Hibernation and Brumation
As we move into March and the days slowly start to warm up, it’s a great time to talk about hibernation and brumation winding down. While many animals have been tucked away in their cozy spots for the winter, it’s now the time when they begin to stir and emerge, ready for spring. Exploring how animals wake from their long, restful slumbers can be a fun and educational way to wrap up the winter season in your homeschool.
Hibernation Discovery Activities
For younger kids, it’s all about making learning fun and engaging. These hibernation activities for preschoolers are a fantastic starting point. This resource from Lessons 4 Little Ones provides free printables, craft ideas, and games centered on how animals prepare for winter and their return in spring. Your little ones will enjoy creating a bear cave craft, sorting animals by whether they hibernate or migrate, or playing memory games. These activities not only educate them about hibernation but also help them develop their sorting, matching, and fine motor skills.
Hibernation Behaviors
As we approach the end of the season, it’s also fun to explore how different animals “wake up” and get back to their routines. The brumation and hibernation resource from The Old Schoolhouse is a fantastic guide for explaining how different species of animals cope with the cold. Whether it’s a bear emerging from its den or a turtle slowly coming out of its burrow, this resource helps highlight the behaviors and physical changes animals undergo during this transition. It’s a great way to connect the dots between the biology of hibernation and brumation and the real-world behaviors we can observe in the spring.
This hibernation unit study from The Wolfe Pack includes reading materials, writing prompts, and activities that help your child explore hibernation and brumation in-depth. It’s perfect for learning about animal adaptations, their behavior, and the science behind their seasonal sleep patterns. Plus, it incorporates crafts, hands-on activities, and even themed snacks, so your child won’t just be reading about it—they’ll be creating and exploring the concept from all angles.
Learning about hibernation and brumation is a great way to reflect on the changing seasons and the wonders of the natural world. As animals emerge from their winter slumbers, it’s an exciting opportunity to tie together lessons on survival, adaptation, and biology in a way that’s both fun and informative. If your family is inspired by one of the animals in this hibernation study and wants to dig deeper, check out these Homeschool Living posts on ladybugs, bears, or bats.
As the snow melts and the days grow longer, take a moment to explore the animal kingdom’s big wake-up call—it’s a perfect homeschool lesson for March!
Megan Mora Fuentes
Enjoy this article?
For more insightful and encouraging homeschool related articles, homeschool living tips, and homeschool connections, visit our HEAV blog.
