Hibernation Theme
While it is cold and snowy outside, it is the perfect time to do a hibernation theme with little ones. Check out these fun activities.
Why Teach Kids about Hibernation
Nature Awareness
Helping children learn about animal behavior, their habitats, and the cycles in nature fosters a connection to nature. This connection helps them care about animals and the environment, which is imperative for keeping our ecosystems (and planet) thriving.
Scientific Concepts
Weekly themes like hibernation allow you to teach scientific concepts like ecosystems, adaptations, and seasons in an engaging and fun way.
Curiosity and Inquiry
A hibernation theme can help with critical thinking, curiosity, and inquiry. Once preschoolers learn what hibernation is, the gears in their brains start to turn as they consider how it may work.
Empathy
Seeing how animals prepare for winter can help little ones empathize with other living things.
How they prepare for the unknown and the cold may be slightly different from how your preschooler prepares, which provides the perfect opportunity to discuss the differences and how we humans may lend a helping hand (making bird feeders, etc.).
This article may contain affiliate links to products that may help you when homeschooling preschool.
Books
Although we don’t have a dedicated book list for hibernation theme books, we do have a book list about bears with some great books about hibernation.
Hibernation Theme Activities
Hibernation Sorting
Sort pictures of animals, whether they hibernate or not. It’s best to do this after reading some hibernation books or after you have learned a bit about what animals hibernate.
Hibernation Den
Task your little one with making a den for their stuffy to hibernate in. Add some small blankets (or washcloths) to use as little blankets for the teddies to snuggle with while they sleep.
Hibernation Freeze Dance
Play music. When the music stops, little ones freeze and hibernate by curling in a ball and pretending to sleep. When the music starts, they get back up and dance some more.
Hibernation Habitat Matching
Match up animals and the habitats they hibernate in. Bears have dens, hedgehogs can hibernate in a log pile, bats hibernate in caves, and box turtles hibernate under the leaves and soil.
Hibernation Collage
Create a picture that shows a place with different animals hibernating. Provide pictures of the animals you want to focus on.
Draw a line for the ground, but be sure to leave plenty of room for animals to hide both above and below it.
Draw some holes underground for rabbits, turtles, and chipmunks to hide. Create a den for bears to lay in. Add trees and logs for other animals.
Add the animal pictures to their hibernation spots.
You can stretch out some cotton balls to create snow on the ground!
This activity can be added to throughout your hibernation theme, too!
Teddy Bear Graham Cracker Den Counting
Cut out a rainbow shape from the rim of the paper bowl. Start the rainbow at the rim and make it almost as tall as the bowl’s height. Do this to two bowls.
Flip the bowls over to make dens.
Roll a die. Add that many Teddy Bear graham crackers to one den. Repeat with the other den. Lift the dens to see which one has more bears in it.
Take all the bears out and continue rolling, sorting, and comparing.
Tree Hibernation Station
Stack two cardboard boxes. Cut flaps on the front of the box, but keep the flap attached (only cut three sides). This will make it more like a door.
Let your little one play with the tree hibernation station by putting stuffed animals in it to prepare for winter and hibernation.
Sensory Bin
Use whatever sensory bin material you would like. Fake snow may be a good fit!
Add cups, toilet paper tubes, and bowls with part of the sides cut out to make a cave. Include small plastic animals, and let your little one enjoy playing hibernation.
Letter Hibernation Hide and Seek
Turn paper or plastic cups upside down. Write different letters on the bottom of each cup. Hide paper or plastic hibernating animals under different cups.
Have your little one say the letter and lift the cup to look for the hibernating animals.
This simple game can be reused even when your hibernation theme is completed.
Gathering Snacks Necklace
As animals prepare for hibernation, they either consume or store food for the winter. Have your preschooler make a snack necklace so they can gather snacks and be ready for when hunger strikes.
Grab some embroidery floss, yarn, string, etc. Add tape to one end to make a needle of sorts. String on one snack item and tie it to near the other end of the yarn. Let your preschooler string on snack foods with holes, like pretzels or cereal.
Once they are done stringing on their snacks, tie the ends together and let them wear them.
Activities about Hibernation
When channeling your inner hibernating bear isn’t an option, these hibernation themed activities may just save the day. They use stuff you probably already have on hand and are simple to set up. That’s a win-win in our book!
