This adorable waddling penguin craft for kids is both fun to make AND fun to play with. Gently shake your cotton ball covered paper bowl and watch your cute penguins waddle and wobble back and forth. This post includes a free printable penguin template and makes a great winter craft.
This post contains affiliate links.
Aren’t these wobbly penguins absolutely adorable? They really are fun to make and kids love making them waddle and move by gently shaking them back and forth. This penguin activity would be fun to do during a winter unit or as an extension to a book about penguins.
See it in action here:
Our Favorite Penguin Books
Cute Waddling Penguin Craft for Kids
Materials for Waddling Penguin Craft
- Paper bowl
- Liquid glue
- Tape
- Googly eyes
- Black and orange markers, crayons or colored pencils (This set of markers has lots of fun colors!)
- 2 White pipe cleaners
- Scissors
- Cotton balls
- Free printable penguin template
Directions for Waddling Penguin Craft
1. Print out the free penguin template white paper or cardstock.
2. Color the penguins with markers, crayons or colored pencils. Cut them out.
3. Glue googly eyes onto each penguin.
4. Take one white pipe cleaner and wrap it around a marker to make a spring. Do this with the other white pipe cleaner.
5. Straighten one end of each pipe cleaner and attach it to the back of the each penguin with tape.
6. Poke two holes in the bottom of your paper bowl, one for each penguin. (Have an adult do this step.)
7. Push the end of a pipe cleaner into one of the holes in the bowl and twist it down until the penguin is standing just above the bowl. Repeat with the other penguin.
8. Use liquid glue to cover the bowl in cotton balls representing snow.
The penguins are now ready! Â Give them a little shake and watch them waddle and wobble back and forth!
Tips and Ideas
- Try making your pipe cleaner springs different heights. How does that affect how your penguins waddle or stand?
- Try differentiating the spaces between each coil in the spring. How does that affect your penguins’ waddle?
- Design other details to go onto your snow covered bowl.
- Write a story about your penguins.
