Seeking His Shadow: It's Groundhog Day!

Tomorrow we will celebrate Groundhog Day at the Whales, Tales and Sails program at the New Bedford Whaling Historic Park. Below you will find some of the fun songs and fingerplays. I found them on many sites throughout the Internet, without attribution. Feel free to use them in your work.

I couldn’t find a groundhog flannel board so I decided to make my own. This is the result of my very first flannel board attempt.

Not too shabby, although now, I have renewed appreciation for everyone who makes them. I used one of the groundhogs from this template to make my own. http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/m-fivelittlegroundhogs.htm 

BEGINNERS TIPS FOR MAKING FLANNEL BOARDS

Regular scissors weren’t cutting the felt very well so I did some research on the best type of scissors to use. I came across A picture of a pair for sale on a site England but of course I didn’t have the time to order them. Lo and behold, the other day I walked into Job Lot and there they were, for a mere $5.00. They work like a charm and I am going to go back to by a few more pairs. I think they are so pretty!

I also found that the felt had a tendency to slip. I tried anchoring with paper clips, no luck.  Then I read an idea on line about anchoring it to sandpaper. I cut out the template with sandpaper, placed the felt on top of it, flipped it over so I could see the template and voila! Easy, breezy!

FINGERPLAY

Five Little Groundhogs

The first little groundhog digs a home in the fall,
And curls up all winter rolled up like a ball.
The second little groundhog comes out of his lair,
On February second to get some fresh air.
The third little groundhog looks up at the sun,
He then sees his shadow and goes on the run.
The fourth little groundhog at his dark shadow peeks,
He goes back to his burrow for six more weeks.
The fifth little groundhog hopes that skies will be gray,
So that he will know that spring is on its way.
 

The Little Groundhog  (sung to "Pop goes the Weasel.")
The children will all curl up on the floor and "snore" and "pop" as the song indicates.

Sleeping, sleeping in the ground, All winter long, The little groundhog sleeps so sound.
Snore! Goes the groundhog!

Sleeping, sleeping in the ground, All winter long, The little groundhog stretches and wakes.
Pop! Goes the groundhog!

He rubs his eyes, and looks around What does he see? He sees the sun so bright and warm.
Pop! Goes the groundhog!

He's sleeping, sleeping in the ground, All winter long, The little groundhog sleeps so sound, Snore! Goes the groundhog.

I'm a Little Groundhog (Tune: I’m a Little Teapot)

I’m a little groundhog short and brown.
All winter long I sleep underground.
On February second I peek out then,
If I see my shadow, I go in my hole again.

I’m a little groundhog short and brown.
All winter long I sleep underground.
If I see no shadow on that February Day,
Winter’s over and I shout hooray!

Can You Play? (Tune: Frere Jacques)

Little groundhog, little groundhog,

Can you play, can you play?
Popping up your head, Popping up your head,
Can you play? Don't run away.
Little Groundhog, Little groundhog,
Can you play, can you play?
Running all around, On the cold hard ground
Can you play? Please, please stay!
Little groundhog, little groundhog,
Can you play, can you play?
You can't see your shadow, You can't see your shadow,
Here comes spring, hip hurray!

Nine Little Groundhogs (Tune: Ten Little Indians)

One little, two little, Three little groundhogs,

Four little, five little, Six little groundhogs,
Seven little, eight little, Nine little groundhogs,
Sleeping down under the ground.
Sing with loud voices, with "inside voices", with whisper voices, & then with "lip" voices (lips move but no sound comes out)

And if your looking for some stories, crafts and curriculum, head over to this blog post I wrote in 2011.
Me and My Shadow
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2011/01/me-and-my-shadow-its-groundhog-day.html

Karen Chace 2013 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Me And My Shadow - It's Groundhog Day!

Wiarton Willy Statue, Ontario Canada

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.
                                   ~Old English Poem


Groundhog Day is only days away. Here in the USA, we celebrate it on February second each year. While we are in the midst of a snow weary winter here in the Northeast, I like to think that when Groundhog Day is here, spring can't be far behind, whether or not he sees his shadow! Right? Plus, I love special days that give us a reason to to play! 

