With Groundhog Day right around the corner, this fun craft is a great way to learn a bit more about the holiday and sneak in some fine motor skills practice at the same time! It’s a chance to explore the traditions of Groundhog Day while getting creative with paints and paper plates.
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Why You’ll Love This Groundhog Day Craft
Making your own groundhog craft can be a fun tradition for young children. Educational activities about weather and seasons can incorporate simple art ideas like this. A groundhog puppet craft helps clearly illustrate how they pop out of a groundhog’s burrow and check for their shadow.
Every year on February 2nd, people watch to see a groundhog come out of its burrow. If the groundhog sees its shadow, it will go back inside and it is believed that we’ll have 6 more weeks of winter. If it doesn’t see its shadow, people believe that spring will come early.
Materials
- Paper plates
- Popsicle sticks
- Groundhog Template
- Paint (blue and brown)
- Paintbrushes
- Scissors
- Light and dark green construction paper
- Double-sided tape or glue
Instructions
Step 1)
Paint one paper plate blue and let it dry.
Step 2)
Make a brown hill out of a second paper plate by cutting it and painting it brown.
Step 3)
Use scissors to make a patch of grass from dark green construction paper and glue it to the blue paper plate, leaving room at the top for the sky.
Step 4)
Use light green construction paper to create more grass and attach it to the sides of the brown paper plate hill using glue.
Step 5)
Attach the paper plates together using glue, staples or double sided tape. Make sure to leave a space at the bottom to insert your groundhog popsicle stick puppet into so it can move.
Step 6)
Trim off any excess green construction paper.
Step 7)
Cut out your groundhog pieces from the template and paint it brown or color it with markers.
Step 8)
Then draw the details of its face using a marker. Attach the small ears to the head and head to the body with glue. Once the paint is dry, attach the groundhog to a popsicle stick or jumbo craft stick.
Step 9)
Lastly, insert the popsicle groundhog puppet into the paper plate and make it move!
Video Instructions
Prefer video instructions for this craft? Check out Crafty Kids Play on YouTube and watch the full video tutorial for this Groundhog Craft here.
Template Download
Download your free PDF groundhog pattern from the button below this next image. You can print your cute little groundhog template at home or at your local print shop. Older children will be able to cut the smaller pieces on their own. To make this an easy craft for kids of all ages, try to judge if you’ll need to cut out the groundhog shape in advance to avoid frustration.
This template is for your own personal use only, not for commercial use or resale.
Tips & Troubleshooting
Glue Issues:
If you’re using glue, just be careful not to go overboard – too much can make things sticky or messy. A glue stick may be easier than white glue for young children. A quick and clean alternative is using double-sided tape.
Drying Time:
Plan your painting steps to be the first thing you do so that the painted pieces have time to dry before you assemble the craft. Or, if you’re having issues with drying time, put your craft in front of a fan to help it dry faster. You can also plan for a short break in the middle of your craft time to learn more about the history of Groundhog Day while the pieces dry.
Safety First:
Use child-friendly scissors, and if needed, assist younger children with cutting. Ensure that any small items, such as small decorations, are securely attached to prevent choking hazards.
Variation Ideas
Ground Hog Burrow Variations
Instead of using a second paper plate and brown paint, you could use brown construction paper to create the burrow. Using dark brown or black marker would give the construction paper more of a textured look, or add some small circles for a pebbled effect.
Weather Elements:
Introduce weather elements to this fun groundhog craft by incorporating clouds, sun, raindrops, or snowflakes. Children can use cotton balls for clouds or add small paper cutouts for rain or snow. This modification enhances the educational aspect by connecting the craft to the broader theme of weather.
Shadow Play:
Another fun idea is to enhance the craft by introducing a simple shadow play element. Position a light source to cast shadows behind the groundhog puppet, creating an interactive experience. Or, remove the puppet from the paper plate and use it with a flashlight to create a shadow play on the walls. This addition ties directly to the Groundhog Day tradition of predicting the weather based on the groundhog’s shadow.
Mixed Media Exploration:
Interested in using materials beyond paint? Try more colored paper, black or brown pom poms, fabric scraps, or even natural elements like twigs or small stones. This allows children to experiment with different textures and materials, creating a sensory-rich crafting experience.
Benefits of This Groundhog Day Craft For Kids
Fine Motor Skills Development:
This craft involves various hands-on activities, such as painting, cutting, and assembling, which contribute to the development of fine motor skills in young children. Precise movements are required during tasks like painting the paper plates, cutting out shapes, and attaching the groundhog puppet to the stick.
Educational Exploration:
The craft serves as an engaging educational tool for teaching kids about Groundhog Day, weather patterns, and seasons. Creating a groundhog puppet allows children to visualize the tradition of the groundhog emerging from its burrow and checking for its shadow, helping kids understand what the day is all about.
Creativity and Imagination:
Encouraging children to design and personalize their groundhog puppets fosters creativity and imagination. The process of painting, decorating, and assembling the craft allows kids to express themselves artistically while bringing the story of Groundhog Day to life.
Storytelling and Communication:
This simple craft is so much fun for encouraging storytelling. Once the craft is done, children can engage in imaginative play by making up stories about their groundhog puppets. This activity encourages storytelling and communication skills as kids express themselves.
Final Thoughts
This fun project is great for a classroom activity as well as for learning and playing at home. Whether you think Groundhog Day is a fun holiday or a silly tradition based on weather predictions, making your own little groundhogs can be great for imaginative play and fine motor skill practice.
Try this Layers of The Earth cut paper craft for another fun and educational craft, or get ready for spring with this Tissue Paper Flower Garden craft!
Stick around Crafty Kids Play for more craft ideas, sensory activities and free printables for kids!
