It’s winter which means it is time for all the fun and easy winter preschool crafts and activities for my toddlers. First up on this list is penguins! My toddlers love anything with animals so learning about penguins has been well received.
Here are some of our favorite activities we have done with our penguin unit!
Easy winter preschool crafts
1 Penguin Counting
I did some penguin counting activities with my oldest toddler who just turned 3. I love working on math topics through fun activities because my toddler just thinks she’s playing! We counted penguins onto icebergs and did some count and clip cards! The count and clip cards were definitely favorites! The added fine motor skill of maneuvering the clip is so much fun for toddlers!
My toddler also enjoyed putting the correct number of penguins on each iceberg. We made it into a game where if too many penguins got on the iceberg they got pushed back into the water! So much fun and lots of learning happening too!
2 Penguin Sensory Bin
This sensory bin has been a winner for both of my toddlers since I introduced it! I put blue water beads and white water beads into the sensory bin, then added these big and small penguin sort cards! I laminated the cards first to help them last longer (THIS is my favorite laminator by the way!), but I will probably throw them out after we are finished with them because the wetness from the water beads is soaking into them!
My girls have been obsessed with these water beads! It is such a fun sensory experience for them. If you haven’t tried water beads with your toddler yet, give them a try (if they are no longer a mouth explorer!) Bit of a momma warning: water beads bounce…and BOUNCE…and BOUNCE again! But toddlers love them, so I guess they’re worth the mess!
While you’re thinking about sensory bins…don’t forget to grab your free Sensory Bin Guide! It will walk you through everything from setting up a sensory bin to tips when your toddler makes messes (which we all know they will!)
Grab your Sensory Bin Guide HERE!
3 Easy Winter Preschool Crafts: Penguin Process Art
I love all sorts of crafts and activities, but my favorite is when we do process art. Process art is simply when you focus on the PROCESS instead of the PRODUCT. When we do process art, I try to be as hands-off as possible and let my toddlers just enjoy creating something.
For our process art we made SNOW PAINT! This was a lot of fun to paint with because it held its shape more than normal paint and added lots of texture to their artwork!
To make snow paint, simply mix nearly equal parts of paint and cornstarch. I did slightly more paint than cornstarch! It’s seriously that easy!
After their paintings dried, we added some penguin stickers! Here’s my secret tip to getting the perfect stickers for your toddler’s artwork… print them yourself! I find clipart that I like and print it onto shipping label paper. Then, I cut out the shapes and use them as stickers!
4 Penguin Gross Motor Activities
If you have a gross motor loving toddler like I do, then be sure to waddle like a penguin with your toddler! I have my toddler stick their arms straight down at their sides, keep their knees together and waddle. Have waddle races, waddle to nap, just waddle! It is so much fun!
Another fun activity is the penguin egg carry! Place a ball in between your legs and waddle to take your penguin egg to safety. This is a fun one that your toddler will love!
Our favorite gross motor activity by far though has been dancing. There is a song by the Kiboomers called “Animal Freeze Dance”. One of the dances is waddling like a penguin. Just ask Alexa to play “Animal Freeze Dance” or find the video on youtube and get to dancing!
BONUS: Printable Bundle
If you are planning a penguin unit with your toddler, this bundle will be your new best friend! It has math, shape, and fine motor activities that your toddler will love!
Looking for more Easy winter preschool crafts and activities? Check out these other winter themes for your toddlers and preschoolers!
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