Here are some resources that will hopefully help you "pop out" of those winter doldrums.

BACKGROUND AND HISTORY

• Groundhog, woodchuck or marmot are common terms for the same animal. Closely related to squirrels, woodchucks actually can climb trees and also swim.
• The name woodchuck comes from the Indian legend of "Wojak, the groundhog" considered by them to be their ancestral grandfather.
• In hibernation groundhogs greatly reducing their metabolic rate, and their body temperature drops to just a few degrees above ambient temperature. During hibernation their body temperature drops as low as 39-40 degrees F.
• Groundhogs eat succulent green plants, such as dandelion greens, clover, plantain and grasses and garden vegetables. Woodchuck's binge and purposefully put on weight in the summer. By late August prepare for hibernation in October. By February, hibernating woodchucks have lost as much as half their body weight
• The first official Groundhog Day was celebrated on February 2, 1886, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
• The groundhog's full name is actually "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary." It was so proclaimed by the "Punxsutawney Groundhog Club" in 1887
• The name Punxsutawney comes from the Indian name for the location "ponksad-uteney" which means "the town of the sandflies."

The above information was gathered from these two sites:
http://www.preschoolexpress.com/story_station03/story_station_feb03.shtml
http://www.news.cornell.edu/chronicle/96/2.1.96/facts.html

SIMILAR CELEBRATIONS

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day  

• A similar custom is celebrated among Orthodox Christians in Serbia on February 15 (February 2 according to local Julian calendar) during the feast of celebration of Sretenje or The Meeting of the Lord. It is believed that on this day the bear will awake from winter dormancy, and if in this sleepy and confused state it sees (meets) its own shadow, it will get scared and go back to sleep for an additional 40 days, thus prolonging the winter. If it is sunny on Sretenje, it is the sign that the winter is not over yet. If it is cloudy, it is a good sign that the winter is about to end.
• In Germany, June 27 (Also known as my birthday. Okay, so that's really not in the Wikipedia article but I was sure you would want to know :)  is "Siebenschläfertag" (Seven Sleepers Day). If it rains that day, the rest of summer is supposedly going to be rainy.
• In the United Kingdom, July 15 is known as St. Swithun's day. If it rained on that day, it would rain for the next 40 days and nights.

  

STORIES

Gluscabe Traps the Animals from Earth Care – World Folktales to Talk About by Margaret Read MacDonald.  
http://tinyurl.com/69yxfuj

Groundhog Dance – You can find a fun audience participation story about groundhogs, based on the origin above in Twenty Tellable Tales: Audience Participation Folktales for the beginning storyteller by Margaret Read Macdonald.
http://tinyurl.com/49ujho9

Groundhog's Tale - An adapted folktale by storyteller Brian Ellis

https://www.foxtalesint.com/index.php/17-library/stories/39-groundhog-s-tale 

How the Groundhog Lost His Tail

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2019/09/story-of-day-how-groundhog-lost-his-tail.html

How the Woodchuck Helped Menabozho – Chippewa Legend
http://tinyurl.com/46k73go

Origin of the Groundhog Dance 
http://tinyurl.com/4suzjnm


BOOKS

The Best Groundhog Day Books for Kids
https://alittlelibrary.com/the-best-groundhog-day-books-for-kids/

CD OF STORIES PERFECT FOR THIS SPECIAL DAY

Groundhog Meets Grimm – Award winning Storyteller Megan Hicks adds her own flair to these well-known tales. You will definitely come out of hibernation to hear these stories again and again. http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7147441

CRAFTS

Enchanted Learning - Ground Hog Day Puppet
http://tinyurl.com/33n3ndj

Enchanted Learning - There are also printables, crafts and curriculum ideas here: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/groundhogday/

Groundhog Day Door Hangers - Want to make sure you get enough sleep? Make this fun door hangers and maybe you won't be disturbed. http://homeschooling.about.com/od/holidays/ss/groundhogprint_6.htm  

Ground Hog Day Finger Puppet
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/groundhog_day_finger_puppet.htm

