We’ve been exploring some hibernation crafts for preschoolers, you know when sometimes an opportunity grabs you and you need to follow it. As we walked to preschool this week at the side of the foot path we found a small Hedgehog ambling around the bushes at the bottom of the railway embankment that we walk past, this provided the perfect opportunity to create some hibernation crafts for preschoolers with J.
We stopped and looked at it, J asked whether it was soft, I explained it was prickly like a rose bush and that when they are babies they are soft and the spikes are flexible, but as they get older they get stronger and hurt more as they protect them from other animals.
Then came the question why hasn’t he seen one before – so some explaining about nocturnal animals, moths, bats, foxes, hedgehogs in the case of the UK animals, so what was it doing outside, this brought about talking about Hibernation.
After preschool we hunted to see whether we could find the hedgehog again but he wasn’t there so it was decided he had found somewhere to hibernate for the winter and then J decided that we needed to make a hedgehog.
What you need to make hibernation crafts for preschoolers
Brown Paper
Pencil
Scissors
Googley Eye
Glue
How you make hibernation crafts for preschoolers
We started off by drawing around J’s and T’s hand and then I cut out the hand prints.
With the hand prints we started off by using the palm as the nose and they layered the other hand prints over the top leaving a gap from the start of the previous one. The fingers were pointing up to make the spines of the hedgehog.
We then added a googley eye and have added it to our window, we also have an Autumn Tree on the window which as the leaves get less and less on the trees outside the window we are taking the leaves from the tree that we made and placing them on the ground and then will make a home for the hedgehog to live in.
A Book to read to understand Hibernation with Preschoolers
Hibernation is a little difficult for J to understand – especially as his frogs have gone into hibernation so I searched through our books and found one that is perfect to go with our Hedgehog find and talking about it’s Hibernation as well as why it may have been out at night.
I will be doing this Hedgehog Hibernation Tub from The Imagination Tree with J in the near further to further extend our knowledge of hibernation.
An alternative to our Hand print hedgehog is over on Science Sparks creating Hedgehogs with Leaves.
Create a hedgehog sculpture from Playful learners this would be perfect to add to our Nature windowsill.
Hedgehogs form part of a lot of Autumn themes for us now and this card with tiny hedgehogs from The Mad House would be perfect for an Autumn Craft
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Cerys, I love your little hedgehog and how you turn an outdoor find into a whole series of learning opportunities. We saw one in the week at a friends house when we stopped to collect their boy for cubs, I wish I had grabbed a photo, 4 little cubs gazing in awe at this hedgehog in the lights of the car beam was quite a sight! Thank you for joining me on Country Kids.
Coombemill recently posted..Country Kids from Coombe Mill
your hand hedgehogs are so clever! thanks so much for sharing such a great craft idea! i must try and remember this!! x
jenny paulin recently posted..Westward Ho! Fun
You don’t mess about now do you – thanks for adding it Cerys!
Kierna Corr (@CiarnaC) recently posted..Outdoor Play Party – a week of fun
Lol just call me quick fingered Cerys
I’ve posted our hedgehog post this week too (shall be linking it up with you Tuesday) and we did a hand one like this last year.
Yours is very cute. Love all the other detail with your post too.
Visiting from Countrykids
pinkoddy recently posted..Holland – The Beach
Ohh I can’t wait to see it.
This is so lovely. I haven’t seen a hedgehog in decades!!! Love how you have tied everything together x
Rachel recently posted..A late afternoon walk
We’ve recently seen 3 – got to buy some hedgehog food as I think we have a few in the garden and next Spring they will need it when they have babies
Love the hedgehog – littl’un saw her first in Grandma & Grandpa’s garden on bonfire night and was entranced. We had a bit of a hedgehog reading theme as well with Mrs Tiggywinkle and Alison Utley’s Fuzzypeg – I had forgotten all about One Snowy Night, which we do have and love. Will have to get out.
Mums make lists (@mumsmakelists) recently posted..Our first Christmas craft project …
Ohh we haven’t got Fuzzypeg – will have to see whether the library has a copy as it’s sparked an interested in Hedgehogs here now
It’s a bit heart rending at one point – Fuzzypeg ends up in the river and looks like he’s a gonna!
Mums make lists (@mumsmakelists) recently posted..Planting Christmas bulbs …
This is wonderful. In December, we will be doing a unit comparing animals of North America and Europe. I am looking forward to incorporating some of your ideas.
Shaunna @ Fantastic Fun and Learning recently posted..Weekly Wrap-Up
That sounds like a wonderful Unit. I love seeing the difference between our animals and yours so much more variety in North American
Thanks for linking to our hedgehog, and I love your handprint hedgehog. xx
Emma @MummyMummyMum recently posted..Instagram challenge day 4
How wonderful to spot a hedgehog on the walk to preschool!
Was very surprised to see it but well worth being late that day
Oh so lucky to see a hedgehog! What a lovely experience. Molly made a clay hedgehog this week – her idea. She would love to see one for real.
Rebecca recently posted..Here Come the Tantrums
Ps thanks for linking to the Sunday showcase, and all that!
Rebecca recently posted..Here Come the Tantrums
Cerys! These are so cute. We are getting ready to do a hibernation study with our playschool children. Thanks for linking these up to Eco-Kids Tuesday!!
Hannah recently posted..{this moment}
This is such a cute idea! I’m planning to do this as part of our hibernation unit….I found it on Pinterest. Thanks!
Andrea @ No Doubt Learning recently posted..Winter Hideaway Wednesday: The Science of Hibernation
This is adorable! I’m glad you shared photos of the actual hedgehog too! I don’t think that we have hedgehogs, but I know there are porcupines in the mountains where we camp in the summer. Even, so I’m going to request that adorable book from the library! I’m glad you posted on Eco Kids!
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