Hibernation is a natural process that helps some animals survive the winter months. Preschoolers love animals that hibernate. Add these six math hibernation activities for preschoolers to your preschool lesson plans this fall.
Preschool Activities About Animal Hibernation
As the leaves start to change color and the weather gets cooler, it’s time to start thinking about hibernation activities for preschoolers!
Hibernation is a great theme to get kids interested in math. There are so many ways to get inspired in your teaching. There are endless possibilities for hibernation activities that will get kids excited about learning math!
These hibernation activities for preschoolers feature one activity from each of the five disciplines of math. The five disciplines are:
Excellent and effective hibernation theme preschool lesson plans will include all of those disciplines.
On the outset, these disciplines don’t look age appropriate, but early childhood experts are consistently emphasizing their importance in preschool.
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What’s better than one math activity about hibernation?
Six of them!
These printables will help you prepare for your upcoming hibernation preschool theme by covering all five disciplines in a fun, engaging way. Now, your hibernation preschool centers are taken care of!
6 Preschool Activities for a Hibernation Theme
These hibernation themed activities are sure to be a huge hit with your preschoolers. They will not only learn about bears hibernating, but also frogs, toads, snakes, bats, bees, squirrels and hedgehogs.
I find that a hibernation theme is the perfect time to transition my preschoolers to learning about spiders and insects in preparation for Halloween.
Hibernation Building Numbers Mats (Number Sense)
Number sense is a critical piece in teaching preschool math. These building numbers mats encourage preschoolers to identify quantities in various forms. Preschoolers match the numeral with tally marks and ten frame counting.
These pieces can also be added to a preschool hibernation themed sensory bin to make it even more fun, but they definitely fit in well with your preschool counting centers.
Animal Homes Shape Matching Cards (Geometry)
There’s something especially curious about where animals live in the winter while they are hibernating. These shape matching cards feature various animal homes such as a bear cave, a bee hive, tree hole, and a den.
Leaves & Acorns Vertical Patterning Cards (Algebra)
How do animals prepare for the winter? By collecting things to eat and making nests in their burrows, dens, and tree nooks. These fall based pattern cards provide an extra challenge to preschoolers. They are vertical and not horizontal. So, preschoolers will learn how to read down the pattern strip.
This helps in pre-reading skills in that when reading english, we not only read left to right, but also top to bottom on the paper. These pattern strips are also read top to bottom.
Hibernating Bats Measurement Cards (Measurement)
Sleeping bears aren’t the only animals that hibernation. Bats do too! These non-spooky hanging bats make a fun measurement activity for preschoolers.
Use many kind of non-standard measurement and invite your preschooler to see how long each bat is. Preschoolers can also sequence these cards according to height, or play comparison games, too. These cards will also work their fine motor skills, too.
Hibernating Bees Race to the Top (Data Analysis)
Did you know that bees also hibernate, like many other insects? In this hibernating bees race to the top game, preschoolers roll a dice with different bees on it, and then place a counter in the corresponding column on the graph.
Pond Hibernation Roll & Add Mats (Algebra)
Who hibernations at the pond? Many frogs hibernate by burrowing under the mud and sleeping during the winter months.
The this math activity for preschoolers, students roll two dice and identify the quantity on the dice. They then add the corresponding quantity on the ten frame and add the two together. Use the two dice included in the printable so preschoolers can add up to ten, and not more.
Don’t Forget Children’s Books About Hibernation
What animals do to survive the winter months is fascinating to children. Build on that curiosity and excitement with these carefully curated children’s books about hibernation.
Get Your Hibernation Math Activities Here
Think these hibernation activities for preschoolers are a must-have for your math centers this fall? Grab them below!
I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