CURRICULUM

Groundhog Day Activities! – Poetry, songs, art and more.
http://www.artisjoy.com/ghactivities.pdf

How Did the Groundhog Get a Day of His Own?
http://wilstar.com/holidays/grndhog.htm

Student Activity – Ground Hog Day Map
http://tinyurl.com/34z7vxo

Groundhog Day Crossword Puzzle http://homeschooling.about.com/od/holidays/ss/groundhogprint_3.htm

Ground Hog Day Word Search
http://homeschooling.about.com/od/holidays/ss/groundhogprint.htm

Natures Big Sleep by Gardner Soule – An article from Popular Science magazine on the science of hibernation.
http://tinyurl.com/69a9d3u

Hinterland Who’s Who – Interesting fact sheet on woodchucks.
http://www.hww.ca/assets/pdfs/factsheets/woodchuck-en.pdf

FINGERPLAYS AND SONGS

Storybug.net: Seeking His Shadow: It's Groundhog Day!
This is a blog post I wrote to complement a toddler's lapsit program.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/01/seeking-his-shadow-its-groundhog-day.html

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2011 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

A Day of Renewal and Hope

Tomorrow is more commonly known as Groundhog Day but it is also The Feast of Candlemas, a celebration of light, renewal and hope. Whichever you choose to celebrate, and whatever this month may bring, I wish you the warmth of a winter fire and the beauty of flickering candlelight.

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas bring clouds and rain,
Go winter, and come not again.

GROUNDHOG DAY
By Hal Borland

Tomorrow brings that secular occasion known as Groundhog Day, when an almost incredible amount of guesswork, speculation, superstition, and error is taken for divination. The groundhog, or woodchuck, is supposed to rouse from hibernation, emerge from its den, and decide about the weather for the next six weeks. If the sun shines and the woodchuck sees its shadow it will return to its bed and winter will continue for another six weeks. If it is cloudy and the woodchuck sees no shadow it will end its sleep and winter will be at an end.

That is the old belief that reaches back to primitive times. Early tribesman credited various animals with the ability to forecast weather. The Egyptians relied on bears. Europeans turned to wolves for prophecies. In England they put their faith in otters and badgers. Early English colonists in America, never skilled in identification, mistook woodchucks for badgers, which often were called groundhogs in England. The badger was the Candlemas forecaster in England, so the American marmot inherited the prophet's mantle. And just to round out the tangle of identities, the name "woodchuck" came from the Algonquin "wejac," which means fisher, a cousin of the weasel.

And that is the way the old Candlemas legend was credited to a misnamed creature that usually slept right through the event. Not even countryman put stock in the old belief, anyway. But in upper New England there is a wry twist to it. Folks up there hope for sunshine so the groundhog can see its shadow. That, they say, means there will be only six more weeks of winter.

This is one year we can echo their hope. May the sun shine bright on Groundhog Day.

More interesting information on the Feast of Candlemas

All  theYear Round by Charles Dickens
http://tinyurl.com/yfj8uhn

Traditions on Candlemas Day from around the world:

• In Ireland, Feb. 2 was also the festival day of Brigid, known in various sources as the pagan goddess of fertility, grain and fire. Candles were lit on her festival day.
• In some cultures, children brought money to school so their teacher could buy treats. The boy or girl bringing the most money was crowned king or queen of Candlemas.
• In Luxembourg, children sang and carried candles door-to-door. They were treated with candy at the houses where they stopped.
• Any Christmas decorations not taken down on Epiphany were to be left up until Candlemas. At that time, all decoration had to be taken down. http://tinyurl.com/yjo6mx9

Before Groundhog Day, It Was Candlemas - New England Historical Society

tinyurl.com/82hqip18 

And of course, one of my blog posts with stories about candles. 

Countless Candles and Gratitude
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2015/06/countless-candles-and-gratitudes.html 

Candlemas is a celebration of light, the day of candles, but in many parts of the world it is thought of by both young and old as pancake day! http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/traditions/candlemas/

For the children. Help the groundhog find his shadow: http://www.bry-backmanor.org/actpag26.html

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.