Penguin and Polar Bear Headband Craft

Penguins, polar bears, and kids….. Oh my! Today we will be showing you how to make an adorable penguin and polar bear headband craft that are perfect for pretend play.

Last year my son had an amazing preschool teacher who made the cutest hat and headband crafts with the kids. It always made me smile when picking him up from school and he would be wearing the craft they made earlier that day. At home, I would catch his little sister playing with them – so cute!

Since they enjoyed those crafts, I decided to make a penguin hat with my son and a polar bear headband with my daughter. Little Sister doesn’t know how to use a scissors yet but I still wanted her to be involved in making the craft. She loved tearing the cotton balls! A fun alternative to cutting with scissors.

Arctic Animal Headband Craft Tutorials

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Supplies Needed:

• Constuction paper (we used jumbo construction paper)
• Scissors
• Glue
• Cotton balls
• Googly eyes
• Optional: tape or stapler

How to make the Penguin Hat:

Lightly sketch a semi circle on the black paper. On the white, sketch a slightly smaller semi circle with a small ‘V’ in the center (please refer to the photo). Draw a triangle shape for the beak on the orange paper. Have the child cut the pieces out.

In the meantime, I cut & sized the headband part. Using the black paper I drew a horizontal line about 1-2 inches from the top. I used the jumbo construction paper pad as my guideline so that the line remained straight. You will need to cut 2 pieces and then tape or staple it together to create one long strip. Wrap it around the child’s head so that it is snug, but not too tight. Tape or staple accordingly, then cut the extra off.

When all the pieces are cut, the child can glue the white onto the black and then glue on the googly eyes. Alternatively, you could use construction paper for the eyes or color them on. Fold the bottom edge of the triangle (about 1 cm) and add glue to just the folded part. Place this part so that it sticks to the backside of the face. Next, glue the penguin face to the headband.

How to make the Polar Bear Headband:

Make a headband the same way as in the instructions for the penguin hat. Cut 2 white ears. Have the child tear cotton balls into smaller pieces. Place glue on the ears. Since I was making this with my toddler, she squeezed white school glue on, then used a paintbrush to brush it over the entire ear – I went over the areas she missed.

Next, place the cotton balls on until the entire ear is covered. Repeat with the other ear. Glue, staple, or tape the ears to the headband.

Now your little ones are ready to waddle around or roar! My toddler loves pretending to roar so I knew a polar bear would be a big hit with her. My son is obsessed with penguins and has an entire entourage of stuffed animal penguins that he plays with every day. Now he can pretend to be one of them…. tee, hee!

Not only are these animal headbands great for pretend play, they are fun to use with songs and books.

Songs and Book suggestions:

 That’s Not My Polar Bear That’s Not My Penguin (Touchy-Feely Board Books) Penguin and Pinecone Polar Opposites Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (Picture Puffin) Virgil & Owen Stick Together

&

This week’s Virtual Book Club pick is Penguin and Pinecone, an adorable story about an unlikely friendship. A definite must read!

Your Personal Penguin – We adore Sandra Boynton books!

That’s Not My Polar Bear –  A cute toddler book with texture. My 2 year old thinks it’s funny and loves to pretend to read it back to me. Also see: That’s Not My Penguin.

Songs About Penguins:

• 6 Little Penguins
• 3 Little Penguins
• I’m a Little Penguin

See the above and even more songs here.

Songs About Polar Bears:

Polar Bear, Polar Bear turn around.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear touch the ground.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear bend down low.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear touch your toe.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear slide on the ice.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear reach up high.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear touch the sky.
– Jean Warren

More Activities for a Preschool Penguin Theme

Penguin Theme Alphabet Game – The Educators’ Spin On It
Penguin Sight Word Read and Color – Sea of Knowledge
Penguin Ice Flow Counting Game – Rainy Day Mum
Penguin Water and Ice Sensory Bin – Mama Smiles
Penguin Sensory Rice Bin – Clare’s Little Tots
Penguin Colors Painting Activity from My Storytime Corner
Pinecone Penguin Craft – To be a Kid Again
Penguin Painting for Toddlers – Inspiration Laboratories
Penguin Action Rhyme for Kids – Preschool Powol Packets
Penguin Action Song and Gross Motor Activities – JDaniel4’s Mom
Penguin Name Matching Game for Preschoolers – Toddler Approved

  

Related: Winter Crafts

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Related: Animal Craft Ideas

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Amanda

Artsy Momma

Amanda is an ‘artsy momma’ to 2 kids who love making crafts just as much as she does. Follow their creative journey over on the blog titled Artsy Momma. Besides crafts, they share fun food ideas, hands-on learning activities, mommy DIY, + lots more! If you love handprint art, head over to their Fun Handprint Art blog where you will find hundreds of their projects all made with little hands and feet.