Showing posts with label Ground Hog's Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ground Hog's Day. Show all posts

Monday, January 30, 2012

Groundhog's Day Greetings

Send a little Groundhog's Day Greeting to someone you love!


Just another snowy day... or is it?
Out pops Groundhog!  Will there be shadow or none?

Doesn't really matter with all the pop-up fun!


Put a cute photo on the back and a clever greeting... Ours says:
Come winter!  Come Spring!
Start the party, Do your own Thing!

(we have a little Groundhog's Day tradition involving wearing lei's while eating chocolate popsicles)







Groundhog'Slabels



Confessions of a Stay At Home Mommy

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Groundhog's Day Menu

Breakfast:
I had to be at work minutes after the kids got on the bus, so this I kept really simple... A single sized container of shredded mini wheats (like dried grass!) for each them. They were thrilled as only kids can be though, as this isn't something they normally eat!

Lunch:
Sandwich cut with groundhog cookie cutter
Applesauce
Amy's cheddar bunnies
Groundhog salad (julienned carrots, raisins, and sunflower seeds)
Groundhog cookie

Dinner:
Carrot and Potato Soup
Garden Biscuits (cut in groundhog shape)
Salad
Groundhog Cupcakes

The soup was especcially yummy!  I was hoping for a creamy soup without having to use cream, and that's exactly how it turned out. I will be making this again soon...think the Easter Bunny would like it, too?

Groundhog's Favorite Carrot and Potato Soup

6 peeled carrots
2 peeled potatoes
1 medium onion
veggie or chicken bouillon
pepper to taste
1 tbs. fresh minced ginger (optional for adults!)
olive oil

Chop carrots and potatoes into thin slices (food processor makes this easier). Chop the onion into large wedges and saute in olive oil until translucent in a large soup pot, or until you get bored.  Add potatoes and carrots to onion, stir and saute until soften (or you get bored).  Cover the veggies with water and boil until tender.  Remove veggies and puree in food processor.  Return to soup pot.  Add more water and bouillon,  until the desired consistency.  Allow to simmer.  Add pepper to taste.

For the grown ups:  add 1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger with the carrots and potatoes.  Add plenty of black pepper to taste.  Garnish with thinly sliced scallions and julienned carrots.


Groundhog's Day Cupcakes




Faces:  chocolate frosting in center circle
Teeth:  almond slivers
Eyes:  snipped marshmallow with mini-chocolate chip pupil (snip point off of chip and stick on sticky side of marshmallow
Nose:  mini-peanut butter cups from Trader Joe's (but a snip of tootsie roll would work, too) with a red circle sprinkle stuck on with a little bit of frosting

And best of all... the ears!  This worked so well I'm definitely going to use this the next time I need ears, and get my boys to help. They would love this job!  I snipped a tootsie roll midge (small size) into three pieces, then rolled each piece flat.  Bend them a little, then stick behind eyes into the cake. Their firm shape make them easy to insert.

For the cake, I chose lemon because that sounded like the sunniest flavor for a pre-spring celebration.  I made a half-recipe and substituted fresh lemon juice and peel for flavorings. The recipe made 14 cupcakes.  Yummy!







Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Ground Hog Felt Finger Puppets


Will it be 6 more weeks of winter? Use this little guy as a shadow seeker!  Glue  knotted thread behind the nose for whiskers. Fabric paint works great for the eyes and nose.  Happy Ground Hog’s Day!
.
For stories to go along with this puppet, see here.



Ground Hog Finger Puppet Pattern

Peek-a-Boo Felt Groundhog Puppets

Returning from 2011... action-packed peek-a-boo groundhog's day puppets!  I am making 50 of these for my son's classes this year.... Phew!















Make groundhog go back to sleep after seeing his shadow by pulling on the ribbon. Poke your finger in to make him peek from his grassy burrow one more time... did he really see his shadow?








Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Groundhog's Day Activity



Here's a fun way to start off Groundhog's Day with your little ones... 

Pin a sheet over a doorway. Poke a play tunnel (cardboard box would work, too) under the sheet.

Over the tunnel I made a sign "Groundhog's Tunnel" with a picture of a groundhog (see template on Groundhog's window decoration page).

After the kids crawl through in the morning, they can look for their shadow in the window light.

A small surprise will be waiting for them on the floor on the other side of the tunnel (mini-wheats cereal and finger puppet).






Monday, January 31, 2011

Groundhog's Day Cookies!

Why celebrate Groundhog's day? It is (approximately) half way between winter solstice and spring equinox... half way through winter! Got cabin fever yet?


My family LOVES these groundhog cookies. Whenever I make them, people always ask for the recipe... It is basically an irristable (butter and sugar!) molasses cut out recipe:


http://www.penzeysone.com/cgi-bin/one/GroundhogR1.html




1) Mix together and set aside: 
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. powdered ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon


2) Cream 1/2 Cup butter, 1 Cup sugar




3) Add 1/2 cup molasses and 1 egg yolk to creamed butter/sugar and mix.


