---
title: "Penguins"
description: "Know that penguins cannot fly and swim with flipper-like wings. Some live in Antarctica, and others live in warmer places. Emperor penguins are the largest kind. They huddle for warmth, and fathers ke"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/penguins-mt_CK2orHetl3
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/penguins-mt_CK2orHetl3.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

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# Penguins

Know that penguins cannot fly and swim with flipper-like wings. Some live in Antarctica, and others live in warmer places. Emperor penguins are the largest kind. They huddle for warmth, and fathers keep eggs warm on their feet while mothers feed at sea.

Subject: Science · Area: Polar Regions · Ages 5 to 7
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/penguins-mt_CK2orHetl3

## Ready when they can

- State at least three facts about penguins: they can't fly, they're excellent swimmers, and Emperor penguins are the biggest
- Describe how Emperor penguins huddle together in winter to keep warm
- Explain how an emperor penguin father keeps an egg warm on his feet under a flap of skin while the mother feeds at sea

## Lesson: Penguins: swimmers of the south

You have learned about penguins in Antarctica. Penguins also live in other places, including warm coasts. These birds cannot fly. Their flipper-like wings push them through water. Emperor penguins are the largest kind. In a height chart, a taller bar shows a taller penguin.

*(drawing: Approximate heights in feet: emperor penguin, 4; little penguin, 1.)*

Antarctic winters are cold and windy. Emperor penguins stand close together in a huddle. This reduces heat loss. The outside is colder than the middle. As birds move, their places change. Moving toward the middle takes a bird into a warmer part.

**Example.** An emperor penguin mother lays one egg. The father keeps it on his feet while she feeds at sea. A flap of skin covers the egg and helps keep it warm in the cold. After the chick hatches, both parents help care for it.

Penguins do not all care for eggs in the same way. Many kinds use nests, and both parents take turns keeping their eggs warm. The father holding an egg on his feet is the emperor-penguin example.

**Recap.** Penguins swim with flipper-like wings. Emperor penguins are the largest kind. They huddle for warmth, and fathers keep eggs warm on their feet.

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Arctic vs Antarctic](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/arctic-vs-antarctic-mt_aO018DkCun)

## Opens up

- [Polar Food Chains](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/polar-food-chains-mt_7nduoLvoB1)
- [More Polar Animals](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/more-polar-animals-mt_7OJjLOl0fz)