Craft

Daniel in the Lions' Den Craft for Kids

An easy paper plate lion craft for Daniel in the lions' den in three levels, preschool to 5th grade, with a free printable lion face template and steps.

Preschool–Grade 5

📌 Save to Pinterest

Download

⬇ Craft template + instructions (PDF) · 5 pages

Free to print and copy for your church, classroom, VBS and home. Please don't resell or re-post our files; link to the page instead.

Ages: Preschool (3–5), Early Elementary (K–2), Upper Elementary (3–5)
Time: 15 to 30 minutes
Scripture: Daniel 6
Bible story: Daniel in the Lions' Den

What you need

One 9-inch white paper plate per child
The printed lion face template, one per child (cardstock is sturdiest)
Crayons or markers in orange, yellow, brown and black
Scissors and a glue stick
A pencil (to mark where to stop snipping, and to curl the mane strips at the harder level)
The printed mane curls page, one per child (harder level)
Orange and yellow paper (harder level), or crayons in those colors to color the printed strips

Steps

Turn the paper plate upside down. Color the rim (the outer ring) with orange and yellow crayons for the lion's mane.
Snip short cuts from the edge in toward the middle, about one finger-width apart, all the way around. Stop where the rim meets the flat middle.
Color the lion face on the template. Make the face yellow, the ears and nose brown, and leave the muzzle white or light yellow.
Cut out the lion face and the memory verse strip on the dashed lines. Help younger children with the cutting.
Glue the lion face in the middle of the plate. Its mouth is shut, like the lions God shut for Daniel.
Turn the plate over, glue the memory verse strip on the back and read it together.

This Daniel in the Lions' Den craft turns a paper plate into a lion with its mouth shut, because God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths (Daniel 6:22). Kids color and snip an orange and yellow mane, then glue on a printed lion face. It costs under 50 cents a child, takes about 20 minutes and comes with a free printable lion face template and memory verse strip. It comes in three levels, from preschool to 5th grade.

The finished craft, easy and medium level

The finished craft, harder level

What it looks like finished: easy and medium (first photo) and harder (second photo).

Why this craft works

Cheap and simple: a paper plate, one printed page and crayons.
It retells the story: the lion's shut mouth is the heart of Daniel 6:22, and it gives kids a reason to tell the story at home.
It carries the verse home: the template includes Daniel 6:22 (KJV) on a strip to glue on the back.

Three ways to make it

Easy (preschool, ages 3–5): you cut out the lion face ahead of time. Kids color the mane on the plate's rim, color the face and glue it on. No scissors.
Medium (grades K–2): the craft in the photo. Kids color the mane and snip it into a fringe, color and cut out the lion face and glue the verse strip on the back.
Harder (grades 3–5): do the medium steps, then cut 16 mane strips from the printed curls page, color them orange and yellow (or use colored paper), curl them around a pencil and glue them behind the plate's edge for a big curly mane. Then say the verse from memory.

Questions to ask

While kids work, ask what Daniel did when the king signed the new law (Daniel 6:10) and who shut the lions' mouths (Daniel 6:22). Daniel was not hurt at all, because he believed in his God (Daniel 6:23).

Tips for the classroom

Draw a pencil circle where each plate's rim begins so kids know where to stop snipping. For preschoolers, cut out the lion faces too, so all they do is color and glue. For the harder level, print the mane curls page too, and use orange and yellow paper if you have it.

Teaching the story first? Use the free Daniel in the Lions' Den Sunday school lesson and the Daniel in the Lions' Den word search.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a simple Daniel in the lions' den craft for preschoolers?

Cut out the lion face ahead of time. Preschoolers color the rim of an upside-down paper plate orange and yellow for the mane, color the lion face and glue it in the middle. It takes about 15 minutes with no cutting by the kids.

How much does this Daniel in the lions' den craft cost?

Under 50 cents a child: one paper plate, one printed page and crayons you already have. The template is free to print.

What Bible verse goes with a Daniel in the lions' den craft?

Daniel 6:22 (KJV), "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt." It is printed on the verse strip in the template.

How can older kids make this lion craft harder?

Use the harder level for grades 3–5. After making the snipped mane and the lion face, kids cut out 16 mane strips from the printed page, color them orange and yellow (or trace them on colored paper), curl each one around a pencil and glue the curls behind the plate's edge all the way around. Then they say Daniel 6:22 from memory.