GH KINDERGARTEN HIBERNATION PARTY
GH Kindergarteners Learn About Animals that Hibernate, Migrate, and Adapt at Glen Head School
For the past several weeks, kindergarten students at Glen Head School have been learning a lot about animals in winter that either hibernate, migrate, or adapt to survive in the colder months. On March 4, 2022, each of the three kindergarten classes participated in a Hibernation Party as a fun way to celebrate this comprehensive unit of study.
They learned that many animals adapt physically or behaviorally to survive in their environments. The young students studied that some animals including bears, chipmunks, hamsters, reptiles, amphibians, hedgehogs, and bats eat heavily and store-up food during the warmer months and hibernate or go someplace safe and secluded like a cave during the winter months to allow their body temperature, heart rate, and breathing to slow down significantly in order to conserve energy. Other animals such as birds, butterflies, and some insects migrate or “fly south” in the winter to warmer climates to find food and raise their young.
In addition, some animals develop special body parts to adapt and survive such as amphibians that develop webfeet to swim or many land and sea animals that develop sharp claws to dig for food, burrow for shelter, or defend themselves from other animals. Other animals visibly change their body coverings to adapt to their surroundings. Some changing colors or “camouflage” themselves to blend into or adapt to their environments such as tigers with striped fur, snow leopards with spots, or tropical birds with brightly colored feathers. Commonly, a chameleon changes its color to hide in the trees or rocks and a rabbit can turn white in the snow. Additionally, animals such as crocodiles and snakes develop body coverings or scales to protect themselves from the environment or climate.
During the Hibernation Party, kindergarteners made bird feeders out of pinecones and sunflowers, brought in blankets to drape over their desks to make caves, and were able to wear cozy pajamas and bring in stuffed animals to hibernate with in their classrooms. It was a great way to culminate the Hibernation unit and everyone had a fun time!
Article and photos by Shelly Newman with guidance from Ms. Allison Loring
