Our Animals in Winter Migration, Hibernation & Adaptation post is an introduction to the three with activities, printables and ideas!

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We are so excited about Winter and learning about what some animals do during this season.

We learn how they live, how they survive and how they eat is a lot of fun.

Be sure to check out our Animals in Winter – Awesome Printable Bundle because it is a complete unit.

It is full of information about Animals that Hibernate, Migrate and Adapt.

This post is an introduction, but the unit goes in depth with lots of activities, printables and ideas!

I am so excited to show you how much we learned in our lesson on migration, hibernation and adaptation!

Come and take a look at the books!

Seasonal Books about Animals

We love looking at books about the topic we are studying. We read Secrets in Winter.

It is so fun because it is a shine-a-light book.

That means that you have hidden images and it is a great “What do animals do in the coldest season of the year?” book!

They “come to light” when you shine a flashlight at the back of each page. We love it!

Here are more shine-a-light books, in case you we interested.

We also read our mini encyclopedias on Birds and Bugs.

Both books have information on what migration is. We read about migration for birds and bugs.

We learned of several kinds of birds and bugs that migrate and different kinds of migration.

It was so interesting!

Animals that Hibernate, Migrate and Adapt: Setup

This is our setup. It was so simple and easy to put together.

First, I printed the free printable set I made (you can have it, too) and taped the charts on the fence.

I had my children cut the animal pictures and labels from the printables.

You need:

• printable set
• child-sized scissors
• one glue stick for each child
• books on migration (our favorite), hibernation and here (our favorite) and adaptation (our favorite)
• mini animal and insect replicas

Here are some awesome MIGRATION books! Learn how some mammals, fish and birds migrate and stay active during the cold weather!

 A Story of Migration National Geographic Readers: Great Migrations Butterflies National Geographic Readers: Great Migrations Whales National Geographic Readers: Great Migrations Amazing Animal Journeys Migrating with the Salmon 

After reading our books, we glued the three topics (migration, hibernation and adaptation) on the top of the chart.

We used our fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination to glue them in the correct spot all nice and straight.

What Some Animals Do during the Cold Season

This was super fun. How do animals survive in cold temperatures?

Why do animals hibernate during the coldest season of the year?

We decided to act out and sing the three things animals do during winter.

For migration, we pretended to be leaving while waving goodbye.

“Animals who migrate go somewhere else during winter.”

Emperor penguins migrate during the Winter, believe it or not!

What are some creatures that hibernate in the Winter?

For hibernation, we laid down on the ground and pretended to sleep.

“Animals who hibernate stay where they live, but sleep for several months during winter.”

Some cold blooded reptiles hibernate, too.

For adaptation, we were staying in place, but moving our bodies.

“Animals who adapt stay where they live and have regular sleep cycles.”

Mammals like the red fox and deer grow a winter coat to keep them warm while they determine what their food source will be. 

Here are some awesome HIBERNATION books!

 Bear Snores On Scholastic Reader Level 2: Hibernation Hibernation Station Time to Sleep (An Owlet Book) The Animals’ Winter Sleep

Animals that Migrate, Hibernate and Adapt

You have the answer key for this part in the printable, too.

Let’s find out about animals that migrate during the Winter!

Monarch butterflies, Canadian geese and some bats leave their homes and migrate.

Bears, chipmunks and skunks stay where they live to hibernate.

So, what are some mammals hibernate during Winter? Why do some insects hibernate in Winter?

Use these hibernating animals pictures to teach your kids more about their living habits in Winter.

I’m telling you, these cool pictures of animals that hibernate are the perfect introduction for the whole topic of hibernation.

Hibernating animals survive by falling into a deep sleep and generate body heat to stay warm during the winter.

They find food first and fill up to keep them without eating for months.

How Do Animals Spend the Winter?

How does Winter affect animals? Where do animals sleep in Winter?

Let’s look at how animals adapt in Winter now.

This printable shares a great starter list of animals that adapt in Winter.

Rabbits, deer and mice stay where they live and adapt to the changing seasons.

It is important to point out that you can see the rabbit and deer awake in the snow.

They are adapting to their changing environment.

Glue the cards in the right spot.

Mini Animal and Insect Replicas

We loved using these mini animal and insect replicas for the lesson.

I used them to extend the lesson.

We talked about how other animals survive in the Winter months by migrating.

Which animals migrate in Winter? Well, some animals like whales and dragonflies do.

Others survive by hibernating, like prairie dogs and yet others by adapting, like moose and goats.

We used several sets: North American animals, Ocean life creatures, Insects, etc.

All in all, this was a fun and educational lesson on how many animals behave during winter.

This started a long discussion on the subject and they were so proud of their chart.

They are both currently displaying them on our living room wall.

Here are some additional questions that you might want to include in your research:

• Why do animals, including humans, sleep more in the Winter?
• What animals migrate south for the Winter?
• What animals store food for the Winter? (think ants, squirrels, chipmunks, etc)
• How do animals survive the Winter cold?

Now it’s your turn!

Here are some awesome ADAPTATION books!

 Animal Adaptations (My First Science Library 1-2) Rain Forest Animal Adaptations (Amazing Animal Adaptations) How do Animals Adapt? (The Science of Living Things) Extreme Animals: The Toughest Creatures on Earth (Animal Science) Polar Animal Adaptations (Amazing Animal Adaptations)

There are so many resources that are helpful in this lesson.

PRINTABLE ~ Migration, Hibernation & Adaptation

Homeschool Printables

Why not make it a unit? Here is all your need:

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