Three Baby Groundhogs

Interestingly, all of our singers - no matter what age - enjoyed this song very much. Cute, energetic, and bouncy are how we would describe it if asked to do so. Your students will want to start moving the second they hear it.

The song is entirely in unison except for the brief spoken solo, "Who's that baby groundhog lookin' at me?" (Good luck picking a soloist for this. We had a roomful of volunteers! At least you can pick two different ones for the two times it happens.) If you are using young singers who can't easily memorize two verses, it's okay to just repeat the lyrics to the first verse the second time.

The optional claps are doubled on the recording by electronic claps. Your students can clap along, or you can adapt them, simplify them, or just leave them out. We found that they were natural and fun to do. The only challenging moment occurs in measure 28, when one phrase is ending and another is beginning. But a few times clapping along with the CD and they should get it.

Obviously, this tune would be a good addition to your repertoire when celebrating Groundhog Day on February 2. It has been our experience, however, that fun little ditties such as this one tend to be asked for at other times of the year as well. Perhaps your spring program could be a focus on animals and/or nature. It would certainly fit in with that context! (If you're serious about that sort of thing, we have tons of animal songs - several about groundhogs, lots about bunnies, and so on. Check your Music K-8 Index for more ideas.)

While groundhog costumes would be a tough thing to come up with, toy (stuffed) groundhogs might not be. Invite your performers to bring some in, or just bring in your own three favorites.