Preschoolers will love this penguin sensory bin playing hide and seek with penguins in fake snow. Sensory play and learning. Bo absolutely loves all things sensory. She will do just about anything if it means she can play in something messy. This hands-on activity is perfect for preschoolers just learning how to count or for preschoolers who just need a fun sensory activity as part of their winter STEM activities for preschoolers.
When I found penguin erasers at Target, I knew I had a recipe for perfect penguin preschool activities by mixing the erasers and the snow.
Snowy Hide and Seek Penguin Sensory Bin
When we learned how to make frost the other day, I wanted to come up with a recipe for a fake snow that wouldn’t melt or make too much of a mess.
I was inspired by a bath bomb recipe that I made, because before we dyed the bath bomb powder, it looked just like snow!
Follow along with our recipe to learn how to make your own fake snow and construct a penguin sensory bin.
Penguin Science for Preschoolers
Here are some penguin science facts to share with your preschoolers while doing this penguin sensory bin.
There are many different types of penguins, but the most famous ones are the Emperor penguins. They are the largest and can grow up to 4 feet tall!
Penguins live in cold places, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. They are usually found in Antarctica, but some also live in places like South America and Africa.
Penguins have special feathers that help keep them warm in cold water. They have a layer of fluffy feathers underneath that acts like a cozy blanket.
Penguins are amazing swimmers! They use their flippers to glide through the water, and some penguins can even dive really deep to catch fish.
Penguins are mostly black and white because it helps them hide from predators. When they swim in the water, their black backs blend in with the dark ocean, and their white bellies hide them from below.
Baby penguins are called chicks, and they are super cute! Chicks are covered in soft, fuzzy feathers and stay with their parents until they grow big enough to swim and find food on their own.
Penguins have a funny way of walking on land. They waddle from side to side because their legs are short and their bodies are built for swimming. It’s one of the reasons they look so adorable!
Animals in Winter Books
Here are some of our favorite books about animals in the winter and arctic animals!
What do Critters do in the Winter?
Hiders Seekers Finders Keepers
What you need for the penguin sensory bin:
Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links for your convenience at no cost to you.
- Baking soda
- Corn starch
- Play tray (we love this one)
- Mini penguin erasers
Winter Animal Teaching Resources
Here are some supplies and tools to use with your students while learning about winter animals.
Plant and Animal Needs STEM Kit
Arctic and Antarctic Activity Book for Kids
Penguin Sensory Bin Fake Snow Recipe
Before making a penguin sensory bin, you have to make fake snow. This is the recipe I used.
I mixed one cup of baking soda (I always buy the really big box of baking soda because we always use so much!) and one cup of corn starch.
I added just enough water to make it crumbly and hold its shape when squeezed.
Winter STEM Classroom Sets
If you don’t have time to gather the supplies yourself, you’ll love these winter science experiment kits for the classroom!
Most of these fun experiment boxes are designed for elementary school, but many of them touch on middle school science topics as well.
How to Make a Penguin Sensory Bin
Follow these directions to turn your fake snow recipe into a penguin sensory bin.
I poured the snow into our play tray, and gave Bo the penguin erasers. At first, she just played with the penguins in the snow, but after a bit, she came up with the hide and seek game.
She would bury a few penguins in the snow, then pretend that another penguin was finding them.
I turned this activity into a counting activity by having her hide and find a specific number of penguins.
We took turns hiding one, two, three, four, or five penguins (she is currently only counting up to five, but we had about 30 erasers, so you could count much higher than that if your preschooler is ready).
After counting to hide the penguins, we switched the game up a bit. I would hide the penguins secretly, then tell her how many I buried.
She would then count the penguins as she found them until she counted up to the number I had hidden.
We both thought this penguin sensory bin activity was a blast!
Winter Teacher Shirts
Here are some fun shirts that teachers will love wearing during the winter months.
Spread Kindness Like Snowflakes Teacher Shirt
Proud Supporter of Snow Days Teacher Shirt
Reading is Snow Much Fun Teacher Shirt
I Need a Snow Day Teacher Shirt
Supporter of Snow Days Teacher Sweatshirt
