A sweet, silly winter craft that keeps little hands busy while the snow piles up outside
This is a perfect snow-day project because itās inexpensive, cheerful, and doesnāt need fancy supplies. Penguins feel wintry without using snowflakes, and children love giving each one a personality.
Materials (Simple & Likely on Hand)
- Paper plates
- Black and white paper (construction paper or printer paper)
- Orange paper or an orange marker/crayon
- Glue stick or white school glue
- Child-safe scissors
- Black marker or crayon
- Optional: googly eyes
Step-by-Step Directions (Written for Grandma ā¤ļø)
- Prepare the penguin body
Give each child a paper plate. Help them color or cover the back of the plate black.
Tip: Younger children may do better if you pre-color the plates. - Make the belly
Cut a large white oval from paper. This is the penguinās tummy.
Let the children glue it in the center of the plate. - Add the face
Cut two small white circles for eyes (or use googly eyes).
Draw pupils with a marker once the glue dries a bit. - Create the beak and feet
Cut a small orange triangle for the beak and two orange ovals or triangles for feet.
This step usually needs grandmaās scissor help, especially for little ones. - Finish with personality
Draw eyelashes, eyebrows, rosy cheeks, or even a scarf.
Encourage themāno two penguins should look alike! - Dry and display
Lay them flat to dry, then hang them on the fridge or tape them to a window.
Grandma Tips šµ
- Put down newspaper or an old tablecloth before starting.
- Use glue sticks if you want less mess and faster drying.
- If attention spans are short, break it into two parts: coloring first, gluing later.
- Keep wipes nearbyāpenguins tend to get sticky!
