Tot School: Groundhog Day/Shadows Week

Alright who are my team spring friends? I am always team spring, but whether you are team spring or team winter, here are some fun groundhog/shadow theme activities we did for Tot School this past week. Little Miss is 22 months old and had a blast with the things we did.

Groundhog Day & Shadows Activities

Here is a peek at what our groundhog/shadows week looked like.

Groundhog Day Books

These are some of the books on our Groundhog Theme Bookshelf. We absolutely love how fun and silly each of these books are.

(These book links include Amazon Affiliate links for your convenience, so that you can find and reference them easily and quickly. This just means that my blog receives a tiny compensation if you click on these links- at no extra charge to you.)

Groundhog’s Day by Gail Gibbons

Groundhog Gets A Say by Pamela Curtis Swallow

Ten Grouchy Groundhogs by Kathryn Heling

Who Will See Their Shadows This Year by Jerry Pallota

Substitute Groundhog by Pat Miller & Kathi Ember

Go To Sleep Groundhog by Judy Cox

Household Object Match

Grab some miscellaneous items from around the house and trace them onto a piece of paper and let your little one try to match them up to their “shadow” This was the first time Little Miss did this type of activity (besides puzzles) and did fairly well with it. The fact that they didn’t have indents like puzzles proved a little tricky for her, but I have no doubt after doing this a few more times and she will be a “pro” in no time.

Familiar Things Peg Puzzle

Puzzles are a great “shadow” type of activity. This is one that I left out on her table all week long and she gets better each time she does it.

Groundhog Paper Plate Craft

Set up this simple invitation to paint and get this adorable paper plate groundhog as the end result. Sit out some brown paint, paint brush, and a paper plate. Your hcild can paint the paper plate brown. Once dry add some construction paper ears and nose, add some googly eyes, and then draw on the rest of the face and add some construction paper teeth.

Groundhog Pudding Snack

This fun snack was simple to put together. I crushed up an oreo cookie and added it to the top of the pudding. I took a vanilla wafer and used some of the pudding to add ears, eyes, and a nose to our groundhog and then set him in the pudding to look like he was coming out of the ground. 

Shadow Making & Tracing

When the “weather” cooperated we were able to have lots of fun playing with and making shadows. We were not able to get outside between snow, rain, and just overall cloudiness, but we did spend several days making and playing with our shadows using toys and our bodies.

Groundhog Print Poem Keepsake

This adorable craft was something I saw on Pinterest, but didn't have a link to follow. Paint your little ones foot brown and press it onto the paper. Paint their hands green and press them on the paper to make grass. Draw on details once the paint drys.  I loved it so much and added some additional lines to the poem to incorporate spring. You can grab a copy of the printable I made (not my original poem) for free below. 

More Groundhog Day Ideas From the Blog

Grab the printable