Felt Groundhog Finger Puppet – Groundhog Day Craft

Celebrate Groundhog Day with a DIY felt groundhog finger puppet. This is a great last-minute groundhog craft idea kids will love. This cute groundhog pops up and down out of a cup!

Has winter got you down? Is it still cold and snowy where you are?  If you have snow kids will love making this snow ice cream!  Yes, you can really make ice cream from fresh clean snow. When you are done playing in the snow come inside and warm up with this snowman hot chocolate.

What is Groundhog Day?

According to the story, if a groundhog comes out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. When it sees no shadow that means an early spring is predicted. I am always voting for an early spring this time of year.

The groundhog who looks for his shadow is Punxsutawney Phil. His job is predicting the weather, which he does every year on February 2nd on National Groundhog Day. Every year in the small town of Punxsutawney Pennsylvania and throughout North America everyone anticipates his weather forecast. What a great North American tradition to celebrate!

Come to think of it I am not sure how they actually know if the groundhog sees his shadow. What I do know is it is a fun tradition to celebrate and young children, especially elementary age love getting into it.

Groundhog Finger Puppet Supplies

This groundhog day craft for kids requires the following supplies. (This section contains affiliate links for part of the supplies.)

• Green Felt
• Brown Felt
• White felt
• Googly eyes (self-adhesive are easiest to use)
• Popsicle stick
• Gold thread or twine for whiskers
• Sewing machine (or needle and thread) – optional there is a glue method
• Glue
• 5-ounce plastic cup
• Scissors
• Box knife

How to Make a Felt Groundhog Puppet

This groundhog puppet pattern is pretty simple. Presented in this picture are the basic shapes to cut from the felt.

The body measurements are 4-1/2 inches (11 cm) long and 2 to 2-1/4 inches (5 to ~5-3/4 cm) wide. When cutting out this pattern piece make sure to curve the top for the head.

To measure the green felt piece wrap the felt around the plastic cup until it overlaps. Cut at the overlap. Measure the height of this pattern piece from the base of the cup to approximately 1 inch above the top of the cup and cut.

To give the ears dimension, I folded the sides of the ears to the center and place them between the two body pieces and machine sewed around the edge.

Add some facial details and you have a groundhog finger puppet! This is where you will use the googly eyes, gold thread or twine, the brown oval nose and white teeth pattern pieces.

To use the finger puppet for the hiding groundhog just place it over a large popsicle stick.

No Sew Groundhog Puppet

You don’t have to sew to make this cute little groundhog. My crafting partners also made their own groundhog puppets with glue. To make it simple for them they glued their groundhog pieces directly to the popsicle stick.

Then they added the face.

Cut a hole in the bottom of the cup for the popsicle stick to fit through.

Next, they glued felt to the outside of the plastic cup.

Then they cut slits in the felt around the top edge.

Fit the groundhog through the hole. Now you see him.

Now you don’t.

Happy Groundhog Day!

For another fun groundhog puppet check out my free printable groundhog puppet craft. It is so adorable!

Just when you think you have thought of the most clever craft ever, you then find others have thought of it also.  I have seen similar groundhog puppets around the web. If you have a similar craft or fun idea to celebrate Groundhog Day please leave a link in the comments so everyone can check it out!

Can you believe this is a groundhog shaped meatloaf? It was made by Sommer, a Skip to my Lou reader.

Sommer said she was surprised at how easy and fun it is to shape meatloaf.  She says if you bake your normal meatloaf on a foil covered cookie sheet, you can pretty much shape it into whatever you want.  The eyes are olives and the whites of his eyes and teeth are mashed potatoes.  Her family calls it the Ground-Groundhog Meatloaf.  I think she should be a food sculptor. Sommer has some skills!

How about Groundhog hotdogs…. to cute!