10 EASY Lion Crafts for Kids (2023)
Looking for some lion crafts for kids?
I have 10+ fun and easy lion crafts that your kids are going to LOVE! Lions are my favorite animal to make crafts for. There’s just something so cool about making the lion’s mane.
Let’s get started with some awesome lion crafts.
Craft #1:Pasta Lion Craft
Here’s another fun sensory craft! This is one of our favorites that I have ever made!
Using colored pasta is a great sensory activity. Plus, it makes for a really fun art project.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- bow tie pasta
- spiral pasta
- spaghetti noodles
- cardboard
- acrylic paint
- paintbrush
- googly eyes
- box cutter
- hot glue gun/hot glue
- parchment paper
- ziplock bags
B. Set-up
Use a bowl to trace a circle shape on cardboard. Cut it out using a box cutter! Make a face on the lions using paint, googly eyes, and spaghetti noodles for the whiskers.
To color the pasta, dump the noodles into a plastic bag, add some acrylic paint, shake then dump on parchment paper to dry!
C. Activity
Glue the lion’s faces onto another piece of cardboard. Then, start gluing the colored pasta noodles around the lion’s face to be the mane.
This can be a pattern learning activity too! Use 2-3 different colored pasta noodles to create a pattern!
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Craft #2: Lion Hair Cut Craft
What a fun way to work on scissor skills! This lion craft for kids is SURE to be a hit!
My kids loved the chance to give these lions a haircut.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- cardboard
- cardstock paper
- glue stick or hot glue gun (optional)
- googly eyes
- glue
- paint/marker
- scissors
- acrylic paint (optional)
B. Set-up
Grab a bowl and trace the circle shape on cardboard. Then, use a box cutter to cut it out. We painted one of the lion’s faces orange, and we left one blank. If you want to add paint, do this step next after cutting the circle out.
Cut the strips of paper for the lion’s mane.
C. Activity
Have the kids create a face for the lion! They can add googly eyes and draw a nose, mouth, and whiskers.
Use a glue stick to glue the strips of paper on the back of the lion’s face. If you want something more permanent, you can use hot glue instead of a glue stick. We did use a hot glue gun for ours.
Have the kids use scissors to cut the lion’s mane! If you want, you can create lines for them to cut on the strips of paper you created or leave them blank and let them create their own cuts.
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Craft #3: Fork Painted Lion Craft
Have you ever used forks for painting? They make the coolest prints!
This lion craft for kids is EASY, and they will love this different method of creating.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- cardboard or paper
- paint
- markers
- googly eyes
- glue
- forks
- paint tray
B. Set-up
Draw circles on cardboard or paper and create the lion’s faces by gluing on googly eyes, nose, mouth, and whiskers.
Then, add paint to a tray!
C. Activity
Have the kids dip the fork into the paint and make prints around the circles you created for the lion.
They can either use just one color per lion or work on patterns! This is a great learning activity for preschool and kindergarteners.
One tip I have for this activity is to have a few forks, so you don’t have to wash off the fork when they switch colors!
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Craft #4: Q-Tip Painted Lion Craft
This fine motor lion craft is cute, easy, and fun for the kids!
I love using Q-tips to paint with. It’s a perfect way for kids to work on pre-writing skills without even knowing it!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- markers
- cardstock white paper
- washable paint
- Q-tips
- paint tray
B. Set-up
Trace a bowl on a piece of white paper. We like to use cardstock paper for these projects because they hold up better for the kids to use! Then, create a face for the lion using markers.
Use different colored markers to draw straight lines around the face for the mane. We wanted to work on patterns, so I alternated 2-3 colors!
C. Activity
The kids will use color matching skills while they are doing this activity. They will use Q-tips to trace the colors you created around the lion to make its mane!
Encourage the kids to stay on the lines you created as much as possible.
Craft #5: Leaf Lion Craft
How cute are these leaf lions? I love being able to use nature for crafts.
The kids loved going outside and searching for leaves for this project. You can either do this in the fall time when the leaves are changing or just paint the leaves.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- cardboard
- acrylic paint
- leaves
- glue stick or hot glue
- box cutter
B. Set-up
Trace a bowl on a piece of cardboard and cut it out using a box cutter.
We created a face for the lion, used markers, and made cheeks for them using acrylic paint.
Lastly, have the kids go outside, collect leaves, and bring them back! Then, you can either paint them or leave them how they are.
C. Activity
Once the leaves dry, if you painted them, then glue them around the lion’s face. You can use a glue stick, or you may have to use hot glue. Depending on the kind of leaves you have, it may not stick on using a glue stick.
Check out your cool nature lion craft! This is so much fun and a great way to get the kids outside.
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Craft #6: Paper Plate Lion Mask
I’m obsessed with paper plate crafts. They are always my first choice of craft supplies because they are easy and fun for the kids.
