How to enjoy Groundhog Day: Outdoor Shadow Activities and Fun Facts (2024)

Learn more about – and enjoy – Groundhog Day with a few outdoor activities and fun facts.

Groundhog Day is celebrated primarily in The United States and Canada, and is a fun way to anticipate the upcoming change of season. It is celebrated on February 2 and — depending on how you feel about the current season — asks the question: When will winter finally end?, or, How much longer do we have to enjoy winter?

According to the lore, whether or not a groundhog sees his shadow will predict if winter will linger or spring will arrive early.

There is no scientific basis to this lore (shadow = longer winter), but it’s a fun opportunity to talk about shadows and enjoy related activities outdoors. Read on to learn more about Groundhog Day with a few outdoor activities and fun facts.

How to enjoy Groundhog Day: Outdoor Shadow Activities and Fun Facts (1)

history/legend of groundhog day

February 2 has long been celebrated as the festival of Candlemas, a day when Christians bring their candles to church to be blessed. According to an English folk song:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.

Thus was born the idea that this date could serve a role in predicting the rest of the season’s weather. When this tradition was brought to Germany, it evolved into a new version of the lore, when a hedgehog or badger’s shadow on February 2 would signal six more weeks of winter weather.

German settlers brought this lore with them to the United States, choosing a groundhog instead (as hedgehogs and badgers are not native/common in the U.S.).

These days, Groundhog Day is synonymous with Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where Groundhog Day events first appeared in newspapers in 1886.

Every year at 6:30 am on the 2nd of February, a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil makes his appearance on Gobbler’s Knob. As he emerges from his den, the presence or absence of his shadow will tell us whether the rest of the winter will be mild or harsh.

If the weather is clear and Phil sees his shadow, he will go back to his burrow and winter will last for 6 more weeks. If the day is cloudy and he sees no shadow, Spring will arrive early.

Phil’s Canadian counterparts include Ontario’s Wiarton Willie, Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie Sam and Quebec’s Fred La Marmotte.

How to enjoy Groundhog Day: Outdoor Shadow Activities and Fun Facts (2)
How to enjoy Groundhog Day: Outdoor Shadow Activities and Fun Facts (3)

Even if you don’t buy into the validity of Phil’s and Willie’s “predictions” (apparently Phil has only been right about 40% of the time), Groundhog Day is a great excuse to get outside and play with shadows!

outdoor shadow activities

Play shadow tag:

The person who is “it” tries to step on someone else’s shadow, who then becomes “it”. This is a no-contact game!

Trace your shadow:

Trace your shadow at different times of the day (in the snow, mud, or with chalk on your driveway) and see how it changes. Or hop on a bike or scooter and see how you look!

Alternatively, bring a favorite toy or figurine outside and trace its shadow at different times of the day.

How to enjoy Groundhog Day: Outdoor Shadow Activities and Fun Facts (4)

Go on a shadow walk:

Take a walk in the woods or around your neighborhood and point out all the shadows you see along the way.

Make shadow puppets:

With the sun behind you, see what shapes you can make with your hands. Can you make your shadow look like an animal?

Then, using your whole body, practice making different letters or numbers. You can also combine your own shadow with objects around you, seeing how many different shapes you can make.

Make a sun dial:

Use a paper plate or draw a circle on a piece of cardboard. In the very center of the plate or circle, tape a pencil, straw, or strand of (uncooked) spaghetti so that it sits upright, completely vertical.

Take your “sundial” out to a sunny and level spot. Draw a line where the shadow falls and write down the current time.

Come back one hour later and mark the line and time once again. Be sure to come out at regular 60-minute intervals (2:12, 3:12, 4:12, etc.). Setting a timer would be a great strategy!

If your spot might soon be shaded, move your sundial to a different location, being careful not to rotate it. (Move it right after your last mark, so you can line it up.)

Make a shadow monster:

Combine your shadow with that of a friend (or two) and make your own shadow monster! How many arms does it have? How many legs can you add?

