Adorable Penguin Craft for Kids (FREE Template)

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Penguins have to be one of the most adorable animals on the planet. And despite being a bird that can’t fly, they’re amazingly talented. Have you seen those videos where the little ones literally cliff dive into the water? This cute penguin craft for kids includes a DIY pompom to make make the penguin’s belly fluffy and is the perfect craft for the winter months, or really any time of the year.

Grab the printable and watch the video to make crafting even easier. You’re going to love making your very own penguin. Maybe you even want to combine this craft with your lesson plans for arctic animals.

And if you love this penguin craft, you’re also going to love making these arctic animal crafts, like this polar bear craft, this arctic o wl craft and this harp seal craft.

I bet you’ve never heard of craft flashcards…Of course you haven’t…because I totally made it up 🙂 As a pediatric Occupational Therapist, I’ve witnessed kids struggle to complete multi-step activities. So, I came up with this brilliant (if I do say myself) way to break down crafts into bite-sized pieces in the form of flashcards.

These are especially perfect for those kiddos who have limited attention spans. And it’s a great way to keep little hands busy.

Crafts are such a great developmental tool for kids (improves motor planning, attention span, executive functioning, fine motor skills, language development and more), and using flashcards makes planning crafts for your kids to enjoy even easier.

Just print out a few of your favorites onto cardstock, cut them into the cards with a hole in the corner and place them on a keyring that you can connect to your craft supply bag (which you can fill using our master list of supplies that we stick to for every single one of the projects in the flashcard collection). It’s so simple.

And the best part is that there’s not a screen in sight. Technology is such a great thing, but it’s also nice to take a break from it once in awhile and let the brain explore in other ways. Click the image to learn more about our collection of 100 Craft Flashcards for Kids.

Fun Facts About Penguins

A group of penguins in the water is called a raft and on the land is a waddle.
They can swim very fast, over 10 mph and dive as deep as 800 feet.
Penguin’s black and white colors are not random. They are a kind of camouflage.
They mate for life and can locate their mate in a crowd or over distance through distinct calls.
Penguins are very social animals.
Penguins have a special oil that insulates their body and makes them waterproof.

To learn even more fun things about penguins, you can check out this article at Good Housekeeping.

All activities require adult supervision. By using this site, you are agreeing to our terms of use. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Save this cute penguin craft for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…

All activities require adult supervision. By using this site, you are agreeing to our terms of use.

How to make a Fun Penguin Craft

Before you get started on this craft, be sure to print out the free template from the supply list that we’ll use in step 3.

SUPPLIES FROM THE BAG

White yarn
Scissors
Crayons or markers
Glue stick
Paper plate or cardboard
Penguin craft template

Crafting with your kids doesn’t need to be complicated. To keep it easy, we stick to a master list of basic craft supplies that fit into one bag to make every single one of our creative projects you see here. Once you fill your bag with these simple materials, you’re ready to craft along…making any of the HUNDREDS of crafts on this site…with just a few supplies on hand. That means less prep time, less mess and more fun!

Check Out the Fun Penguin Craft Video Tutorial:

Instructions:

Step 1: Start the Pompom

The first step is to start making your pompom so that your penguin will have a nice chubby tummy. Making pom poms can be so much fun, but you will likely need to help little kids with these steps. Get the whole family involved with this fun craft.

Fold a paper plate (or use cardboard) in half and trim off the sides until you have a rectangle approximately 5″ across.
Cut a small slit in the middle. Now you have a pompom maker template.
Wrap the white yarn around and around your pompom maker until it is nice and fluffy.
Cut a piece of yarn about 12″ long. Then lace it through the slit and tie it around the bundle of yarn. Pull it as tight as you can without breaking anything.
Tie a double knot.

*There is a template for the pompom maker included in the penguin craft template.

Step 2: Finish Off the Pompom

Slide the wrapped yarn off of the pompom template.
Then trim it into a round fluffy pompom as pictured.

Step 3: Get the FREE Template for Your Fun Penguin Craft

Download the printable template.
Choose a version to use (colored in or outlined) print the free penguin craft printable onto heavy cardstock.

*If you don’t have cardstock on hand, you can also print this onto regular white paper and use the template to cut the pieces out of a paper plate. You will simply have to draw on the details of your penguin and color them in.

Step 4: Color Your Penguin Project

Before cutting out your penguin craft, use crayons (or markers) to color him in, leaving the tummy white. To maximize fine motor skills practice, break the crayons. This will promote a mature pincer grasp.
If you prefer, place googly eyes in place for your penguin at this time

*Skip this step if you chose the template that is already colored in.

Step 5: Cut Out Your Easy Penguin Craft

Now that you’ve finished the coloring, cut out your cute penguin craft.
Be sure to cut the slits in the sides of the penguin printable.

Step 6: Finish Off Your Simple Project

Slide the long strings of the pompom into the slits on the side of the penguin.
Then tie the string in the bag and trim away any excess.

Pair It With Our Favorite Penguin Books

The Penguin with Rainbow Hair by Sarah Cullin & Carmen Hills

Explor My World Penguins

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater

Penguin and Pinecone, a Friendship Story by Salina Yoon

Can I Do This Craft with Young Children?

This project is perfect for kids of all ages. Really, just about every craft can be completed with little kids, with some modifications made. For this project, you will want to give lots of help making the pompom or even have it ready ahead of time.

You will also want to precut the penguin since they are beyond the scissor ability of most little ones. However, they’re going to LOVE coloring the penguin to make it their own and putting it all together. Plus it’s a great way to practice fine motor skills.

Think about adapting this craft by skipping the pompom steps when making this with little ones. Instead, simply glue cotton balls or white pom poms to the penguin’s belly.

Again, only give as much help as is absolutely needed. Let kids be as independent as possible when crafting and leave lots of room for creativity and imagination.

Here are even more adorable penguin crafts to make:

Save this Winter Craft for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…