Penguins of Madagascar Costume
Cute, cuddly, and ready for secret agent operations this Halloween.
Become one of the elite, covert penguin operatives—Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, or Private—from DreamWorks' Madagascar franchise. This costume is a massive hit for groups and families who want a funny, recognizable look. The outfit centers on a classic black-and-white penguin silhouette paired with playful secret agent or character-specific props.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- ~30 min
- Budget
- $25–75
Try it on
See yourself as Penguins of Madagascar
One clear photo of yourself; we render you in this costume — face untouched, full body, about 20 seconds.
One render, $1. No account needed — if it fails you're not charged. Pricing.
Your photo is sent to Google's Gemini API to make the render and isn't used for training. Renders are AI-generated and labelled.
Want a different costume on this photo, or a whole group in costume? Open the Try-On Studio.
What you need for a Penguins of Madagascar costume
Short on time? Buy it ready-made
Spirit Halloween sells the complete Penguins of Madagascar costume — one box instead of 5 pieces.
Black hooded tunic or bodysuit
A sleeveless black tunic with a hood, or a black zip-up hoodie to form the base of the penguin body.
DIY: Use an oversized black hoodie and cut off the sleeves.
White felt belly panel
A large oval piece of white felt attached to the front torso to mimic a penguin's white chest.
DIY: Cut an oval out of a white t-shirt or white felt and fabric-glue it to your black base.
Orange beak and webbed feet
An orange felt triangle mask or facepiece for the beak, paired with orange shoe covers or socks.
DIY: Cut a beak shape out of orange cardstock or felt and attach it to a headband or the hood.
Black pants or leggings
Simple, fitted black leggings or sweatpants to complete the lower body silhouette.
DIY: Use any plain black pants you already own.
Secret agent accessories
A toy walkie-talkie, binoculars, or a clipboard to emphasize their military-style spy missions.
DIY: Carry a simple cardboard clipboard with 'Top Secret' written across it.
Rather not assemble it? See ready-made Penguins of Madagascar costumes at Spirit Halloween ↗
How to put it together
- 1
Put on the black pants or leggings as your base layer.
- 2
Slip on the black hooded tunic or hoodie with the white felt oval secured to the front chest.
- 3
Position the hood over your head and attach the orange felt beak to the brim or wear an elastic beak mask.
- 4
Put on the orange socks or slip the orange webbed-feet covers over your regular shoes.
- 5
Equip your character-specific prop, such as a clipboard for Kowalski or a walkie-talkie for Skipper.
- 6
Stand tall, keep your arms flat to your sides like flippers, and prepare to 'smile and wave!'
Makeup & hair
Keep hair tucked completely inside the black hood. If desired, paint the tip of your nose orange and add simple black-and-white face paint around the eyes to mimic the animated penguin face.
Penguins of Madagascar for couples, groups, kids & more
- couples
- Pair up as Skipper and Classified the wolf from the North Wind task force.
- group
- Get four friends together to go as the complete squad: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private.
- kids
- Use a plush, one-piece zippered penguin jumpsuit for an ultra-cozy and adorable kids' version.
- Plus size
- An oversized black fleece poncho with a white felt belly glued on offers a highly comfortable, flexible fit.
- pet
- A simple black-and-white pet tuxedo harness with a small orange felt beak attached to the collar.
Tips
- Keep your arms pressed to your sides and waddle slightly when posing for photos to capture the character.
- If trick-or-treating in cold weather, this costume easily fits over thick thermal layers or a heavy coat.
- Write 'Top Secret' or 'Classified' on a manila folder to use as a lightweight, cheap prop that doubles as a party accessory.
Penguins of Madagascar costume FAQ
- How do I distinguish between Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private?
- Use props! Give Skipper a toy megaphone, Kowalski a clipboard and pencil, Rico some fake dynamite or a crazy expression, and Private a cute lunchbox or a plush fish.
- Is there an easy way to make the flippers?
- Yes, you can sew or fabric-glue long black felt triangles to the cuffs of your black sleeves so they drape over your hands like flippers.
- Can I use an inflatable penguin costume?
- Absolutely. Ready-made inflatable penguin suits are widely available, highly hilarious, and fit the cartoonish proportions of the movie perfectly.
Did you know? The penguins were originally created for a different, unpitched movie about a rock band, but director Eric Darnell repurposed them as a military commando unit for Madagascar, where they stole the show.