😴 Discovering Hibernation: Sleeping Through Winter
Welcome to our topic page all about Hibernation and Hibernating Animals, a truly cosy and fascinating part of nature that captivates UK EYFS and KS1 children! This introduction is crafted to help practitioners introduce this amazing survival strategy to their children in a simple and engaging way.
What is Hibernation? 🐻
Hibernation is like taking a very long, deep sleep 💤 that some animals do to survive the cold winter months when food is scarce (hard to find). It's much more than just a regular nap! When an animal hibernates, its body temperature drops significantly, and its heart rate and breathing slow right down. This allows them to use very little energy, relying instead on the fat stores they built up during the warmer seasons.
Popular examples often studied in EYFS and KS1 include hedgehogs 🦔 and dormice. Sometimes animals like bears are included as they are often depicted in children’s books as hibernating, however they are not true hibernators (find out more below). Learning about this topic helps children understand how different creatures adapt to seasonal changes and introduces key biological concepts in an accessible way.
When and Why is the Topic Covered? 🍂
The topic of Hibernation or Hibernating Animals is a hugely popular theme for nurseries, preschools, reception classes, childminders, and Key Stage 1 (KS1) teachers across the UK. It is almost always covered during the autumn and winter terms 🍁❄️.
Why this time?
Seasonal Relevance: Covering it in autumn or early winter makes the concept immediately relevant as children observe the changes in the weather and nature around them. This is when animals are naturally preparing for or starting their long sleep.
Curriculum Links: It provides an excellent link to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum under Understanding the World and the KS1 Science curriculum unit on 'Seasonal changes' and 'Living things and their habitats.'
Thematic Integration: The theme naturally blends with other autumn topics like Nocturnal Animals (e.g., hedgehogs are both nocturnal and hibernators) and the concept of survival in the wild.
📝 Quick Teaching Tips
Hedgehogs are often the best starting point as they are true native hibernators and easy to talk about in the context of autumn leaf piles.
For animals such as bears (who technically go into a state called torpor - see below), explain that their sleep is deep, but they can sometimes wake up, unlike true hibernators (a great KS1 differentiation point).
Key Animal Clarifications (for practitioner knowledge)
Hedgehog, Bat, Dormouse: These are classic examples of true hibernators.
Frog, Ladybird, Butterfly: Many insects and amphibians also enter a state similar to true hibernation, often finding a sheltered spot (under logs, in sheds, under leaves) to survive the winter.
Badger & Bear: These are the most common misconceptions. They enter a deep sleep (torpor/winter lethargy) but their body temperature doesn't drop as severely, and they can wake up quickly, especially the female bears if they give birth during the winter.
Squirrel: Wakes up often throughout the winter to dig up their cached food, so they are not true hibernators.
Snake & Turtle: As reptiles, they use brumation, slowing down as the weather cools because they can't generate their own heat.
For young children, it is essential to keep the message simple, clear, and focused on the main concept.
What to Cover with Children: Focus on the overarching concept of 'Winter Sleep'.
Why They Sleep: Explain that animals sleep in winter because it's too cold ❄️ and there is no food 🍎 (e.g., no bugs for the hedgehog).
How They Prepare: Animals eat a lot in autumn to build up layers of fat for the winter.
Core Examples: Focus on the true hibernators as examples of animals that take a big, long sleep: Hedgehog, Dormouse, and Bat.
What to Avoid
Don’t worry about using the terms "torpor," "brumation," or "winter lethargy" with the children unless they show a particular interest.
Don’t worry about debating if a bear is a 'true' hibernator. If a child brings it up, simply say, "Bears take a very long winter nap in their dens, but some animals, like the hedgehog, sleep even deeper!"
The aim at this level is to provide a foundational understanding of seasonal change and animal adaptations. Keeping the message simple prevents confusion and reinforces key vocabulary (e.g., hibernation, autumn, winter, fat reserves).
Our high-quality, printable EYFS and KS1 resources are designed to help you explore this crucial animal adaptation in a fun, educational, and easy-to-teach manner! Please scroll down to browse our ‘Hibernation’ enabling environment provision, including resources to support both in-the-moment magic and more adult-led focused learning. We hope it helps! 😊
Sections on this page:
Free ‘Hibernation’ Resources
Featured Resources
Hibernating Animals themed Continuous Provision Enhancements
Hibernating Animals themed High-Impact Questions & Vocab Banks
Hibernation themed Provision
Hibernation Resources for Practitioner Background Knowledge
Free ‘Hibernation’ Printables for Early Years
Join for free and download our inspirational ‘Hibernating Animals’ themed educational resources in this ‘Free Samples’ section!
(Click on the images below to find out more)
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Please note that both Editable (docx file) and non-editable (pdf file) versions are available for all ‘Hibernation topic resources. (Editable files require Microsoft Word to work at optimum level and Non-Editable files require a pdf viewer.)
Click on the thumbnail images of resources on this page for further details…
Featured Resources
Hibernation themed Provision | EYFS & KS1 Activities, Displays & Planning
Hibernation Resources | Practitioner Background Knowledge
(Additional ‘Hibernation’ resources currently in development and will be published on this page shortly.)
Related themes you may be interested in exploring…
If your children love learning about animals and winter, here are a few more themes to investigate!
