Looking for a fun activity that will keep the kids entertained and spark their creativity? Say hello to our penguin ice rink! Children will love sliding, spinning and racing their penguins across the ice — and it’s a clever way to sneak in a bit of learning too!  

The best bit? You don’t need a huge space or fancy equipment. With our PlayTRAY, you can turn any table or floor into a smooth, safe, portable ice rink that’s perfect for little penguin explorers! 

We’ve created a free penguin ice rink printable so you can get started straight away. Laminate the penguins if you can — it means they’ll survive all the icy fun without getting soggy!  

What You’ll Need:

• Inspire My Play PlayTRAY 
• Mini muffin tin or ice cube tray 
• Lollypop/craft sticks 
• Tinfoil  
• Water Food colouring 
• Penguin Printables

How to Make Your Penguins Skate: 

1. Prep the sticks: Snap the lollypop or craft sticks in half.  
2. Add water: we’ve added blue food colouring to create a more interesting colour.
3. Add the sticks: then secure them upright in your muffin tin or ice cube tray filled with water using tinfoil.
4. Freeze overnight: Let the water freeze into mini ice blocks.
5. Add your penguins: Cut out the penguin printable and tape your laminated penguins to the sticks.
6. Skate! Place your penguins on the smooth PlayTRAY surface and watch them glide, spin, and race. The PlayTRAY makes sliding effortless and keeps kids engaged for longer. 
   

Want to go wild? Fill your PlayTRAY halfway with water, prop it up outside and freeze overnight to make a mini slope for your penguins to slide down!  You can make the activity even more exciting by setting up a little obstacle course for your penguins to navigate, or by experimenting with different slopes and angles to see how fast they’ll slide. It’s also a lovely opportunity to chat about the science behind it all — how friction works, why ice is slippery, and what happens when you change the surface. And if your child loves imaginative play, try adding icebergs, pretend snow, or a few wintery props to turn the whole setup into a magical penguin world. 

The PlayTRAY isn’t just for penguin skating, it’s our go-to for all sensory play and crafting. It’s durable and makes playtime and tidying up easier for parents. Check out our blog: ‘How I Organised Our Sensory Play Supplies (and made playtime a no brainer!)’ to discover why we (and parents worldwide) love the PlayTRAY so much! 

We love seeing your creations! Freeze water in your PlayTRAY to set up your penguin ice rink, then tag us on Instagram @inspiremyplay so we can see your wonderful setups.  

 Happy PlayTRAYing!