Two of my favourite children’s picture books are Lost and found and Up and down, by Oliver Jeffers. They tell stories about the friendship between a boy and his penguin, the time they enjoy being together and the importance of being there for your friends when they need you.
Penguins are fascinating creatures. Did you know:
- Penguins cannot fly – their wings have evolved into flippers
- Penguins spend about half their lives on land and half in water
- Most penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, but only a few species live in cold climates like Antarctica; some live in temperate climates and one lives north of the equator (Galapagos penguin)
- The largest penguin species is the Emperor penguin (1.1m high, 35kg weight)
- The smallest penguin species is the little blue penguin or fairy penguin (40cm high, 1kg weight)
- Penguins have black backs and white fronts for camouflage from predators – the black cannot be seen from above the water and the white cannot be seen from below the water
- Penguins have a thick layer of feathers that keep them warm in water
- Penguins can stay underwater for up to 20 minutes at a time and swim up to 35kph
- Penguins have a special gland that filters the sea water they take in from all the seafood they eat; it is then excreted through their beaks or by sneezing 🙂
- Most penguins breed in colonies of up to 1000 birds
Here are some of our favourite penguin crafts for kids!
Recycled penguins
Egg carton penguins from One little project
Cardboard tube penguins from Crafts by Amanda
Pet bottle penguins from Vila do Arteseo
Paper penguins
Paper bag penguin craft from I heart crafty things
Paper plate penguin from Our potluck family
Paper cup penguins from The seasoned mom
Cupcake liner penguin craft from I heart crafty things
Easy penguin bookmark corner from Red Ted Art
Collage penguins
Mosaic penguin craft from Easy crafts for kids
Penguin art project from Deep space sparkle
Wooden penguins
Popsicle stick bow tie penguin craft from Crafty morning
Hand painted penguin magnets from Heavily edited.com
Drawing and painting penguins
Penguin ink blot symmetry craft from Artsy Momma
Footprint penguin craft from Moments of Mommyhood
Penguins in the dark from Crafty morning
Penguin story stones from Adventures and play
Button penguins
Penguin button art from Repeat crafter me
Stuffed penguins
DIY penguin pillows from LifeAnnStyle
No sew sock penguin craft from Easy peasy and fun
Winter penguin felt stuffie from Lia Griffith
What is your kids’ favourite penguin craft?
We would love to see their creations – just post to Facebook or Instagram with #littlegreencrafters. 🙂
We have heaps more fun book based crafts on our Pinterest page here and more bird crafts here.
