How to Celebrate Groundhog Day with Epic STEAM Challenges (2024)

Inside: Groundhog Day STEAM Challenges are a great way to get into the spirit of Groundhog Day!

Have you ever done a STEAM challenge with your kids?

It’s one of my favorite things to set up. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to help kids grow and develop their ability to solve problems and think creatively.

STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math. STEAM challenges are projects that allow children to incorporate one or more of these subjects to test ideas and create a variety of solutions. It makes learning fun!

Sometimes, you will see STEM without an “A” for art, but incorporating art enables more integration and cross-subject connection to take place. Art doesn’t refer just to visual arts such as painting; it also includes design, writing, music, humanities, drama, and new media such as the internet.

The trick to avoiding just giving kids the answer when things are not working out is to develop a set of encouragements that inspire them to keep trying and exploring alternative solutions. Every kid is different, and only trial and error will show what works in each case. In the end, it’s the process, not the answer, that really builds the brain.

Some of my favorites are:

• Think! What’s the next best thing to do now?!
• Every option you tried that didn’t work made you wiser.
• You just can’t beat a person who won’t give up.
• Every problem has a solution, and you will find it.
• If you can’t find a way, you make one. Bravo!
• There is no failure except in no longer trying.
• You persist when things get tough. I love it.
• You can find a way through this. I believe in you.

The best part about STEAM challenges is that you can use whatever you have on hand: the contents of the recycle bin, Q-tips, popsicle sticks, blocks, water, stones, etc. No special supplies are required, but if you do have special supplies like LEGO blocks and googly eyes, add them too!

An Epic Theme

There is no such thing as the right or wrong way to do a challenge. However, there are several advantages to using a catchy, mind-stimulating theme.

A thematic challenge is a framework based on a particular topic. A theme creates a fertile context, allows for real-world connections, and makes learning more relevant. It also motivates me as a teacher because it’s just more fun to teach using a theme. Themes turn any day into a celebration.

Today’s topic is Groundhog Day!

Let’s find out more about Groundhogs with these challenges!

Printable Groundhog Day STEAM Challenge

Challenge #1: Build a groundhog.

Making groundhogs with LEGO bricks – or any bricks – is a fun building challenge and a great way to get into the spirit of Groundhog Day.

Materials: LEGO or another type of building block; if you don’t have eyepieces, add some googly eyes.

Challenge #2: Build a groundhog shadow tall enough to touch the tape.

A groundhog’s weather prediction (according to folklore) is based on whether or not he sees his shadow emerging from his burrow on February 2nd each year. As you can expect, groundhogs see a shadow when the skies are clear. Clouds block sunlight, so the shadows disappear if it’s an overcast day.

Today, you will attach tape (we used washi tape) horizontally on a wall (see the pic above). The challenge is to make a groundhog with blocks tall enough to touch the tape with its shadow (look where our shadow is). We used the LEGO groundhog we made in the first challenge, but you can just use any random block to represent your groundhog. You can also print a picture of a groundhog in our download and take it to a block.

You can move the groundhog closer and further away from the wall and make a stand taller and shorter. It’s an excellent challenge to help kids understand the relationship between the relative position of light and the shadow it creates.

We had lots of natural light on the day of the challenge, but you can always shine the flashlight at the blocks to test the groundhog shadow’s relative position on the wall.

Materials: tape, LEGO, or other blocks, and a sunny day or a flashlight.

Challenge #3: Build a burrow for a groundhog.

Groundhogs build strong, multi-entrance burrows with multiple rooms; even a separate bathroom area needs to keep the rest of the space clean. Using your choice of materials, build a cozy burrow for a groundhog.

You might want to start by drawing your idea on a planning sheet (see appendix).Bonus: your kids might decide they want to build a burrow for themselves – cue the pillows, yoga mats, and blankets.

We used brown paper and lots of dry leaves we kept between the pages of a book since last year.

Some suggested materials: index cards, craft sticks, construction paper, tape, scissors, glue, paper plates, blocks, leaves, butcher paper, boxes, paper cups, store-bought or homemade clay, rope, or string.

