to learn about the history of the holiday! I’ve linked to a few ideas wonderfully simple crafts that you can create with your students this season. This free Groundhog craft, this free writing craftivity, and this easy craft and anchor chart are fun, easy places to start for some great activities for little ones.
7. Groundhog Day Freebies
Lastly, here are some great freebies for you to use with your young learners this Groundhog Day!
Groundhog Day CVC Word Matching
Groundhog Day Class Predictions and Graphing Activity
Groundhog Day ABC Order Cut and Paste
I hope these fun activities are a simple way to incorporate fun and learning about Groundhog Day into your classroom this year. Wishing you a happy day and a groundhog who brings along some beautiful weather!
Cheering you on!
