Preschoolers will benefit from learning about human impacts on the environment at a young age. Teach students about the effects of global warming on penguins and their surroundings. Place a tray of ice cubes in a plastic dish. Children can watch the ice melt while you explain the impact of climate change on the polar ice caps and the icy environments where penguins live.
If you live in a warm climate, preschoolers may struggle to comprehend the freezing temperatures that penguins endure. Explain to preschoolers that penguins survive long, cold winters by huddling together for warmth. Ask your class to pretend a winter wind is blowing through the classroom, and encourage them to act like penguins and huddle together in the center of the room to keep warm. An imagination game will let preschoolers enjoy themselves while learning about penguins.
Penguins are distinct from many other birds and mammals since male emperor penguins guard eggs after females lay them. Male emperor penguins huddle together through long, dark winters, warming eggs under their feet while females forage in the sea for food. Help preschoolers conceptualize this unusual penguin practice with an interactive, imaginative project. Pass out toy plastic eggs, such as those used to hold candy, and ask each boy in the class to pretend he is a male penguin who must guard an egg, keeping it warm with his body heat. Preschoolers can hold the eggs in their laps or wrap them up in their arms. Have the girls pretend to be penguins and "swim" around the room foraging for food.
After learning about the icy, cold environments in which penguins live, students may wonder how these birds remain insulated against freezing air, wind and water. Explain that penguins are actually waterproof birds, whose feathers produce oil that protects them from penetrating moisture. Emphasize this fact by handing out paper and crayons and instructing preschoolers to draw pictures of penguins. After the drawings are complete, spray them with a bottle of water and encourage students to watch as the drops bead up and roll off of the waxy surface of the crayon drawings without penetrating the paper, mimicking a penguin’s oily feathers.