An easy torn paper lion craft for preschoolers and older kids who love going to the zoo or to pair with a book about African animals.
Did you know that a lion’s roar can be heard from up to five miles away? Wow! Whether you’re celebrating World Lion Day on August 10, are focusing on the letter L, or are just a big cat fan, this easy torn paper lion craft is a great project for home or the preschool classroom.
The lion’s mane is made with torn paper. Paper tearing is an important skill for preschool hands – it develops small-motor muscles to get little ones ready to cut with scissors.
If your artist is scissor-ready, you can opt to cut paper strips for the mane instead. Scissor work helps children build hand-eye coordination and bilateral muscle cooperation using right and left hands. It also strengthens hands and builds dexterity.
If you’re learning about the letter L, check out this L is for lion craft as part of the alphabet craft collection. They are easy uppercase letter crafts created with preschoolers and kindergartners in mind.
If your focus is on African animals, you can also try this giraffe craft, whose spots are also created with torn paper.
After you craft, learn more about lions with a zoo visit or a trip to the library. Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen is a fun read – and did you know a lion once really lived in a library? In 1929, a lion cub came to the Milwaukee Library and Museum and lived there, playing in the staff hallways and sleeping in an office in the museum. Do you think this would happen now, almost 100 years later? Would you like to go to the library if it had a lion?
Torn paper lion craft
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- Lion craft template
- Cardstock paper: green (for background), white, yellow and brown
- Orange construction paper
- Black marker
- Scissors
- Glue
How to make the lion craft
The lion template comes with two versions:
1. home template – print the template, cut out the patterns and trace them on corresponding paper.
2. classroom template – print the pattern directly on colored paper and cut them out.
This way you can easily craft with just one or two kids as well as with a classroom full of students.
Step by step instructions
Start by printing the 2-circle page on green paper.
Glue orange torn paper around the big circle.
Glue orange torn paper around the small circle. Make sure not to leave any space uncovered between the two circles. Use extra torn paper if needed.
Add the head in the middle of the mane.
Glue the eyes onto the head.
Glue the nose under the eyes.
Use a black marker to draw the mouth, whiskers and eyebrows.
