Introduction: Penguins on a Stick

By anke-art
About: Creative, chaotic, artsy and crafty :D

Or should I call them "spoon penguins"? Anyway, they're cute as a button :)
I found a pack of wooden spoons at the supermarket, and they begged me to please buy and repurpose them... The oval shape was perfect for my current subject in my early music education course - penguins! So here's how I made them with the kids:

Step 1: You'll Need

  • wooden spoons
  • black drawing ink
  • white paper hole protectors
  • white ink or acrylic paint
  • felt scraps in yellow and black
  • white glue or small glue dots
  • scissors
  • damp rug

Step 2: Prepare the Spoons

Important: Prepare at least one penguin so the kids will see how it turns out. Make sure the spoons are dyed and completely dry before you start crafting with the kids.

If necessary, pour the ink into a glass with a wide opening. Dip a spoon into the ink until the bowl is completely covered. Allow the excess ink to drip off and put it on a piece of paper to dry. Prepare as many spoons as needed.

Step 3: Now Comes the Cute Part

In the upper third, place two hole protectors next to each other. That’ll be the eyes.

Step 4: And a Little Mess

For the white belly, I cut a piece of foam to fit into an empty tin and drenched it in white ink. You can simply use a kitchen sponge.
Press one finger into the ink and place it just below the eyes. Repeat if necessary.
Attention: Now the kids should wipe their fingers on the damp cloth. Otherwise, the white ink will come to life and magically appear on every surface ;)

Step 5: Felt Scraps!

Cut a small triangle from the yellow felt and glue it between and a little below the eyes. From the black felt, cut a crescent-shaped piece and attach it to the spoon’s back. I decided to skip the feet because it would’ve been too complicated for my kinder students.

Step 6: Tadaa!

Now here’s the complete penguin next to one of his friends! Aren’t they adorable?

Depending on the age of the kids, you can decide how much you want to prepare. I decided to do all the cutting work because we didn’t have much time.

So have fun, and please let me know how you like the idea :D