Volume 5, Issue 5
February 27, 2007

Talk with children about hibernation. Explain that during the colder months of the year, when food is scarce, some animals go into a deep sleep in a sheltered place. Discuss that the animals eat plenty of food before hibernating to take them through their long sleep.

Then help children learn this short rhyme to introduce them to some hibernating animals.

Brown bears do it,
Ladybugs too.
Bats and snakes,
And a frog or two.

Groundhogs, chipmunks
In a sleepy state.
What do they do?
They hibernate!

Susan LaBella
Editor, Early Childhood Education Newsletter

WHO'S HIBERNATING?
Choose an animal that hibernates and show some of its footprints on a piece of paper. Make copies of the footprint paper and use them to wind a trail in your classroom to a place where a picture of that animal or a stuffed toy of the animal is hidden (under a pile of blankets, in a covered shoebox, or something like that). Have children follow the tracks and find the hibernating animal.

IT'S A DEN!
Give each child a large paper grocery bag. Let children paint or color their bags to look like a bear den. (Use pictures for reference.) Children can also glue cotton balls on top of the den for snow. Invite children to wear pajamas and bring in their favorite teddy bears to hibernate in the dens. Place the dens around the room for all to enjoy as you read Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming or The Mitten by Jan Brett.

MAKE BEAR BISCUITS
Explain that bears are big hibernators that go into dens to sleep and have cubs. With children make bear biscuits. Give each child two refrigerator biscuits. They will use one for the bear's face; the other biscuit will be used to form a round nose and round ears for the face. Place raisins on the face for eyes and a cherry on top of the nose. Bake according to package directions and enjoy the biscuits while they are warm.

FOOD IS HARD TO FIND
This simple science experiment helps children see that in cold weather food can be hard for animals to find. Place a pineapple chunk in each section of an ice cube tray and fill the tray with water. Freeze the water to make ice cubes. Give children an ice cube and ask them to smell the pineapple. Now ask children to eat the pineapple. Ask, How difficult is it to smell or eat the pineapple? Explain that wintry conditions make it hard for animals to find or eat food in much the same way. This is why animals stuff themselves with food in the fall to last them through months of hibernation.

THE GROUCHY LADYBUG
Remind children that ladybugs hibernate in cold weather. They hibernate under rocks, leaves, or in crevices. Read to children The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. After reading, bring out a clock face with movable hands. Read the story again and let each child take a turn at moving the clock hands each time the ladybug in the story lands.

DO YOU HEAR IT?
Create a large ladybug shape using red poster board. Draw a black line down the middle of the shape. Give each child a self-sticking black dot. Let each student come forward as you say a word. If the word ends with the /g/ sound, the child presses the dot on the left side of the line. If the word begins with the /g/ sound, the black dot is pressed to the right of the black line.

Check out the following Web sites for additional background and activities.

Animals in Winter
Find out about hibernation and other methods of animal survival.
http://www.monroe2boces.org/programs.cfm?sublevel=726&subsubpage=82&subpage=54&master=3

Animals That Hibernate in Winter
Use this simple explanation and examples of animals that hibernate with your students.
http://www.saskschools.ca/%7Egregory/winter/win2.html

Ladybugs Hibernate
You'll find helpful information on ladybug hibernation here.
http://www.ladybug-fly-away-home.com/ladybugs-hibernate.html

Going Batty
This article on bats includes a paragraph on hibernation (page 2).
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/animals_amazing_facts/104035/2

Hibernation
An article that explains the "ins and outs" of hibernation, including the meaning of "torpor" and "diapause."
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/science_surfing/112415