Surviving Winter
For us, shorter, colder, darker days as autumn moves towards winter are just an excuse to get cosy by the fire with a book or a film and our favourite snacks, or maybe start thinking about preparing for Christmas. For wild animals it’s all about survival!
How do they survive? Of course, sadly, not all of them do survive, but they are far better at it than most of us would be, and they have some very clever ways of getting through the winter.
Discover
- Take a look at our Surviving Winter Fact Sheet to learn all about the three main ways animals survive winter. When you have had a good read though, have a go at our quiz to see how much you can remember. Why not see how your parents do on the quiz too? (without letting them read the fact sheet first ha ha - unless you think they might need some help!)
Download the sheet below
- Then, sit back and watch this fun little video about some British hibernators:
Explore
Unfortunately, climate change is affecting some animals' way of coping with winter. Polar bears are thought to be like the “canary in the mine”, a warning to us of the possible serious effects of climate change if we don’t make some big changes. Our dormice may also be affected by climate change. Why not do your own research on a topic of your choice. We would love to see your work. Learn more about polar bears here:
Conserve
Why not make your garden more wildlife friendly with these tips:
(click on the words to link to more information)
🦡🦔Help hedgehogs and badgers prepare for the winter
🦎Make a hibernaculum for amphibians and reptiles
🌳Make a woodland edge in your garden for wildlife to hibernate in
Learn more about making a living garden for hedgehogs and other wildlife by downloading the information sheet below.
Create
Have a go at making some fun leaf hedgehog pictures using craft materials that you have at home, or why not see which other animals you can recreate using leaves, sticks and seeds. Take a look at our Leaf Art Sheet for a few fun ideas.
