Do your kids love KneeBouncers’ Frozen Numbrrrrrrrssss counting game? Bring their favorite game to life with this fun adaptation. This fun DIY penguin game and craft develops your child’s counting and numeral recognition skills and refines their fine motor muscle control! Plus, the penguins are simply adorable!
DIY Penguin Game Supplies
- An empty baking powder or soup can
- black spray paint
- white paint pen
- orange or yellow felt
- exacto knife
- hot glue gun
- colored construction paper (for fish)
Instructions
This craft requires adult supervision, but allow your tot to help with the creation where possible!
- Apply a coat of black spray paint to the can in a well-ventilated area. Let dry.
- Use the exacto knife to cut a rectangle into the can for the mouth
- Cut felt into a triangle shape for the beak. Apply a strip of hot glue to the top of the beak and affix it just above the hole you cut.
- Use the white paint pen to add eyes and a belly.
- Make 20 fish from the construction paper and number them 1-20.
Ways to Play with Your DIY Penguin Game
- Number recognition – Ask your child to feed the penguin a fish with a specific number on it.
- Counting – feed the penguin numbers 1 through 20 in numerical order.
- Math facts – feed the penguin two numbers and figure out the sum in its belly.
- Hide ‘n Seek – Hide fish around the room and have the kids find them to feed the penguin.
- Penguin Habitat – Make the penguin a home made of marshmallows and toothpicks.
- More than Math – make different sets of fish featuring shapes, colors, letters, and more.
Note: Have a young child or one need extra help with their fine motor skills? Substitute an oatmeal container for the baking powder can. A bigger opening and larger fish are easier to handle.
Want some more DYI math practice at home? Check out our Printable Math Pack or our suggestions for gross motor play with numbers!
If you’re looking for letter-learning activities, try these fun adaptations of our KneeBouncer games and characters:
Updated September 13, 2023, by L. Elizabeth Forry
