Groundhog’s Day Age 2’s and 3’s, 4’s and 5’s
Music: Simpy Mad About the Mouse
1. Storytime – Welcome Song
3. Fingerplay: Groundhog Day (to the tune of "Where is Thumbkin?)
Where is groundhog? Where is groundhog? (Thumb behind back)
Here I am! Here I am! (Bring thumb forward)
Shadows on this sunny day, (wiggle thumb)
Frighten groundhogs all away. (Thumb behind back)
Winter will stay! Winter will stay!
Where is groundhog? Where is groundhog? (Thumb behind back)
Here I am! Here I am! (Bring thumb forward)
My, oh my, a cloudy day. (Wiggle thumb)
I will stay outside to play. (Move thumb around)
Spring is near! Spring is near!
5. Sing: Five Little Groundhogs
The first little groundhog crept out of his lair. (fingers creep)
The second little groundhog said, "Is spring in the air?" (eyes look up)
The third little groundhog asked, "Is the time right?" (look at wrist watch)
The fourth little groundhog squirmed, "The sun is too bright!" (cover eyes)
The fifth little groundhog squeaked' "My shadow I see!" (look over shoulder at shadow)
"I'm not staying out here! No, siree! Not ME! (shake head "no")
"Back to my burrow I'm going to creep." (fingers creep)
"And for six more weeks I'm going to sleep!" (eyes closed, hands by face)
6. Craft: Popup Groundhog
You will need:
Brown construction paper, wiggle eyes, scrap of white craft foam, popsicle stick, scrap of black craft foam, white glue, markers, foam cup
Instructions:
Cut two small oval shapes from the brown paper (these need to be about as long as your index finger and about 5cm wide). Place a thin line of glue around one of the ovals leaving a gap at the bottom, and stick the other oval on top. Cut out two feet and a head shape from the brown foam and glue these to the top oval. Cut out a tiny white rectangle for the teeth and a tiny black oval for the nose. Glue the eyes nose and teeth to the head and leave to dry. When the glue is dry add some details with black pen. Cut slits in the top of the cup to make it look "grassy" and carefully poke a small hole in the bottom of the cup. Attach your puppet to one end of the popsicle stick. Slide the popsicle stick into the hole, so that your groundhog sits in the cup. Slide the popsicle stick up and down so your groundhog pops in and out of his burrow to check the weather! Can he see his shadow?
