Groundhog Day Crafts for Kids

Holiday crafts are a popular kids' activity.

Celebrate Groundhog Day with themed crafts and art projects. On February 2nd, people all over the U.S. wait to hear if the ground hog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania emerges and sees his shadow. If the groundhog sees his shadow, it is commonly believed there will be six more weeks of cold winter weather. If he doesn't see his shadow, many people believe the harsh winter weather is on its way out and warmer weather will come soon.

Groundhog Mask

To create a simple kid's Groundhog Day mask, start by painting one side of a paper plate dark brown. Use craft paint and a large sponge or paintbrush. Once that's dry, draw large circles for the eyes and mouth, and cut them out with scissors. Cut out two small circles from dark brown construction paper and glue them to the mask to represent ears. Make a nose with pink felt--cut out a small triangle and glue it to the center of the mask. Add black, brown or white pipe cleaners as whiskers. Punch a hole onto each side of the mask and attach a string.

Pop-up Groundhog Puppet

Cut out one large oval and one small oval from construction paper. Ensure that the ovals can fit inside a small paper cup. The large oval represents the groundhog's body and the small oval the groundhog's head. Attach the two pieces using glue. Glue the main groundhog's body onto a wood craft stick. Attach round googly craft eyes to the groundhog's face, and draw on a nose and mouth with a black marker. Cut a slit into the paper cup. Place the craft stick into the paper cup, with the stick pointing down. Ensure that the craft stick is able to move up and down inside the cup, representing the groundhog coming out of his hole.

Silhouette Art Project

Have children sketch several different animals on cardboard--tell them not to put too much detail on the drawings. Cut out only the silhouettes of the animals and attach them to popsicle sticks. Turn down the lights and place the shapes in front of a flashlight, with the silhouettes reflecting on the wall. Use the puppets during story time to tell the tale of a groundhog and his adventures.

References

• Enchanted Learning: Crafts, Worksheets and Printable Books for Groundhog Day
• Enchanted Learning: Make a Pop-up Groundhog Puppet
• Enchanted Learning: Ground Hog Mask

Resources

• The Punxsatawney Groundhog Club