Free Groundhog Day Activities for Preschoolers and Kindergarten

These free Groundhog Day activities are fun, easy to use, and will keep your kids engaged.

I always found Groundhog Day to be a tricky holiday to teach – both in the classroom and with my kids at home. I didn’t have any ready-to-go resources and it’s hard to find lesson plans that actually teach something, and not just fill time.

That’s why I created these free printable Groundhog Day worksheets and craft – to help you save time and make your day go smoothly. Plus, I’ve included several fun Groundhog Day activities that you can add to your day with very little prep.

What is Groundhog Day?

Groundhog Day is quirky tradition that’s celebrated on February 2nd. 

The story goes, if a groundhog sees its shadow when it comes out of its burrow, we’re in for six more weeks of winter. If there’s no shadow, spring will come early.

The most famous groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil and he lives in Pennsylvania. 

Every year since the late 1800s, people have gathered in Punxsutawney, PA on February 2 to watch Phil predict if we’ll have an early spring. 

OK, not really scientific. But, it’s a fun way to get kids talking about seasons, weather, and how to make predictions.

Groundhog Day Lessons

Groundhog Day is a small holiday, so it doesn’t require much prep – yay!

You can make it as elaborate as you want, but I use simple activities that I can fit into my regular routine. The key is that they are different enough to get the kids excited. Plus, the hands-on activities help them stay engaged.

Our Groundhog Day lessons give kids a chance to practice:

• Making predictions
• Observing weather patterns
• Understanding cause and effect
• Talking about the seasons in a hands-on way

These are core early science and literacy skills that are taught throughout the year in preschool, Kindergarten, and first grade.

Celebrating Groundhog Day is a fun way to bring them together with short, memorable, and easy to prep lessons.

Free Groundhog Day Printables

For many years I really didn’t know how to celebrate Groundhog Day. At home, my kids would watch Punxsutawney Phil on TV, and we’d talk a little about shadows or the weather, but it felt incomplete. 

I wanted something a little more structured and a way to turn those conversations into something hands-on. 

I didn’t want to just wing it. I wanted a plan and ready-to-go materials.

To make Groundhog Day easy to celebrate, I created a Groundhog Day activities packet with a variety of printables that I could pick and choose from.

These pages are designed to be low-prep and easy to use. You can download these free Groundhog Day activities and use them right away – use one worksheet or use them all.

The holiday packet includes coloring pages, craft and props, a prediction worksheet, and diagrams that help explain the shadow tradition in a visual way.

Here’s what’s included:

Happy Groundhog Day Coloring Pages

These are great for morning work when kids are arriving to school, early finishers, and to use a packet cover.

Groundhog Day Color by Number

A fun way to sneak in number recognition and fine motor practice while sticking to the holiday theme. There are two versions – one with basic number recognition and one for matching numerals to number words.

For older kids, check out the Groundhog Day Addition and Subtraction and Multiplication and Division color by number worksheets in my TPT shop.

Shadow Diagrams (sees shadow / doesn’t see shadow)

These visuals make the story easier to understand. I’ve used them for circle time discussion and a weather-focused mini lesson.

Groundhog Day Prediction Worksheet

This simple guided layout helps kids make a prediction about whether the groundhog will see his shadow, explain their reasoning, and recognize the outcome. 

Groundhog Day Crafts

This freebies includes a printable sun, cloud, and groundhog template. I attach these to a jumbo popsicle stick for storytelling during circle time and pretend play.

There are also step-by-step directions to make a simple groundhog paper bag puppet that you can use as a craft and then later use for pretend play.

These Groundhog Day worksheets and craft are completely free and ready to use. 

How to Celebrate Groundhog Day with Kids

If you’re stumped on how to celebrate Groundhog Day at home or in the classroom, here are a few easy options.

Some of these ideas work better for homeschool or the classroom, but they can be adjusted based on what’s available to you.

Read Groundhog Day Books

Reading is a great way to introduce the holiday. The Night Before Groundhog Day is a fun read-aloud for younger kids. If you want something that goes more in depth on the holiday, check out Why We Celebrate Groundhog Day.

Watch Punxsutawney Phil’s Forecast

You can watch Phil live on the VisitPA website around 7:15 AM ET or check YouTube for a recording. 

Watching the event gives kids a chance to compare their predictions with the outcome and gives them a glimpse as to what happens at Gobbler’s Knob on February 2, which is where Phil lives.

As a heads up, the event is quite drawn out and not very engaging for young kids. If you watch the event, I suggest finding a 1-minute recording of Phil’s announcement on YouTube. 

Go on a Weather Observation Walk

Bundle up and head outside for a science lesson or movement activity. Ask your kids some prompts:

• Is it sunny or cloudy?
• Can you see your shadow?
• Look around. Do you see any signs of winter? How about hints of spring?

Create a Groundhog Puppet

Make a popsicle stick or paper bag groundhog puppet. Use the free printable template or make one from scratch with brown paper, googly eyes, and markers. You can have the puppet pop out of a large paper bag or construction paper burrow.

Pretend Play – Act it Out with Toys

Use small stuffed animals or the groundhog puppet to act out the groundhog coming out of its burrow. You can use the sun and cloud templates to help kids visualize if it sees its shadow or not. For additional practice, ask them to draw what they observed.

Make Shadow Art

To introduce or reinforce how shadows are formed, shine a flashlight on a toy animal or the groundhog puppet to create a shadow on a piece of paper. Then, have your kids trace and color the image.

Write a Groundhog Day Story

To practice storytelling and writing skills, ask your kids to write or dictate a short story about the groundhog’s big day. What does he see? Where does he go next? 

Graph Class Predictions

If you’re teaching a group, make a simple chart showing how many kids predict shadow vs. no shadow (longer winter vs. early spring). Then revisit the graph after the forecast.

These activities are simple to prep and easy to adapt. You can even turn them into a two-day mini-unit during the first two days of February.

• Day 1: Introduce the holiday and predictions
• Day 2: Demonstrate the outcome, craft, and pretend play

Groundhog Day Teaching Tips

These free Groundhog Day printables and activities are easy to plug into any teaching routine. Here are some ideas to get the most out of them:

Classroom Teachers

• Use the coloring pages as morning work while students arrive.
• Use the props and discuss the diagrams during circle time to introduce the holiday.
• Whole group activity: Create a classroom graph of student predictions — then compare results after revealing the forecast. 
• Centers or small groups: Use the puppet craft station for fine motor skills or storytelling practice.

Homeschool Moms

• Introduce the holiday using books and props. Then, fill out the prediction worksheet.
• Watch the live broadcast or a recorded clip of Punxsutawney Phil together, then chat about your child’s predictions. Obviously, the weather in your town may be very different than in Punxsutawney, PA. Use this time to show where Pennsylvania is located and how weather is different in different parts of the world.
• Extend the learning with the observation walk, shadow art, and paper bag groundhog puppet craft.
• Wrap up with the coloring pages. These work well for quiet time, while you’re working with another child, or busy making lunch.

While Groundhog Day is rooted in tradition and legend, these activities are designed to reinforce observation and reasoning skills in a fun, hands-on way. 

And because they require little to no prep, they’re easy to fit into even the busiest day.

Download the Free Groundhog Day Activities

Groundhog Day isn’t a major holiday, but it’s a way to jazz up the beginning of February. I hope these free Groundhog Day printables and simple activities help you have a fun and memorable February 2nd.

Happy Groundhog Day! 

For more seasonal learning activities, check out these free printables on Farming Mom. I’ve created these resources to help you save time, keep kids engaged, and make everyday learning feel a little more fun.