Penguin Cookies, a Penguin Book, and even some Science

 It is January and there is snow on the ground, so that means we are reading penguin books!  Penguins are so cute, aren't they?  I love to watch them at the zoo or the aquarium.

I made a super cute, super easy, no baking involved penguin cookie treat to go along with a few penguin books we have been reading.

To make these penguin cookies you need:  Oreo cookies, Junior Mints candies, and icing (I used white, orange, and blue). 

First, twist off one of the chocolate cookies from a few Oreo cookies.  Cut that cookie in half and place it back on top of the creme to make the wings.  Place a Junior Mints candy on the creme to form the head.  Use the white icing to make the eyes; I used some Oreo cookie crumbs to make the pupils.  Use the orange icing to make beaks and feet.  That's it!  It can't get any easier.

I made one penguin with blue feet because there is a blue footed penguin in one of the books we read.  Do you see him in the picture?   

On the recommendation of Almost Unschoolers, we read 365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental and Joelle Jolivet.  I can't believe that I have never seen this book before; it is SO cute!  On the first day of the new year, the mailman delivers a penguin to a family.  Well, day after day the penguins keep coming and the family has no idea who is sending them or why.  The family, obviously, runs into a few problems feeding and caring for the penguins.  On New Year's Eve, the family discovers that all of the penguins were sent by their uncle, the ecologist.  He explains that the planet is heating up and the penguins territory is getting smaller, so he was hoping to introduce them to the North Pole, but due to exporting restrictions, he was forced to send one penguin a day to the family.  This is a great book for some math practice for kids a bit older than C and R. 

So, why are we linking this post to Science Sunday this week?  Well, we learned a few new science words/terms from 365 Penguins:  ecologist, endangered species, ice caps, and the theory that the planet is heating up and shrinking the South Pole.  We also learned a little about where penguins live.   C and R had a great time!

Find more fun science ideas at Science Sunday!