Challenge # 4: Keep a groundhog at the bottom of the water as long as possible

Groundhogs are excellent swimmers and divers. They can not breathe underwater, but they can successfully hold their breath for a few minutes.

In this challenge, you are required to keep the groundhog under the water as long as possible without using your hands. You can use the block groundhog you made in challenge #1 above or print a paper groundhog (see appendix) and place it inside a zip-lock plastic bag to make it last through many trials.

We tried both and found the paper groundhog much more challenging. It kept floating up (because it’s so light), defying all our efforts 🙂 We finally weighed it down with paper clips and Christmas-themed clothespins because we attached them to the bag.

Materials: a bucket of water, paper clips, straws, craft sticks, clay, string, egg cartons, empty soda can, corks, foil, wood chips, foil, sand, pebbles, and erasers.

Challenge #5. Keep a paper groundhog dry in the rain.

Groundhogs have a double layer of fur that keeps their coat waterproof. We thought it might be fun to explore what goes into making something impervious to water. The best waterproof jackets in nature are the result of natural adaptations that take hundreds (if not thousands) of years to develop. However, researchers have found ways to use nature as an inspiration for many technological innovations (i.e., velcro).

The challenge: waterproof a paper groundhog with common household items, and then spray him with water to test your success. We used a Crayola crayon because it’s made from paraffin wax and proofed to be an excellent waterproofing material.

Materials: paper groundhog (download ours or draw your own), a spray bottle filled with water, or use another source of water, a tray, or a waterproof surface like a marble countertop. As well as an assortment of things like cloth, zip-lock sandwich bags, bubble wrap, cotton balls, packing foam, scissors, feathers, wax crayons, balloons, egg cartons, and straws.

One of my kids made a groundhog a cute bubble wrap outfit, but when we sprayed it with water…. it got wet because there was a crack between the folds!

Challenge #6: explore how food can be separated into solids and liquids.

Groundhogs never drink water! So, how do groundhogs stay hydrated? They eat vegetables with high water content, such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Brainstorm some ways foods can be separated into both solids and liquids.

Next, let’s separate the green leaves (we started with kale and spinach, then added lettuce) into a solid and a liquid. Place the greens in the blender and process for a minute. Then, place them in a fine mesh strainer, hold them over a bowl, and push on the greens with a spoon. (We also tried cheesecloth in the past, and it made extracting liquid much easier than the strainer). Even though kale is 84% water, we weren’t very successful in squeezing the juice out through the strainer. So, we added some lettuce (which is 96% water), and it helped a bit.

What can you do with the green juice you made? Drink it! If it isn’t sweet enough for you, add kiwi and cucumber. I also love to use this green juice as part of my favorite salad dressing recipe.

Materials: greens, strainer, spoon, cups.

Challenge #7: Explore different materials to make a musical instrument that works.

Groundhogs make a variety of sounds: whistling, grunting, chirping, screeching, chuckling, and even teeth chattering. Experiment with different materials to make sounds. You can tap, blow, scratch, join different materials together, etc. What sounds do you hear? Remember: your goal is to be able to play the instrument!

We stretched rubber bands of different sizes over a container, and it made strangely satisfying sounds (just like a real guitar!). My daughter even managed to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Heart (sort of 🙂

Materials: cardboard tubes, chip canisters, plastic cups and containers, various bottles from a pantry, hair combs, straws, craft sticks, tape, rubber bands, string, scissors

Challenge #8: Grow a plant from a seed

Groundhogs’ favorite foods include beans, peas, lettuce, and broccoli. Let’s follow a plant’s growth from seed to sprout. Keep a seed moist for a few days to help it sprout, then (if you wish) plant your seed in the soil and watch it grow even more. Keep caring for the plant and use a recording sheet to track its growth over time (see appendix). If you need more details, we have a separate post, From Seed to Lemon Tree, here.

Materials: lemon seeds (or other seeds), clear jars, water, potting soil, paper towel, or cotton balls.

Remember, STEAM challenges are meant to be open-ended and provide many possible solutions. Embrace the uncertainty and make something fun out of it!

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