Enjoy this fun Groundhog Day craft for toddlers (or kids of any age really)…just print, color and add a handprint for the groundhog’s shadow. You decide whether he sees his shadow or not based on where you place the shadow. If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, it’s another 6 weeks of winter.
Fun facts about Groundhog’s Day
- Each year Groundhog’s Day is celebrated on February 2
- The famous groundhog lives in Punxsutawney, PA, and his name is Phil.
- If Phil sees his shadow, then there will be another 6 weeks of winter, and if not then there will be an early Spring.
- He began his predictions in 1887 and has a track record of being about 39% accurate.
- Folklore has held that badgers, hedgehogs and groundhogs can predict the weather.
Save this Groundhog’s Day Craft for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…
Read & Craft
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The best way that I can think to elevate the crafting experience is to combine it with reading a good book. Here are some of our favorite Groundhog Day books for kids…
Supplies Needed:
- Crayons or markers
- Black or gray paint
- Large pompom (for painting)
- Groundhog Day printable
If you’re like me, there are never enough hours in a day. There are those things that I always mean to get around to…like crafting with my kids…but the day gets the best of me. So, I came up with a solution to reduce the prep and be ready to grab a craft to make whenever the opportunity presents itself.
To make crafting easier and way more do-able when life is hectic (and when isn’t it), we stick to a master list of basic craft supplies to make every single one of the hundreds of crafts you see here. And they all fit into one bag. So, you prep once, and you’re ready to go.
How to Make a Groundhog Day Craft
Step 1: Use the Groundhog Day Printble
- Choose one of the groundhog pictures and print it out.
- Printing onto cardstock is best but regular printer paper will work too.
*There are 2 versions to be colored and one that is pre-colored.
Step 2: Color It
- Color the picture with crayons or markers.
- Add any other details that you would like, such as cotton clouds or washi tape in the background.
Step 3: Add the Handprint Shadow
- Paint the palm of your hand with black or gray paint.
- Decide whether the groundhog will see his shadow or not so that you know where to place the handprint.
- Place the handprint in place as the groundhog’s shadow on the bottom half of the page.
*You can also do this with footprints or handprints with wee tiny little ones using the pre-colored option.
Fine Motor Skills Pointers and more
Any time I’m doing a coloring activity with a child working on their fine motor skills, I always break the crayons. By doing this, it makes it more likely that the child will use a mature tips pinch because there just isn’t enough crayon left to hold in a fisted grasp. And, let’s face it, the crayons are going to break at some point anyway. Let’s not be too precious about the craft supplies.
If I have a kiddo who’s working on visual perceptual skills and staying inside the lines when coloring, I may prep that activity ahead of time by putting a line of Elmer’s glue on the outer lines of the picture. Once it dries, it acts as a tactile border when coloring.
You can also choose to make this craft into a mosaic instead of just coloring. Tear up bits of paper or use small tissue paper square. Then just fill the spaces by gluing on the squares. For this particular craft, I would have on hand some blue, brown and green to fill in the sections of the groundhog picture. You will still be able to add the handprint on top. This is great for fine motor skills as your child picks up each piece and puts it in place.
When using the craft as a mosaic, you can also set it up to work on the skill of crossing midline. This is simply when one side of the body crosses the invisible center line of the body and moves into the space of the other side. Crossing midline can be extremely challenging for some kiddos, and is foundational for many other skills (like developing hand dominance). To set up the Groundhog Day activity to promote this skill, simply place the tissue paper or paper pieces opposite the hand your child is using so that they have to reach across to pick up each piece.
If you have a particularly sensory sensivite child who does not like having their hand painted, give them other options. Maybe they would be willing to have just a finger painted and can create a shadow by tapping repeatedly. They may be willing to wear a rubber glove and having to put the paint on instead. Or they can simply draw and color the shadow. Or you can create a homemade handprint stamp from a clean sponge…just cut it in the shape of a hand. Meet the child where he/she is rather than forcing them into a situation that causes them distress.
Enjoy this Groundhog Day Story
Save this Groundhog Craft for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…
