7 Interesting Facts About Penguins You Can Share With Your Kids


by Susanne Myers - Date: 2007-01-31 - Word Count: 376 Share This!

With the release of the movie "Happy Feet", young kids have become fascinated with penguins. These special little birds, that live in the coldest regions of the earth are pretty interesting creatures. I have dug up 7 interesting facts about penguins that you can share with your kids.

Birds Who Can't Fly

Penguins are birds who are no longer able to fly, but are great swimmers and divers instead. Their wings have morphed into flippers and their torpedo-shapes body allows them to swim under water at high speeds. This also causes them to waddle on land.

Devoted Parents

Little baby penguins have two devoted parents. Unlike many other species, especially other birds, the fathers are very involved in the process of hatching the egg and taking care of the baby penguins. Mom and Dad will take turns warming the egg and searching for food.

All It Takes Is A Little Body Heat

In the cold climate that penguins live it, keeping the egg warm is an essential task for penguin parents. In some penguin species, the dads will balance the egg on their feed, covering it with their belly flap to keep the egg warm. When it gets very cold, all the dads huddle together to keep themselves and their eggs warm.

The Special Penguin Gland

Since penguins spend a good bit of their live in the ocean, they are constantly swallowing sea water. A special gland behind their beak helps them filter out the salt from the water. They also eat snow as a source of fresh water.

Sleeping At Sea

Living on the ice can be quite dangerous, with natural predators lurking around each corner. Because of this many penguin species don't go back on the ice or dry land to sleep. Instead they take little naps in the water instead.

Huddle To Keep Warm

When male penguins stay on land to take care of the egg, they will huddle together to stay warm. Penguins rotate from the outside to the warmer inside of the huddle. This allows them to keep their body temperature high enough to incubate the egg until the baby penguin is born.

Using Sign Language

Penguins use a sign language of sorts to communicate with each other. They will wave their flippers and move their heads to "talk" to other penguins in the group.


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Now that both you and your child know a little more about these interesting birds, have some fun making one of these cute penguin crafts.

Here is a cute penguin puppet craft http://www.kinderinfo.com/crafts/penguin-puppet.htm and for another kids penguin craft visit http://www.kinderinfo.com/crafts/kids-penguin-craft.htm

While you're there, don't forget to sign up for the Kinderinfo Newsletter to receive more craft ideas and parenting info in your email inbox each week.

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