It started with a parcel: the story of how a children’s book sparked a journey of curiosity, collaboration, and conservation.
It all began in March 2025, where a reading of Parcel for Penguin by Shelley Knoll-Miller to a group of four-year old kindergarten children turned a simple story time into an incredible adventure.
For the kindergarteners at Busy Bees at Montrose, Parcel for Penguin was more than just a bedtime story, but a launchpad for something more, snowballing into something far bigger than anyone could have expected.
After reading Parcel for Penguin, the children wondered: “Could we send a parcel to a real penguin?” This seemingly innocent question quickly became a full-blown inquiry into how our kindergarten community could contribute to the care, conservation, and rehabilitation of real-life penguins.
Little jumpers with a big impact
What happened next is that educators at Busy Bees at Montrose reached out to the Penguin Foundation team at Philip Island, asking if they could send a parcel to the penguins.
The enthusiastic support of the penguin team opened the door to something bigger, as they shared information about caring for little penguins and invited us to participate in Knits for Nature – an initiative run by the Penguin Foundation to support their conservation, research, and rehabilitation efforts.
From this, with guidance from our dedicated team of educators, the children learned to knit jumpers for the penguins. But it didn’t stop there! We also invited our local aged-care community to get in on the fun! Before long, multiple sessions were had where children and older community members knitted alongside one another, sharing with each other more than just their skills, but also moments of laughter, stories, and meaningful connection.
Our inquiry continued as we learned about the journey of Flipper and Finnegan, the remarkable true story of how a viral community knitting campaign helped protect Phillip Island’s little penguins following an oil spill. From this, the children began to understand the impact of actions, and how, when grouped together, can create meaningful change
Cupcakes and conservation!
After learning about Flipper and Finnegan, the children decided they wanted to do more, which led them to develop the idea of adopting a penguin through the Penguin Foundation. Our initial goal was to raise enough money to adopt one little penguin. To do so, the children planned and hosted a kindergarten bake sale, each taking on roles of planning, creating, promoting, and participating in the event.
The community’s response was truly incredible, and together we raised more than $750. This allowed us to donate $700 to the Penguin Foundation and adopt seven little penguins, with the funds supporting both their care and their rehabilitation.
Learning beyond the classroom
After the bake sale, to deepen their understanding of the importance of conservation (and have a little fun, of course) the children visited the SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium. While they were there, they had the opportunity to observe penguins in real life and fall even more in love with the little feathered creatures they were working so hard to protect.
Feeling inspired, with the leftover funds, the children opted to purchase their very own penguin mascot, named Bubbles, for the kindy classroom. Kitted out in one of our very own little knitted jumpers, Bubbles is a reminder of our kindy’s hard work and how even the smallest hands can make a difference.
More than your regular preschool project
What started as a simple enquiry, “Can we send a parcel to a penguin?” became so much more. This penguin project gave the children an unforgettable lesson: Kindy is a space to stay curious, speak up, bring people together, and prove that many small hands really can make a huge impact!
A parcel became a project. A project became a community. And a community became seven little penguins helped.
Our hope for the future
The Penguin Inquiry, as we now call it, reminds us that democratic participation does not need to begin with a formal lesson about citizenship. It can begin with a child’s question.
When we create a space for children to wonder, listen, collaborate, make decisions, and act, we give them opportunities to experience themselves as capable, connected, and active parts of their community.
