We did this fun Groundhog Day science activity last year and it was such a great learning activity! This year I thought I would share it a week in advance so you have a little bit of time to prepare if you want to join us. I shared the set up of the activity yesterday, and here are the results:
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Happy Groundhog Day! Ridiculous thing to say. And yet, I mean it. Because we are celebrating our way through gloomy February!
Which also means that very soon you will be inundated with love, heart, and pink posts for Valentine’s Day. Better than February hate mail posts though …
Yesterday I shared our post on a Groundhog Day activity I was planning for my little ones. Well, today we actually did the shadow tracing, and it turned out pretty cool, so I thought I would share our results.
We ended up with a bright and sunshiny (though frigidly cold) day today. A great day for a groundhog to see his shadow … which, you may recall predicts another 6 weeks of winter. But don’t worry – as it turns out Phil, the ‘head’ groundhog only has a 39% accuracy rate. So I am betting he is wrong.
Well, hoping he is wrong. Really, really hoping.
Regardless, the bright sunshine today made for some wonderful shadow tracing and learning too. My Sam loved this activity so much we will be doing it again soon. No need to wait until next groundhog day.
I think we might trace Sam on some cardboard and trace that shadow each hour. He would definitely get a kick out of that.
This science activity was nice and simple. (Well, would have been without the 2 year old ‘helping’)
I laid out some paper where our cardboard groundhog’s shadow fell. (And then Ben crumpled it all up. We talked a bit, then I re-laid the paper. Then he crumpled it all up again. Then I waited until naptime.)
At Ben’s naptime I laid the paper in front of the window where our patient little groundhog’s shadow was still falling.
Sam traced the shadow using a marker, and then I wrote the time of the tracing.
We repeated this twice more, about 45 minutes spacing the tracing. The shadow moved very quickly. It was quite cool to track!
And then Benjamin awoke … and with an apple in hand, and a sly little smile …
Our science was done for the day … Boy he is quick! And sneaky! Lots of learning to be had for Benjamin today as well!
A lesson on science, and then a lesson on patience and forgiveness for Mr. Sam today.
I have spirited, busy little ones who certainly keep me on my toes. And they add in so many more elements to each and every activity I suggest!
This will be a fun activity to do in the summer outside with chalk as well. Oh, why do I do that to myself … summer … so, so far away …
Thank you so very much for reading friends! I hope you are having a wonderful week.
If you want to LOVE staying home with your little ones my eBooks make it easy!
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