Hibernation is a process where animals enter a long period of deep sleep during the winter to conserve energy and survive the cold and lack of food. During hibernation, an animal's metabolism, breathing, heart rate, and body temperature all slow down. 

Before hibernating, animals prepare by eating extra food and storing fat. They also create a hibernation den in a dark, quiet place, such as a cave or underground, and line it with materials like grass or hair.

Some animals that hibernate include bats, hedgehogs, hamsters, and dormice. Other animals, like squirrels and badgers, don't hibernate but do collect and store food for the winter. The squirrels in our garden are racing around burying foraged scraps from the compost heap in all our flower beds!

We have a delightful craft activity to help illustrate how fallen leaves and garden debris can provide some great hideouts for these small animals to hunker down and get cosy for their big winter sleep.

Grab one of our Forest Floors, stacking forest or any of our individual woodland animals to add to your hibernation station!

Click here to download the craft activity.