Groundhog Day Fun Coloring Page

Groundhog Day brings together woodland creatures, winter weather, and the quirky tradition of shadow-watching each February 2nd. This coloring page captures that charming mix of nature and folklore, giving you a chance to bring a little groundhog to life while celebrating one of North America’s most unusual holidays.

What colors work best?

Groundhogs have rich brown fur with warmer reddish-brown tones along their backs and cooler gray-browns on their bellies. Try layering burnt sienna with dark brown for depth in the fur. The background gives you options depending on the prediction—pale winter blues and grays if the groundhog sees his shadow, or soft greens and yellows if spring is coming early. A pop of green for grass poking through snow adds nice contrast against all those earthy browns.

Did you know?

Groundhogs are actually skilled hibernators who lower their heart rate from 80 beats per minute to just 5 during winter sleep. The whole shadow tradition comes from German immigrants who originally used badgers for weather prediction before switching to groundhogs in Pennsylvania. Despite Punxsutawney Phil’s fame, groundhogs are only accurate about 40% of the time—you’d do just as well flipping a coin.

How to color this one

Colored pencils work beautifully for groundhog fur since you can layer different brown shades to create texture. Use short, quick strokes in the direction the fur grows rather than solid coloring. For the shadow (if your page includes one), try gray colored pencil with light pressure, then blend with your finger or a blending stump. Markers can work well for bold sky backgrounds, but switch to pencils or crayons for the groundhog itself to keep control over those fur details.

Who’ll love this?

Kids learning about seasonal traditions will enjoy this, especially in late January when Groundhog Day talk starts up at school. The subject matter appeals to animal lovers who might be tired of the usual cats and dogs. This also makes a nice rainy day activity during that long stretch between New Year’s and Valentine’s Day when winter feels endless.