Penguin Art Activities: Fun, Hands-On Learning for Preschoolers

Penguins are one of my favorite homeschool themes for preschoolers and early elementary kids. They've been my favorite animal for as long as I can remember, and I seem to have passed that adoration on to my kids! There’s just something about their waddly walk, the fluffy little babies, and the way they huddle together for warmth that makes them so fun to explore. 🐧

Over the years, I’ve done a variety of penguin-themed activities with my kids—crafts, sensory play, simple science experiments, and, with a favorite toy I'm going to show you, plenty of hands-on math. I bet you didn't know that a penguin theme is perfect for weaving in counting, sorting, number recognition, and patterns, all in a way that feels like play!

If you’re looking for ideas to enjoy a penguin theme with your kiddos, I've got lots of amazing penguin art activities (and more!) to show you! These activities are great for building fine motor skills, encouraging creativity, and introducing early math concepts in a fun and engaging way. Whether you piece together your own unit or grab our penguin crate that includes everything for you, these ideas will make your penguin study a hit with your little learners.

These are just a few of the fun and engaging activities included in the Explore Penguins Unit Study. The crate is packed with even more hands-on learning, including literacy, science, and additional math-focused activities that make it easy to bring a full penguin theme to life. Be sure to check it out to see everything that’s included and how it can simplify your homeschool planning while keeping your kids engaged and excited to learn. 🥰

One of the best parts of this penguin unit is how it naturally weaves math into hands-on learning. This is thanks to the Penguins on Ice Math Activity Set from Learning Resources (included in the ready-to-go activity crate!), an amazing resource for building essential early math skills while keeping things playful and engaging.

This set includes colorful penguin counters and ice bars that can be used for a variety of math-based penguin activities for preschoolers. Whether your child is just starting to recognize numbers or is ready for simple addition, this set makes math feel like fun instead of work.

Some of the activities in the unit include:

What I love most about this activity set is how adaptable it is. Younger kids can focus on color matching and counting, while older ones can practice early math operations and even simple graphing. The tactile nature of the pieces makes it perfect for hands-on learners who benefit from moving objects around as they work through math concepts.

With the Penguins on Ice Math Activity Set at the heart of this unit study, kids get plenty of practice with number recognition, patterns, and problem-solving—all while playing with adorable penguins.

If your kids love ripping paper and gluing things, they’ll love this penguin art project for preschool! This one was a huge hit because it combined fine motor skills, shape recognition, and early spatial awareness.

Using black and white paper squares, little hands carefully arranged and glued pieces to form the shape of a penguin. While working on their penguin craft, we talked about the shapes they were using, counted how many squares they needed for each part of the penguin, and compared sizes of the pieces.

This project is great for strengthening hand-eye coordination and cutting skills, and the best part is that there’s no wrong way to do it. Plus, it gave us a chance to chat about penguin colors, shapes, and how their black-and-white feathers help them blend into the icy waters.

This was a fun way to introduce early math concepts while keeping things hands-on. Using penguin sorting cards, my kids explored colors and counting in a way that felt more like play than learning.

• Sorting penguins by color – Grouping blue, green, black, and orange penguins while practicing color matching.

• Counting and number matching – Rolling a die and placing that many penguins on the color card.

This activity helped build a strong foundation for number sense. We can even extend it by asking, "What happens if we add one more penguin? What if we take one away?" This was a great way to introduce simple addition and subtraction in a way that made sense to little learners.

One of the most open-ended and creative projects in this penguin unit is the Winter Scene: Mixed-Media Art activity. Using paint, washi tape, and textured materials, kids get to design their own winter landscapes, complete with snowy trees and icy backgrounds. This activity encourages creativity while also building fine motor skills as kids layer colors and experiment with different textures. The process of peeling back the washi tape to reveal crisp, snowy tree silhouettes is always a fun surprise! Whether they create a daytime winter wonderland or a peaceful nighttime snow scene, this art project provides the perfect backdrop for their penguin-themed learning.

One of the easiest ways to reinforce number recognition and counting is by making math fun, and this penguin-themed roll and cover game was an instant hit.

• Kids roll a die and find the matching number on the Penguin Roll and Cover Mat.

• They use a marker to cover the number or place a small object, like a pom-pom or penguin figurine, on top.

• The goal is to cover all the numbers while practicing counting and number matching.

For kids ready for more of a challenge, use two dice and add the numbers together, turning it into an easy introduction to early addition. This simple but engaging activity helps reinforce one-to-one correspondence, number sequencing, and subitizing skills, all while keeping things playful and interactive.

This penguin art activity was so much fun because it combined art and STEM. Instead of painting with brushes, the kids used LEGO bricks as stamps to create an igloo!

They started by cutting out an igloo shape from paper, then dipped the LEGO bricks into white paint and stamped them to create an ice block texture. As they worked, we counted how many ice blocks were in each row, practiced estimating how many they would need, and discussed patterns and symmetry.

Our art wouldn't be complete without adding some adorable penguins to this icy scene!

Sometimes the best learning happens when kids are free to explore and create on their own. This penguin unit includes open-ended sensory play, where kids can use play dough, beads, wooden snowflakes, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, and their penguin figurines from the Learning Resources set to build and imagine their own wintery worlds. Some kids might create snowy landscapes with playdough hills and stick-built igloos, while others might decorate their penguins with beads or design their own icy obstacle courses. Sensory play like this strengthens fine motor skills, encourages storytelling, and gives kids the space to experiment with different textures and materials in a meaningful way. Plus, it’s always fun to see where their imaginations take them!

Since penguins live in icy climates, we had to include some wintery science fun! One of my daughter's favorite activities in the unit involved making instant snow—a huge hit! You can:

• Predict what would happen when water was added to the special snow powder.

• Watch it expand and grow into fluffy snow.

• Feel and describe the texture compared to real snow.

• Count how many scoops it took to fill a container with snow.

It's really impressive (even to adults!) to watch this substance expand, and then kids can have so much fun playing with their rainbow counting penguins in the snow. Great sensory bin / invitation to play!

Learning to use scissors is an important skill for preschoolers, and this scissor practice activity is a fun way to help kids develop confidence with cutting. Using pre-marked lines, kids practice cutting along straight, wavy, and zigzag paths, strengthening hand muscles and improving coordination. As they snip their way through the activity, they also build focus and control—essential skills for future writing. For extra fun, they can use their cut pieces to create their own penguin-themed collage or winter artwork.

If you’ve never done a penguin preschool unit, it’s such a great theme, especially in winter. Penguins are fun, engaging, and full of learning opportunities across different subjects.

And best of all, everything in the Explore Penguins Unit Study is ready to go, so there’s no stress about finding supplies or planning activities. Just open the crate and jump (or waddle!) into the fun.