4) Comine dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
5) Chill dough until managable.


6) Preheat oven 350.


7) Cut cookies from dough on floured surface, brush with egg white. Add raisin bits or currants for eyes.


8) Cook 8-10 minutes.


9) Cool on cookie sheet before removing!!
10) Yum!


If you don't have a groundhog cookie cutter, you can always cut one out of cardboard and use a knife to cut around the cardboard shape on the dough.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Groundhog's Day Picture Book Selections

There's nothing like picture books to help set the mood for holiday celebrations with little ones.  We've enjoyed the books below so much, we had to share....

Groundhog's Weather School, by Joan Holub

Our highest recommendation!  This was a perfect choice for my kids, 5 and 8.  A blend of science, history, cute illustrations, and fun story.  In one part, "real" groundhogs are discussed, and not just Phil. My 3rd grader was thrilled to have already heard about a groundhog that predicts the superbowl champion when they discussed it in class on groundhog's day. Cheers to a great book!






Go to Sleep, Groundhog!  By Judy Cox                                                                                                    In this cute story, groundhog keeps waking up before Feb. 2. A fun review of the holidays that happen between October, when groundhog first tries to hibernate, through Groundhog's day.  The cute illustrations and changing holiday traditions captivated my kindergartener who is just building his sense of a calendar year. 


How Groundhog's Garden Grew, by Lynne Cherry
A real keeper!  This book has less to do with groundhogs than it does about gardening and being a good neighbor. Squirrel teaches groundhog how to grow his own garden rather than stealing from his neighbors.  The detailed illustrations and great discussions on gardening (including seeds!) and where/when our produce comes from were of interest to both of my kids.  Bravo! 

This reminds us of another favorite gardening book (Tops and Bottoms, Janet Stevens) that has a great moral lesson (bear and rabbit neighbors), detailed illustrations, and excellent information for kids on vegetables (sometimes we eat the tops, sometimes the bottoms, and sometimes the middle). It is a Caldecott honor book!










Time for Bed, The Secret of Shadows by Lisa Allen and Vickie Johnson

A book on shadows is a perfect companion to any groundhog's day celebration.  Our favorite is so creative and useful, we think it is a must for any family with kids who are sometimes afraid of the dark and/or who are curious about how shadows work. In a simple story, the children see how spooky shadows are made from ordinary objects in their room.  Even better, YOUR kid is the one making the shadows with a flashlight within this lap-sized shadow theater.  Is this a book or a toy? I love it when learning is fun!  The authors show that they really understand how kids learn... by controlling the shadows themselves rather than just reading about it and looking at pictures or listening to parental lecture, kids have a better chance at retaining the experience and remembering when fear of the dark strikes them next.  Thank you, Lisa and Vickie!


Saturday, January 29, 2011

Make Your Own Groundhog's Day Window Decorations


Looking for a cute way to decorate windows or a bulletin board for Ground Hog's Day?  I used vinyl cling sheets to cut cloud and sun shapes.  The packages don't contain brown, so I'm still working on Ground hog shapes.  The next fun choice is Pebeo Arti Stick window paint (amazon).  You "paint" with this onto a plastic sheet and allow to dry 24 hours. Then, peel and stick!  My kids and I have had a blast with this, and we still have some that are several years old-- I bring them out seasonally.  Of course, paper ground hogs would be fine as well!  For now, the bright suns and clouds look cute on the windows with the foam ground hogs hanging over the porch in front of them (see ground hog yard ornament post).

Amazon carries the vinyl sheets:





You are welcome to use the template below!

Groundhog's Day Template 0001

For a dear and lovely story to go with this, that all kids can definitely relate to, try Cloudette.







Monday, March 1, 2010

Valentine's Day/Ground Hog's Day February Name Tags

I used these Valentine ground hogs as February name tags over the coat hooks at my son's preschool by writing the student's names on the hearts. The groundhogs could be used as decorations or cards, too. I made extras for our family to decorate the fridge. You can download the template below.


Valentine Groundhog Template

Friday, February 19, 2010

Ground Hog Felt Finger Puppets 2010

Ground Hog Felt Finger Puppets 2009


Make up a batch of these guys to help your class or party guests determine whether spring is coming or 6 more weeks of winter! 

Crafty Hint:Tie four lengths of thick thread together for whiskers and glue under nose.


Ground Hog Felt Finger Puppet

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Ground Hog Tree Ornaments/Outside Decorations

If you were thinking it was hard to find St. Patrick's Day decorations, have you ever found something for Ground Hog's Day?  Not that anyone really NEEDS Ground Hog's Day decorations, or that they would even recognize them if they saw them.... But in case you are looking for an idea, here's our tree ornament template. Have fun!





Ground Hog Template 0001