How to enjoy Groundhog Day: Outdoor Shadow Activities and Fun Facts (5)

Fun facts about groundhogs:

Learn more about groundhogs with these fun facts:

  • Groundhogs are known my many different names, including: woodchuck, marmot, chuck, wood-shock, groundpig, whistlepig, whistler, thickwood badger, monax, moonack, weenusk, red monk and siffleux. The name “woodchuck” comes from the Algonquin name wuchak, which translates roughly to “digger”.
  • Groundhogs are rodents, belonging to a group of ground squirrels named marmots.
  • Groundhogs are native to North America.
  • Young groundhogs are called chucklings, kits, pups or cubs.
  • They have four incisors (front teeth) that grow 1.5mm or 0.0625in per week. They need to use them constantly to prevent them from growing too long.
  • When alarmed, they make a high-pitched whistle to warn others. (This is why they are sometimes called “whistlepigs”.)
  • Groundhogs hibernate in their burrows for 3-6 months (depending on climate). These burrows can be quite extensive — up to 9 metres (30 feet) in length and on several levels. They can remove up to 2700 kg (3 tons) of dirt when making their homes!
  • Although they spend most of the time on (and under) the ground, they can also swim and climb trees.
How to enjoy Groundhog Day: Outdoor Shadow Activities and Fun Facts (6)

Groundhog Day may seem silly to some, giving forecasting power to a ground-dwelling mammal… But it’s also a great excuse to get outside and play. This Groundhog Day, enjoy these activities and facts and make this shadow-observing day one to remember!

Check out our Groundhog Day activity pack here.

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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts

As an expert and enthusiast, I have access to a wide range of information and can provide insights on various topics. While I have personal experiences or emotions like a human, I can provide factual information and answer questions based on available data.

Now, let's dive into the concepts mentioned in the article about Groundhog Day.

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada on February 2nd. It is a fun way to anticipate the upcoming change of season and asks the question: When will winter finally end? According to the lore, whether or not a groundhog sees its shadow on this day will predict if winter will linger or if spring will arrive early. However, it's important to note that there is no scientific basis for this belief .

History and Legend of Groundhog Day

February 2nd has long been celebrated as the festival of Candlemas, a day when Christians bring their candles to church to be blessed. The idea that this date could serve a role in predicting the rest of the season's weather was born from an English folk song. When this tradition was brought to Germany, it evolved into a new version of the lore, where a hedgehog or badger's shadow on February 2nd would signal six more weeks of winter weather. German settlers brought this lore with them to the United States, choosing a groundhog instead, as hedgehogs and badgers are not native/common in the U.S. Groundhog Day events first appeared in newspapers in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, in 1886, and since then, Punxsutawney Phil has become synonymous with Groundhog Day .

Groundhog Day Activities

The article suggests several outdoor activities related to shadows that can be enjoyed on Groundhog Day. Here are a few of them:

  1. Play shadow tag: In this game, the person who is "it" tries to step on someone else's shadow, and the person whose shadow is stepped on becomes "it."
  2. Trace your shadow: Trace your shadow at different times of the day using snow, mud, or chalk on your driveway to see how it changes. You can also trace the shadow of a favorite toy or figurine.
  3. Go on a shadow walk: Take a walk in the woods or around your neighborhood and point out all the shadows you see along the way.
  4. Make shadow puppets: Use the sun behind you to make shapes with your hands and create shadow puppets. You can also practice making different letters or numbers with your whole body.
  5. Make a sundial: Use a paper plate or draw a circle on a piece of cardboard. Attach a pencil, straw, or strand of uncooked spaghetti in the center so that it sits upright. Take your "sundial" to a sunny and level spot, mark the line where the shadow falls, and write down the current time. Come back at regular intervals to mark the line and time again .

Fun Facts about Groundhogs

Here are some fun facts about groundhogs:

  • Groundhogs are known by many different names, including woodchuck, marmot, chuck, groundpig, and whistlepig.
  • They are rodents belonging to a group of ground squirrels named marmots.
  • Groundhogs are native to North America.
  • Young groundhogs are called chucklings, kits, pups, or cubs.
  • They have four incisors (front teeth) that grow about 1.5mm or 0.0625in per week.
  • When alarmed, they make a high-pitched whistle to warn others, which is why they are sometimes called "whistlepigs."
  • Groundhogs hibernate in their burrows for 3-6 months, depending on the climate. Their burrows can be quite extensive, up to 9 meters (30 feet) in length and on several levels.
  • Groundhogs can swim and climb trees, although they spend most of their time on the ground.

I hope you find this information helpful and enjoy celebrating Groundhog Day with these activities and fun facts!

How to enjoy Groundhog Day: Outdoor Shadow Activities and Fun Facts (2024)

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