Paper Penguin Process Art Project for Preschoolers

Penguins are one of nature’s most endearing creatures. Their adorable little waddling walk, the way they swoop effortlessly in the water, and of course, they’re always dressed for success. This penguin process art is perfect for preschoolers and pre-k students. The project builds so many skills, and the results are absolutely priceless!

Process versus Product

Process art is almost always the better choice for early childhood students. They have a whole lifetime of doing things just like everyone else – so let them express themselves and be unique! The difference between the two approaches has been a discussion among teachers for years. Read more about the differences between the two here.

Materials Needed for Penguin Process Art

One of the best parts about process art is that it doesn’t take a lot of prep. This project only needs a few items.

• Construction Paper in blue, black, orange, yellow, and white
• 1 white oval for each child
• Glue sticks
• White crayons – to write names on the blue paper

That’s it!

Putting Penguins Together

First, students glue the oval on the center of a sheet of blue paper. Next, invite the students to rip the black, orange, yellow, and white paper into pieces. Encourage them to create a unique penguin by gluing the torn pieces in any design they would like. It might be helpful to have real pictures of penguins available for reference. Finally, students write their names on the background paper to sign their artwork!

Skill Building with Penguin Process Art

Process art is fun for preschool students, but it also helps them practice many important skills while they create.

• Critical thinking skills – Deciding what colors are needed and where to place them can be challenging. Students exercise their critical thinking skills to gauge which pieces fit or look best in a certain location.
• Emergent Math – Finding the right sizes of torn paper works on early math skills in regard to proportions. Students may decide to place the pieces in a pattern or form shapes for their masterpieces.
• Visual Analysis – Examining real-life photographs of penguins and comparing them to their artwork reinforces emerging visual analysis skills.
• Fine Motor – Even the simple act of tearing the paper works their fine motor muscles in a different way than writing or cutting with scissors.

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