Storytime: Hibernation

by | Oct 23, 2024 | Blog, Kid's Corner, Story Time | 0 comments

When reading a book with your child, don’t skip or rush through the complex words. This is a great time to talk with your child about how to pronounce the word and its context within the book or story you are reading together. For example, the word, “hibernation,” can sound complex to a child until it is broken down into syllables. It’s meaning can lead to many discussions about which creatures hibernate, how they prepare for hibernation, why they sleep through the winter, and more!

Join us Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. or Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room.

Ages 2-5

Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play

Tip

Helping children hear the smaller sounds in words, or the syllables, by clapping them out is one way to develop their phonological awareness. Children can hear the syllables more easily than each individual sound in words. – Reading Picture Books with Children by Lambert

 

 

 

Activity

When reading a book with your child, use the Super-duper 1, 2, 3 rhyme when you come across a word with which he is unfamiliar. Don’t forget to clap, snap, & tap the syllables.

 

 

Books Presented

Book cover for Hibernation by Tori Kosara

Hibernation by Tori Kosara

Explains how various animals prepare for hibernation by stuffing themselves with food so that they can survive during the dormant months and how these animals prepare safe spots, like dens and burrows, so that they will be protected from predators as they sleep.
Book cover for Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

On a cold winter night many animals gather to party in the cave of a sleeping bear, who then awakes and protests that he has missed the food and the fun.
Book cover for I Don't Want to Go to Sleep by Dev Petty

I Don't Want to Go to Sleep by Dev Petty

Frog is excited about the coming of winter, until he finds out that frogs sleep through the long cold months while they hibernate
Book cover for Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows

Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows

Rhyming text and pictures introduce a variety of animals as they try to snuggle in to sleep.

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays

Super Duper 1,2,3 Will You Say This Word With Me?

Presenter: Child & Presenter:
Say it! Hibernation. Hibernation.
Clap it! HI-BER-NA-TION (Child and presenter clap: 
(Clap hands for each syllable.) HI-BER-NA-TION.)
Snap it! HI-BER-NA-TION (Child and presenter snap:
(Snap fingers for each syllable.) HI-BER-NA-TION.)
Tap it! HI-BER-NA-TION (Child and presenter tap:
(Tap knees for each syllable.) HI-BER-NA-TION.)
Say it! HIBERNATION!

Sleepy Bear Roll

Five sleepy bears moving really slow
One yawns and stumbles and starts to… ROLL! (roll arms)
He rolls to a stop and begins to snore (exaggerated snoring)
How many bears are left to explore? (count down)

Source: Storytime with Ms. Emily Library

Hibernation

(Tune: “Alouette”)
Hibernation, time for hibernation.
Hibernation, time to go to sleep.

In the winter, where’s the bear?
Sleeping in its log or lair.
Where’s the bear? Log or lair. OH!

In the winter, where’s the frog?
Sleeping by a pond or log.
Where’s the frog? Pond or log. OH!

In the winter, where’s the snake?
In the mud beneath the lake.
Where’s the snake? Beneath the lake. OH!

In the winter, where’s the bat?
In a cave is where it’s at.
Where’s the bat? Cave it’s at! OH!

Source: Storytime Katie

Here is a Cave

Here is a cave. Inside is a bear. (bend fingers on one hand; put thumb inside)
Now he comes out to get some fresh air. (pop out thumb)
He stays out all summer in sunshine and heat.
He hunts in the forest for berries to eat. (move thumb in a circle)
When snow starts to fall, he hurries inside
His warm little cave and there he will hide. (put thumb inside fingers)
Snow covers the cave like a fluffy white rug.
Inside the bear sleeps all cozy and snug. (place one hand over the other)

Source: Verona Storytime

Crafts and Activities

Activity coloring page featuring hibernating animals.

Hibernation Activity Coloring Page

 

 

Hibernating animal paper craft using a paper plate.

Hibernation Paper Plate Craft

Additional Books

Book cover for Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white, but under the snow is a secret world of squirrels and snowshoe hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many others who live outside in the woods during the winter.
Book cover for Groundhog Stays Up Late by Margery Cuyler

Groundhog Stays Up Late by Margery Cuyler

Groundhog decides not to hibernate one winter, even though his friends tell him that he will become cold, hungry, and lonely.
Book cover for Winter Lullaby by Dianne White

Winter Lullaby by Dianne White

Mouse is rushing to her nest. In soft, dry grasses she will rest. Geese are calling, a chilly wind is blowing, and the sky is turning gray. Winter is on its way. For Mama Bear and Small Bear, that means it’s time to tuck into their den for a long sleep. But Mouse is scurrying by, and Chipmunk is still gathering nuts beside the lake. And look at Hare and Skunk, still romping through the leaves! Why can’t Small Bear stay up, too? To each question, Mama Bear responds with the coziest of answers, finally painting a dreamy picture of the brightening colors and new adventures that will greet Small Bear in the spring. But first comes sleep, in this irresistible invitation to drowsy little cubs everywhere
Book cover for Bear's Big Dreaming by Michael Rosen

Bear's Big Dreaming by Michael Rosen

Worried that they will not have enough dreams for their upcoming winter hibernation, Little Bear journeys into the woods and collects dreams of happiness, homecoming, and hope from the different animals in the forest.

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