Skating Penguin: a logic game for kids
An ice puzzle: the penguin doesn't stop until it bumps into something
Skating Penguin is a logic game for kids. A penguin stands on a sheet of ice, and its igloo is a few squares away. The ice is slippery: when the child picks a direction, the penguin dives onto its belly and keeps sliding until it hits a rock, a snowman or the edge. Heading straight for the igloo isn't enough: the child has to work out where the penguin will end up after every move. There's nothing to read, no timer and no lives.
How to play
- Pick a direction with the on-screen arrows, the arrow keys or a swipe. The penguin slides in a straight line until something stops it.
- See where it stopped and pick the next direction. If the igloo is on its path, it goes in and the board is solved.
- If a move didn't help, the undo button goes back one step and the restart button starts the board again.
Three levels: by day, at sunset and at night
On the easy level the board is 5×5 and the only goal is to reach the igloo in a few moves. On medium, 7×7, the igloo is sealed with ice and opens once the penguin has collected every fish. Hard is 9×9 and adds holes in the ice, which drop the penguin in the water and send it back to the start, and soft snow, which stops it dead. Easy has 8 fixed boards; medium and hard have 12 each. On easy and medium the penguin can never get stuck: the igloo can be reached from any square. At the end, the game tells you how many moves you used and what the minimum was.
What kids practice
- Thinking ahead: before tapping the arrow, they picture the whole slide and the square where it ends.
- Planning several steps: the way to the igloo is rarely direct, and sometimes you have to move away to get there.
- Spatial orientation: up, down, left and right on a grid.
- Trying, undoing and trying again with no penalty, then looking for a solution with fewer moves.
In the classroom, on the interactive whiteboard
On the whiteboard, the whole class solves it together: before each move you can ask where the penguin will stop and have the children point to the square. The boards are fixed, so two children on the same board face the same problem and can compare how many moves each one used. The minimum shown at the end works as a challenge: can it be done in fewer?
It works on computers, tablets and phones, with a finger, a mouse or the keyboard. It's free, opens in the browser and needs no sign-up or download.
Frequently asked questions
What is a logic game for kids?
It's a game where thinking before moving matters more than speed. In Skating Penguin every move has a result you can predict: the penguin slides until it bumps into something. Children learn to picture what will happen before they act.
What age is it for?
The easy level works from age 4 or 5, ideally with an adult sitting with them the first few times. Medium and hard ask for several steps of planning and work best for ages 6 to 8 and older.
What if the penguin gets stuck?
On easy and medium, that can't happen: there is always a way to the igloo from wherever it is. On hard it can end up somewhere with no way out; that's what the undo button, which goes back one move, and the restart button are for.
Can you play with the keyboard?
Yes. The arrow keys move the penguin, Z undoes the last move and R restarts the board. On a tablet or phone you play with the on-screen arrows or by swiping.
Skating Penguin is one of the 15 logic games on Amigoki.
