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Make a Groundhog Day puppet

Posted: January 31, 2010 - 1:21am


Akron Beacon Journal

Who knew Punxsutawney Phil owns a cell phone?

And how does he text if he doesn't have thumbs?

As most of us have, the weather prognosticator has embraced technology and will text his forecast on Groundhog Day moments after he pops out of his warm winter home.

This year, texters will learn whether Phil sees his shadow and predicts another six weeks of winter or whether the gray Pennsylvania skies cloud over and he predicts an early spring.

Text "Groundhog" to 247365 and Phil promises to send you his prediction to your cell phone Feb. 2.

The traditions of Groundhog Day got their start with ancient people who marked the seasons by charting the movement of the sun across the sky.

Early men and women who had no science to help them understand nature, believed the superstition that if the weather was fair midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, it meant more wintery weather.

But later, Europeans took the tradition one step further and used the hedgehog and shadow method to predict the weather.

After coming to America, they found the groundhog as a suitable substitute.

In honor of Groundhog Day, I made a groundhog puppet that can jump out of his hole anytime you like -- whether the skies are cloudy or clear.

Supplies you will need:



Sky blue acrylic paint and sponge brush.

1 wide craft stick.

1 large and 1 medium-size brown pom pom.

1 tiny black pom pom.

2 wiggle eyes.

Cotton or polyester fiberfill.

Low-temp glue gun and white craft glue.

Ask an adult to cut a slice in the center of the bottom of the cup just large enough so the craft stick can be inserted.

Use sandpaper to roughen the outside of the cup so the paint will adhere to it.

Use the sponge brush to paint the cup blue. Set aside to dry.

To make the groundhog's head, use white craft glue to attach the wiggle eyes to the smaller of the two brown pom poms. Glue the tiny black pom pom to the center for a nose.

Use a low-temp glue gun to attach the smaller pom pom to the larger one.

Place warm glue on one end of the craft stick and carefully push the bottom of the large pom pom down on top it. The groundhog should stand straight up above the end of the stick.

When the paint on the cup is dry, glue white cotton or polyester fiberfill around the bottom of the cup to look like snow on the ground.

Insert the end of the craft stick down inside the cup and through the slit in the bottom.

Hold the end of the stick and move it up and down to make your groundhog pop in and out of his hole.

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