The four seasons and living things
Biology · Key Stage 1 · The School
Four seasons, four kinds of weather
Spring brings new growth and warmer days. Summer is the warmest, with long daylight. Autumn brings cooler weather and falling leaves. Winter is the coldest, with short days. The cycle repeats every year. Each season lasts about three months.
Plants through the year
In spring, buds open and flowers appear. In summer, plants grow quickly in the warmth. In autumn, deciduous trees drop their leaves. In winter, many plants rest, waiting for spring to return.
Hibernation
Some animals sleep through the whole winter. This is called hibernation. Hedgehogs and dormice hibernate. Their heartbeat slows right down. They live off fat stored in their body, without needing to find food.
Migration
Some animals travel somewhere warmer instead. This is called migration. Swallows fly from Britain to Africa every autumn. They fly back again in spring. Warmer places have more food available in winter. Some birds travel thousands of miles to reach warmer places.
Why animals disappear each winter
A garden is full of birds and hedgehogs in summer. By December, it looks empty. The hedgehog has not died — it is hibernating under a pile of leaves. The swallows have not died — they have migrated to Africa. Both are surviving the cold in their own way, and both will be back.