Groundhog Day Activities 

Groundhog Day is just around the corner — one of the most fun and engaging holidays to celebrate in the classroom! It’s the perfect opportunity for students to practice predicting. Will the groundhog see his shadow? Is spring finally on its way? And of course, the question every child asks — just what exactly IS a groundhog anyway?!

I’ve put together a collection of activities that answer all of these questions and more, while keeping your students engaged and having fun celebrating this beloved February holiday!

But first things first — let’s talk books! Here is my all-time FAVORITE Groundhog Day read-aloud!

Groundhog’s Dilemma

by Kristin Remenar

“After Groundhog announces six more weeks of winter, half his animal friends are disappointed, while the other half are excited. Each animal asks Groundhog to make his prediction in their favor the following year. Rather than being truthful about the fact that he just “calls it as he sees it,” he leads them to believe he can control the weather, accepting their gifts of food and favor. On the next Groundhog Day, he finally admits he made promises he couldn’t keep because he was trying to please everyone and makes amends.”

This book is an absolute classroom gem! It tackles so many age-appropriate themes — friendship, honesty, and the importance of keeping promises — while also introducing students to the science behind Groundhog Day and the concept of making predictions. So much meaningful learning packed into one wonderful story!

Groundhog Day Activities for the Classroom

Speaking of making predictions, here are a few activities to use BEFORE and during Groundhog Day.

GROUNDHOG DAY ACTIVITIES: PREDICTING, SORTING, GRAPHING, AND WRITING ACTIVITIES

Students make predictions about whether the groundhog will see his shadow, then survey their classmates, collect data, and graph the results — a perfect real-world math connection! They also write a heartfelt letter to the groundhog, sharing what they hope he will see and why. Finally, students reflect on the actual outcome and write about how it makes them feel, bringing in a wonderful social-emotional element

GROUNDHOG DAY ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS: PREDICTING, SORTING, AND WRITING ACTIVITIES

This activity is a younger-student-friendly version of the one above, designed for early learners! I originally created it for the most amazing preschool teacher I know — and her class of 4-year-olds absolutely loved it. It also works beautifully in Kindergarten classrooms!

Students predict whether the groundhog will see his shadow, gather data from their classmates, and count the results — a wonderful introduction to early math and data concepts. They also share what they hope will happen and reflect on how the results make them feel, making it a sweet social-emotional learning moment too!

ALL ABOUT GROUNDHOGS STUDENT READER

“Want to teach your students all about groundhogs? This engaging student reader covers everything young learners need to know — where groundhogs live, what they eat, and who their natural predators are! Simply print and assemble the book, and you’re ready to dive into a fun and informative learning experience with your class. It’s that easy

GROUNDHOG DAY MATH ACTIVITIES

These activities allow students to practice addition, subtraction, and number bonds with groundhog-themed practice pages.

GROUNDHOG DAY PREDICTION FORMS

And what post is complete without a FREEBIE? Use these prediction forms with your students to see what they think will happen on Groundhog Day!

Looking for More?

 The following products help students practice sentence-level writing skills. Skills practiced include the following:

Sentence Types: Questions, Statements, Commands, and Exclamations

Sentences and Fragments: Identifying Sentences and Fragments

Using Question Words: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How

Expanding Written Responses: Using Because, But, and So

Combining Sentences: Using And, But & So

Scrambled Sentences: Unscrambling Scrambled Sentences

Using Subordinating Conjunctions:  When/If and Before/After

GROUNDHOG’S DILEMMA SENTENCE LEVEL SKILLS WRITING ACTIVITIES 

GROUNDHOG DAY SENTENCE LEVEL WRITING SKILLS ACTIVITIES