Introduce Groundhog Day during literacy instruction. Read the poem "My Shadow" by Robert Louis Stevenson or the fairy tale "The Silhouette Party." Write the words of the poem on chart paper and call students up to circle letters, sounds or words that you are targeting at this time. Step by Step Child Care and Apples 4 the Teacher list other appropriate books and poems on their websites.
Use arts-and-crafts projects to introduce Groundhog Day. Kindergarten kids enjoy cutting, coloring and gluing. Make groundhog puppets, head bands and hats. You can also make a door sign that lets other classes know that your students are learning about Groundhog Day.
Incorporate Groundhog Day into science lessons. Since Groundhog Day is in early February, use this opportunity to teach about seasons, particularly the transition from winter to spring. You can also teach a unit on weather and precipitation and discuss the occurrence of snow and rain associated with this holiday.
Serve Groundhog Day snacks. Food is a great way to introduce this holiday. Bring unfrosted cupcakes to school. Distribute the cupcakes to the students and let them apply icing. Then let them decorate using vanilla wafers for ears, colored candies for eyes and marshmallows for teeth. You can find more snack ideas at Step By Step Child Care.