EHS Hibernation

Changes to Environment

Hibernation File Folder Game (match animals to their hibernation spots)

Plastic and/or Stuffed Animals (the ones that hibernate, groundhogs, bats, mice, bears, frogs, etc)

Pictures of animals hibernating

Books about hibernation

Plastic or pictures of foods that animals store for winter (nuts, eggs, bones, etc)

Twigs, leaves, etc

“Little Mouse, Little Mouse, Where is your House?” game

Big Cardboard Box “cave”

Magazine clippings of animals that hibernate, are gathering food, and/or are hibernating

Pajama’s

House Coat

House Shoes

Night Cap

Brown collage material

Discovery with twigs, acorns, etc. (be sure it is glued shut)

Water Table: plastic animals that hibernate, brown water, sorting bears, etc

Sensory Table: dirt, grey paper bowls with hole cut out of side (looks like a cave when upside down), leaves, large pom poms, sticks, large rocks, brown felts, animals that hibernate, small boxes, etc.

Teaching Concepts for Indoor Experiences

1. Draw a picture of what you think hibernation is

2. Name the animals that hibernate and look at pictures.

3. Talk about where animals hibernate and which ones hibernate there, look at pictures.

4. Hibernation File Folder Game

5. Talk about how the animals collect food to store for the winter. Play game where children gather food for winter

6. Explain how animals have to use their nose to sniff out the food they buried for winter, sniff and name what you smell

7. Use playdough to make a cave, tree, or any other place an animal can hibernate

8. Play “Little Mouse, Little Mouse, Where is your House? (In advance draw out and laminate 1 small mouse and 1 house shape (each of different color). Make sure your mouse is SMALLER than the house shape! Tell the children they are going to help find the hibernating mouse! Tell the children to close and cover their eyes! You hide the mouse under one of the houses. Tell the children to look now. Ask them to join with you in saying “Little Mouse, Little Mouse, where is your house?” Ask one child which house you should look under. (Encourage them to NAME the color, not just point, to reinforce color recognition*). ”Little Mouse, are you under the orange house?” Have the child lift up the orange house. “NO! Where could she be?” Continue with each child until found. Keep playing until every child has had a turn.

9. Where's the Teddy Bear? 

10. Paint a paper plate and 2 cupcake liners brown or black, glue cupcake liners to plate for ears, add eyes and nose 

Teaching Concepts for Outdoor Experiences

1. Look on playground and see if you have anywhere an animal could hibernate.

2. “Bury the nuts” and try to find them. (can bury whatever you have on hand or just hide it and have children try to find it)

3. Build a “cave” with blocks

4. Gather materials you can use to make a bed for hibernating (twigs, leaves, etc)

5. Parachute Play (bounce the winter animals right out of the parachute, say it’s time to go to sleep)

6. Bear Hunt follow paper bear paw prints around the playground

7. Nature Walk

Teaching Concepts for Music Movement Wellness IMIL

1. Hibernation  (tune: Alouette)

Hibernation. Time for Hibernation.

Hibernation. Time to go to sleep.

In the winter where’s the bear?

Sleeping in its log or lair.

Where’s the bear? Log or lair. OH!

In the winter where’s the frog?

Sleeping by a pond or log.

In the winter where’s the snake?

In the mud beneath the lake.

In the winter where’s the bat?

In a cave is where its at

2. Where Is Bear?  (tune: Where Is Thumbkin?)

Where is bear?

Here I am.

Here I am.

How are you this winter?

Very tired, thank you.

Go to sleep.

Go to sleep.

repeat using other animals that hibernate ex. rabbit, groundhog, raccoon, chipmunk, skunk, etc

3. Hibernation Song (tune: Are You Sleeping)

Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping

In the cave, in the cave.

I wonder when he’ll come out, I wonder when he’ll come out

In the spring, In the spring.

Birds are flying, birds are flying

In the sky, in the sky.

I wonder when they’ll come back, I wonder when they’ll come back,

In the spring, in the spring.

4. Hibernation Sleep (tune: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

Woody Woodchuck goes to sleep,

In his burrow dark and deep

stretch out to relax ; breathe deep

As you sleep, a watch I’ll keep

Now, curl up, your body’s warm

safe and sound from any harm.

Sandy Ground Squirrel stows away

Acorns for a snowy day

Plans to sleep the winter Through.

One night’s good enough for you.

So, cuddle on my shoulder, dear;

Feel my heartbeat; Mother’s near.

Bettty bat hangs down to sleep

in the cave so dark and deep

let us now turn out your light

rest your eyes all through the night

baby human on your back

Now I, too, will hit the sack.

5. Hibernation Freeze Dance (play music, when music stops call out a name of an animal, if it is an animal that hibernates the children will fall to the floor, if not they will say “No it doesn’t” and keep dancing)

6. Hibernation/Migration Song (tune: Allouette)

Chorus

Hibernation, time for hibernation, Hibernation, time to go to sleep.

In the winter, where’s the frog?

Sleeping by a pond or log.

Where’s the frog? Pond or log. OH!

Chorus

In the winter, where’s the turtle?

In the mud beneath the lake.

Where’s the turtle? In the lake.

Where’s the frog? Pond or log. OH!

Chorus

In the winter, where’s the bat?

In a cave is where it’s at.

Where’s the bat? A cave its at.

Where’s the turtle? In the lake.

Where’s the frog? Pond or log. OH!

Chorus Change to Migration

Migration, time for migration. Migration, time to fly away.

In the winter, where’s the bird?

Someplace warm is where he’s heard.

Where’s the bat? A cave its at.

where’s the Turtle?  In the lake.

Where’s the frog? Pond or log. OH!

Chorus

In the winter, where’s the Monarch?

It has flown to Mexico.

Where’s the bird? Warm its heard.

Where’s the bat? Cave its at.

Where’s the turtle? In the lake.

Where’s the frog? Pond or log.

7. HIBERNATION SONG

sung to the tune of Frere Jacques

Fill in the blank with a hibernation animal name and repeat for all!

________ are sleeping. ________ are sleeping.

All winter long! All winter long!

Sleeping all through winter is called hibernation.

They're snug and warm. Snug and warm.

Teaching Concepts for Fingerplays

1. Here is a Cave

Here is a cave. (bend fingers to form cave)

Inside is a bear. (put thumb inside fingers)

Now he comes out. (thumb out)

To get some fresh air.

He stays out all summer

In sunshine and heat.

He hunts in the forest

For berries to eat. (move thumb in circle)

When snow starts to fall

He hurries inside.

His warm little cave (thumb in)

And there he will hide.

Snow covers the cave

Like a fluffy white rug. (cover with other hand)

Inside the bear sleeps

All cozy and snug

2. A Squirrel Song (tune: She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain)

I’ll be gathering all the acorns till they’re gone.

I’ll be gathering all the acorns till they’re gone.

I’ll be gathering all the acorns, gathering all the acorns,

Gathering all the acorns till they’re gone.

(Children make collecting motion with their hands)

And I’ll put them all inside my little home.

I will put them all inside my little home.

I will put them all inside, put them all inside,

Put them all inside my little home.

(children pretend to place nuts in treehouse)

And I’ll eat the nuts until the winter’s gone.

I will eat the nuts until the winter’s gone.

I will eat the nuts until, eat the nuts until,

Eat the nuts until the winter’s gone.

(children pretend to eat acorns)

Then I’ll do it all again come next fall.

I will do it all again come next fall.

I will do it all again, do it all again,

Do it all again come next fall.

(children make gathering motion with hands and arms again)

3. Bear Hunt