After the Christmas countdown is over, it can feel as if there's nothing to look forward to until spring. Help bridge the gap between the winter holidays and spring break with this adorable Groundhog Day themed countdown from Pam, teacher and contributor to DLTK-Teach's bulletin board page, where upon their arrival back at school students can anticipate the sighting of Punxsutawney Phil on February 2nd.

"Will Phil See His Shadow?" Bulletin Board

• Background: Dark blue background paper.
• Title: "Will Punxsutawney Phil See His Shadow?" (beginning of the year till Feb. 1st) -after the event, change the title to read "Did Punxsutawney Phil See His Shadow?"
• Border: Silver sparkle border or another complimentary color.
• Decoration:1) The Landscape. Use crumbled art tissue paper in assorted colors to create the sun, several clouds in the sky, and Punxsutawney Phil's mound of dirt. Add a bit of natural (color) raffia to the top of Phil's hole. 2) The Countdown Signs. Create signs to place around Phil's "home" - these can be made from construction paper or printed onto computer paper and attached to chenille stems.

  

  Include a clock, a countdown sign to be changed every day (i.e. "Do Not Disturb for ____ More Days!"), and another sign that reads "Phil's Hill!". On February 2nd, the countdown signs will be replaced with a groundhog cutout (since Phil has officially been stirred from his slumber) and a "Yes" or "No" sign, depending on whether or not Phil has seen his shadow. If the answer is yes, attach a sign that reads, "That means six more weeks of winter!". If the answer is no, attach a sign that reads, "That means spring is coming soon!". Below is an example of the board after Groundhog Day:

  

  3) The Extras. Pam also had her students complete a groundhog coloring page which she mounted onto construction paper and placed in the gaps on the bulletin board. You might also consider having your students create small art projects to display on the countdown wall.