There’s something extra special about crafts that use handprints—they’re like little snapshots in time. This Handprint Penguin Craft is not only adorable but also captures a keepsake of your child’s tiny hands. My kids had a blast tracing their hands and turning them into playful penguins, and the watercolor snowflake background was the perfect touch to bring the whole scene together.
What I love most about this craft is how personal it feels. Each penguin is unique because it’s built around your child’s handprint, making it a meaningful keepsake or gift. Plus, the steps are simple, fun, and allow plenty of room for creativity!
Why You’ll Love This Penguin Craft
This craft is easy to set up and combines painting, tracing, and assembling, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy. It’s a great way to practice fine motor skills while creating a personalized piece of art. Best of all, it’s a memory-maker you’ll love looking back on as your kids grow.
Materials You’ll Need
- Cardstock
- Watercolors
- Paintbrush
- White crayon
- Bowl for water
- Black, orange, and white construction paper
- Glue stick
How to Make the Handprint Penguin Craft
1. Create the Background
Use a white crayon to draw snowflakes on a sheet of white cardstock. Paint over the cardstock with watercolors, letting the snowflake designs pop through. Set the background aside to dry completely.
2. Prepare the Penguin Pieces
On black construction paper, trace your child’s hand and cut it out. This will form the penguin’s body and wings. Cut a white oval from the white construction paper for the belly. Then cut two small white circles for the eyes and two smaller black circles for the pupils (or use a black marker). Cut a small triangle from orange construction paper for the beak.
3. Assemble the Penguin
Once the background is dry, glue the black handprint in the center of the page with the fingers pointing downward (these will be the penguin’s wings). Glue the white oval onto the palm area of the handprint to create the penguin’s belly. Add the eyes above the belly and glue the orange beak just below them.
This Handprint Penguin Craft is not just a fun activity—it’s also a keepsake you’ll treasure. It’s easy for kids to make, gives them a chance to explore different materials, and turns into a sweet, wintry decoration. Try it out and enjoy making memories while crafting together!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
