Hobbies And Interests
Background
Introduce the concept of hibernation with a rhyme from "The Early Childhood Education Newsletter": Brown bears do it, ladybugs too. Bats and snakes, and a frog or two.
Groundhogs, chipmunks, in a sleepy state. What do they do? They hibernate!
Another way to introduce hibernation is to invite the children to stock up on books, snacks and pillows in one area of the room. In the nest, the children will wind down and rest in their winter dens.
Materials
A simple science experiment reinforces the idea of hibernation to children. Gather pineapple chunks or other small pieces of fruit, fresh or from a can. An ice cube tray and access to a freezer are also needed for the experiment to show the difficulty of finding food during the cold winter months in certain parts of the world.
Preparation
Place one cubed piece of pineapple or other fruit into each section of the ice cube tray. Ask the children to smell it. They should be able to smell the fruit well. Add water to each section so it is completely filled with water. Put the entire tray into the freezer and let it freeze completely. It would be ideal to start the experiment one day and retrieve the ice tray the next day when it is frozen.
Conclusions
Offer an ice cube to each child. Ask them to smell the ice cube. In the winter months, it is difficult for animals to find food because frozen food is stuck in ice and snow. Explain how when the fruit was first placed in the tray it was fragrant but now it is hard to smell it. Have the children try to eat the ice cube. Pineapple or other fruit is not easy to eat frozen inside ice, and it is cold on their skin. Hibernation is how animals cope with harsh winter conditions when food is scarce.