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Hibernation theme for toddlers: a week of activities

A hibernation theme lesson plan for toddlers: what a day looks like, then the week's circle time (two or three minutes, on laps), books, craft, song, snack, letter and outside time, each with what changes at this age.

Plan this week for toddlersThe whole hibernation week

A day of the hibernation theme with toddlers

  1. Arrival and free play on the floor.
  2. Sing “Wee Willie Winkie” with actions; repeat it while you change and feed.
  3. Hold and pass something real for the week (bear), and say its name.
  4. Snack: a toddler-safe version of teddy bear toast (check the recipe's lines for under-4s).
  5. Outside: a short walk looking for cave.
  6. Read Not Yet, Ted on laps, pointing and naming.
  7. Nap, then the song once more at pick-up.

Hibernation circle time

  1. Hello song: sing hello to each child by name.
  2. Look out of the window together: sun, rain or clouds?
  3. Show the theme: hold up something real and name it.
  4. Sing: Wee Willie Winkie.
  5. Read: Not Yet, Ted (level 3).

Infants and toddlers: two or three minutes, on laps.

Hibernation theme books

  • Not Yet, Ted (level 3, free on peabody.kids): A bear who is not ready for bed yet.
  • Dad Naps (level 0, free on peabody.kids): Napping, in a pattern even twos can say.
  • The Black Cat (level 2, free on peabody.kids): A cat who naps, for a quiet-time talk.
  • The Bear Who Could Not Sleep (read aloud, level 6): A read-aloud: a bear in winter who cannot sleep.

Infants and toddlers: one book, read every day; point and name.

Hibernation craft: Paper-bag cave

You need (4): brown paper bag, a bear drawn or printed on card, cotton balls (snow), glue stick.

  1. Open the bag on its side as a cave.
  2. Glue snow on the top of the cave.
  3. Put the bear inside to sleep.

With a grown-up. No heat, nothing hot.

Infants and toddlers: let them touch and hold the materials while you make it; nothing small enough to swallow.

Hibernation song: Wee Willie Winkie

The words

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town, Upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown, Rapping at the window, crying through the lock, "Are the children all in bed, for now it's eight o'clock?"

Traditional; public domain. From Top 52 nursery rhymes with lyrics.

Hibernation snack

Teddy Bear Toast from the Peabody Kitchen: picture steps, allergy swaps and safety lines on the recipe.

Swap: Bread → gluten-free bread; Peanut butter → sunflower seed butter.

Letter B activities

BbB is for bear. Print the two pages (a trace page and a color page).

Infants and toddlers: skip the trace page; show the picture page and say the word.

Outside activity: Bear hunt walk

Walk around the yard on a bear hunt: over the log, through the grass, into the cave (under the slide).

Hibernation theme for 2 year oldsHibernation theme for 3 and 4 year oldsHibernation theme, all ages

Checked 2026-10-30