Materials
Pictures of lions in wild and in circus
Construction paper, 9" x 12" (23 cm x 30 cm) in light brown, yellow, and orange; one sheet per lion
Paper strips, 12" x 6" (30 cm x 15 cm) in light brown, yellow, and orange; about 15 per lion
Scissors
Crayons
Jumbo crayons (for rolling paper strips)
Glue
Damp paper towels
Instructions
What to do
1. Talk to the children about lions
and their habitats, prides,
appearance, and other
characteristics. Show
some pictures of lions in
the wild and in the circus.
2. Give each child a large
sheet of construction
paper. Have the children
draw a large circle
or oval shape on
the paper for the lion's
face. They can add facial features
(no manes) with crayons
and then cut out the face.
3. Show the children how to add a mane to the face of their lion by tightly rolling a strip around a
jumbo crayon. Hold it for a moment and then slip the crayon out, keeping the curl intact. Put a
small amount of glue on the inside edge of the curl. Slip the glued end under the lion's face so
that the curl winds up and over the edge of the lion's face.
4. The children can repeat with other strips, curling and gluing them all around the lion's face.
Provide damp paper towels for finger wiping. Allow glue to dry before displaying.
More to do
Circle time: Ask the children to bring toy lions from home to show and tell about.
Dramatic play: Pretend to be lions and lion tamers. Add circus animals and encourage circus
activities.
