Understanding Seasonal Changes - Animals & Humans

Sweaters and Sunshine: Our Amazing Changing World!

Have you ever noticed how you wear your big, puffy coat some days and your cool, splashy swimsuit on other days? It's like you have a whole different set of clothes and fun things to do depending on whether it's chilly or sunny outside! Our world does this all year long, and we call these changes seasons.

In the hot, sunny summer, we wear shorts and t-shirts. We might go swimming in a pool or eat yummy, drippy ice cream cones to stay cool. But when the cold, snowy winter arrives, we bundle up! We pull on warm hats, cozy sweaters, and boots to build snowmen and drink warm cocoa. We change what we do and what we wear to match the weather.

Guess what? Animals are super smart and they change with the seasons, too! They don't have closets full of clothes, so they have other amazing tricks.

• Some animals, like bears, go into a long, deep sleep called hibernation to save energy during the cold winter when food is hard to find.
• Other animals, like many birds, go on a long trip to a warmer place! This is called migration. They fly south to find sunshine and food.
• And some animals, like the snowshoe hare, grow a brand new coat! Their brown fur turns white in the winter to help them hide in the snow. Wow!

Think about it: In the summer, you might see a squirrel scampering around, easily finding nuts and seeds on the ground. But in the winter, that same ground might be covered in a thick blanket of snow. That's why the squirrel has to be clever and store food away during the fall! The changing seasons mean animals have to find new ways to get their dinner.

Our world is always changing in wonderful ways, and it's amazing to see how we and all the animals change right along with it.