When children think of penguins, they think of the 3- to 4-foot-high birds they see in cartoons and in popular movies. But penguin species can be much, much smaller. Cut out different sizes of penguins. Ask the children to color them and put them in order. Have them put the penguins in order small to large, then large to small. Penguins also change color as they mature. Have the preschool children color baby penguins gray. Show a series of penguins from white, to different shades of gray and, finally, to the color and look of the adult penguin. Ask the preschool children to put the pictures in order from white and light gray to the black coat of the adult.
Give the preschool children an outline of a penguin. Explain penguins are birds that swim instead of fly. They wear elegant coats of black and white, though some species also have other distinctive coloring. Show a colored picture of penguins. Ask the preschool children to color their penguins so they look like the colored picture. This helps them learn to follow directions and duplicate what they see. To help the preschool children better understand penguins, show a video of penguins. Have them draw pictures after the video of their concept of penguin life.
Decorate the preschool classroom with penguins. Ring the bulletin board frame with penguins colored by the preschool children. On the bulletin board, list information on the penguins with illustrations. Show different penguin sizes and species. Show illustrations of seafood the penguins eat, like crustaceans, fish, krill and squid. Show a family of penguins with mother, father and baby. You might also show a penguin at different stages of maturity from egg to full-grown penguin, and discuss how long that growth takes.
Use a penguin theme to mark attendance. Each preschool child colors a penguin. Add names of the preschool children to their penguins. On a bulletin board or poster create a cold penguin environment scene. As the preschool children arrive each day, let them add their penguins to the board. Before they leave for the day, they remove their penguins. Give rewards for so many days of attendance without an absence. Give each child a penguin background poster to color. Add names and hang up. Each day the preschool children attend class, let them add a penguin sticker to their posters.