When it comes to crafting, kids want something simple and something they can play with when they are done!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- paper plate
- cardstock paper
- scissors
- glue
- acrylic paint
- paintbrush
B. Set-up
Cut out the middle of the paper plate using scissors! Cut strips of orange, brown, and yellow cardstock paper.
Paint the paper plate yellow using acrylic paint!
C. Activity
Have your little one use a little glue to paste the strips on the paper plate!
Once it’s dry, they can hold up the paper plate to their face and pretend to be a lion! You can also use face paint to draw a nose and whiskers for extra fun!
Craft #7: Rice Lion Craft
Here is another fun sensory craft! Using rice was TOO much fun to make the lion’s mane for this craft.
It honestly looks so life-like! I love how the final product turned out.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- cardboard
- acrylic paint
- ziplock bag
- parchment paper
- art tray
- googly eyes
- glue
- markers
B. Set-up
To color the rice, add a cup of rice to a ziplock bag. Dump some acrylic paint in the bag, shake and dump out. Make sure to cover the art tray in parchment paper for EASY clean-up!
Repeat this process for each color that you want to use. We used yellow, brown, orange, and red.
Wait for the rice to dry. This process takes about 20 minutes for the rice to completely dry. Make sure to spread the rice out, too, so it doesn’t stick together.
C. Activity
Draw a lion’s face onto cardboard. Then, paint the center of the lion’s face! Add some googly eyes and facial features when the paint dries on the cardboard.
Then, add a thin layer of glue to the lion’s mane. Finally, have the kids sprinkle the rice onto the glue to make the mane!
Once it is dry, have the kids feel the mane! This is such a fun sensory craft for kids!
Craft #8: Zoo Color by Code
This FREE color by code Zoo activity is a fun way for kids to work on numbers!
My son loves the color-by-code printables SO much! They are by far his favorite learning activity.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- Color by Code sheets
- crayons
- markers
Click HERE for your FREE Zoo Color by Code
B. Set-up
Print off the sheets that you want to use!
C. Activity
Make sure your child understands how to read the key at the top of the page. Then, they will color each number in the picture based on what the key says.
These are my kid’s favorite out of all the printables I create. They love revealing the picture at the end!
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Craft #9: Pom Painted Lion Craft
Have you ever tried pom painting? It’s a fun and simple way for kids to create art!
Using poms is the perfect way to make a lion’s craft. The print that the poms leave is AWESOME for the lion’s mane.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- acrylic paint
- paper
- marker
- googly eyes
- glue
- paper cup
- pencil
- clothespins
B. Set-up
Trace a circle by using a paper cup onto paper. This way, it makes sure the circle you create is perfectly round.
Then, draw in the lion’s face using markers!
C. Activity
Grab the paint you need (we used red, orange, yellow, and brown).
Attach clothespins in the poms to make it easy for kids to make prints. Then, the kids will make prints using the poms around the circle you created.
They can use one color, or they can alternate colors! This is a great way to work on pattern learning as well!
Add some googly eyes in or draw eyes.
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Craft #10: Paper Plate Lion Craft
I love doing paper plate crafts with the kids. They are always one of our go-to crafts! You can make such creative things with a simple paper plate.
This lion craft for kids is adorable, and they will love each step of the process of creating it.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- paper plate
- acrylic paint
- cardstock paper
- glue stick
- scissors
- glue
- paintbrush
- marker
B. Set-up
Paint the paper plate yellow and let it dry. It’ll take about 20 minutes for it to completely dry.
While you are waiting for the plate to dry, you and the kids can create paper strips for the mane. Cut medium-sized strips of paper for yellow and orange paper.
C. Activity
Flip the paper plate over and paste the paper strips on using a glue stick. Make sure to press down on the strips to ensure that it stays on.
We used yellow and orange paper to alternate colors around the plate.
Create ears using paper by drawing semi-circles and cutting them out. Then, use school glue to paste these on top of the plate.
Lastly, make a face for the lion using googly eyes, paint, and markers!
RELATED: Paper Plate Crafts for Kids
Craft #11: Handprint Lion Craft
Handprint crafts are just the cutest. So we figure out how to do a handprint craft for each theme that we do.
It’s a great keepsake, and the kids love seeing their hands-on crafts! This lion craft is a must-try activity.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- cardstock paper
- markers
- scissors
- glue stick
B. Set-up
Trace your child’s hand on a yellow piece of cardstock paper. Then, cut it out!
C. Activity
Create the lion’s mane using orange cardstock and cut it out. Then, create the lion’s face and paste it on the mane using a glue stick.
Make a tail out of yellow paper and cut a small piece of orange paper for the end of the tail.
Draw in the lion’s face using markers!
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
Lion crafts are so much fun to do with the kids! They are my favorite animal to find crafts for.
I hope you can find some lion crafts for kids that you’ll try! I’d love to hear about what craft you tried with your kids at home or in the classroom.
Happy Crafting!
Deena
