There’s nothing cozier than huddling indoors with a hot cup of cocoa and making some fun crafts with the kiddos. It’s the perfect time for them to use their creativity and learn a thing or two about the fascinating world of penguins.
Encourage your little ones to go on an imaginative journey to Antarctica with our moving penguin paper plate craft. This fun project will have children crafting a winter scene on a simple paper plate, complete with a penguin puppet that adds an element of playfulness to the entire creation.
This craft offers a fantastic opportunity for kids to hone essential skills. From fine motor skills to creativity and storytelling, every step of the crafting process contributes to their development.
Once kids complete this fun and interactive craft, they can let their imaginations soar as they engage in imaginative play with their newly crafted moving penguin.
Ready to dive deeper into the world of penguins? Check out our collection of penguin activities designed for kids to enjoy all winter long.
How To Make A Penguin Craft
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Grab a paper plate, our free template, and a few other supplies, and you’re ready to create a winter wonderland at home.
Supplies
- Paper Plate
- Blue Paint
- Paint Brush
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers
- Snowflakes stickers or White acrylic paint marker
- Jumbo Popsicle Sticks
- Tape
- Penguin Template (click the “click here to get this freebie” image at the end to open the form)
Directions
Download the penguin template, print, and cut out the pieces you need.
Begin by painting the paper plate in 1-2 thin coats of blue paint. You can also paint a 2nd paper plate in light blue to be the water or you can use colored cardstock instead. If you use a 2nd paper plate, paint the back side to give the penguin more room to move. Let it dry completely before moving on.
Use an acrylic marker to draw a snowflake around the paper plate. Then glue the iceberg block on the bottom of it.
Glue the belly to the middle of the penguin’s body.
Take the beak and glue it in between the eyes.
Position the feet at the end of the penguin’s leg and glue them in place.
Flip the penguin’s body over and tape the jumbo popsicle stick to the back.
Finish up by gluing the ice piece on the bottom part of the paper plate.
That’s it! If your kids enjoyed making this cute moving penguin, make sure to check out our other winter crafts for kids!
Winter Themed Ideas For Elementary Students
Winter is the perfect time to do engaging crafts and activities! From imaginative crafts to educational games, this collection tailored for elementary students brings the joy of winter indoors.
Discover a mix of books, crafts, and interactive activities designed to keep young minds entertained and learning during the winter season below.
Winter Animal Books For Kids
Here are some of the best winter animal books.
Polar Bear Island is a fun book for winter! Polar Bear Island is just that – only for polar bears! That is until Kirby the penguin comes to visit. She turns the place around and adds tons of interesting excitement, but will the polar bears let her stay? You have to check it out and see for yourself!
Tacky The Penguin– This is a great book for children to learn about acceptance and valuing others for exactly who they are.
Owl Babies– A sweet book that teaches kids that Mom always comes back! It’s especially great for children who may have separation anxiety.
Winter Classroom Crafts
Abominable Snowman Craft – Let’s go on a winter adventure and make this abominable snowman! This fun project promises to keep kids happily busy during the cold months crafting these charming creatures. Grab our free template and a few basic supplies to make him come to life.
Penguin Name Craft – This cute and fun craft keeps kids entertained and enhances their fine motor skills. On top of that, it’s a fun way for them to practice spelling their name. They’ll showcase their name on the eggs the penguin is holding with its feet.
Snowman Paper Plate Craft – Kids can create their own winter wonder using paper plates and our free template. It’s an exciting way for kids to build a frosty friend and explore their artistic talents.
Walrus Tissue Paper Craft – Dive into an ocean of creativity with this cute tissue paper craft! Kids will scrunch and glue colorful tissue paper onto our free walrus template, transforming it into their unique walrus masterpiece.
Winter Paper Activities
You won’t have to take a trip to icy waters to discover the “unicorn of the sea” when you use these free printable narwhal worksheets! They’re designed to make learning fun and will have kids practicing letter recognition, handwriting, scissor skills, and more.
As your child traces letters, labels parts of a narwhal, and navigates a letter N maze, they’ll develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Download and print the worksheets for an engaging learning adventure!
These adorable penguin dot to dots will make counting a blast while also enhancing fine motor control and number recognition. Your kids will have a blast connecting the dots on these three free printable sheets.
Once they complete the picture, break out the crayons so they can color and finish their masterpiece. Turn learning into play and watch as your little ones master new skills with joy and creativity!
Add a dash of winter excitement to learning with our winter pattern block mats! Ideal for preschool through kindergarten, these 14 printable pages showcase charming winter scenes to foster fine motor skills and shape identification.
Download and print these engaging mats for a fun and educational activity that captures the joys of winter in each scene. It’s an easy way to keep kids happily learning during the chilly months!
Let’s go on an Arctic adventure with these free Arctic animals color by number printables! As kids color each space according to the legend, images of a penguin, walrus, polar bear, fox, moose, and two whales will emerge.
These engaging pages enhance creativity and include handwriting practice and simple math to sneak in some extra learning. Download, color, and discover the magic of the frozen wilderness with each Arctic animal!
Share With Us
Did you make this activity with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!
For a chance to have your child’s project featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!
Moving Penguin Paper Plate Craft
Materials
- Paper Plate
- Blue Paint
- Paint Brush
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers
- Snowflakes stickers or White acrylic paint marker
- Popsicle Sticks
- Tape
- Penguin Template
Instructions
- Download the penguin template, print, and cut out the pieces you need.
- Begin by painting the paper plate in 1-2 thin coats of blue paint. You can also paint a 2nd paper plate in light blue to be the water or you can use colored cardstock instead. If you use a 2nd paper plate, paint the back side of the paper plate to give the penguin more room to move. Let it dry completely before moving on.
- Use an acrylic marker to draw a snowflake around the paper plate. Then glue the iceberg block on the bottom of it.
- Glue the belly to the middle of the penguin’s body.
- Take the beak and glue it in between the eyes.
- Position the feet at the end of the penguin’s leg and glue them in place.
- Flip the penguin’s body and tape the jumbo popsicle stick to the back.
- Finish up by gluing the ice piece on the bottom part of the paper plate.
Cute Penguin Template
Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump and more. Read more.
Andrea
Thursday 16th of January 2025
It is very lovely!
Kamille - Community Support Assistant
Friday 17th of January 2025
Aw, thank you! Happy it brought a little joy your way!
Marlana Gardner
Tuesday 7th of January 2025
Cute
Kamille - Community Support Assistant
Wednesday 8th of January 2025
Aww, thank you!
Irina
Friday 19th of January 2024
Very nice Can,t wait to do.it with my kids
Sam
Friday 19th of January 2024
Thanks! I hope they have fun with this winter craft!
lore
Thursday 11th of January 2024
Moving Penguin Paper Plate Craft (Free Template)
Sam
Friday 12th of January 2024
Since you’re a subscriber, you just need to click the “Click Here To Get Your Freebie” image at the end of the post and then enter your email in the form. After that, it’ll automatically redirect you to the download page ◡̈