Here’s a fun paper lion puppet that little ones will love to make roar! I like to do this craft when I’m teaching vocabulary for parts of the face, but it’s also great for wild animal units.
The hand puppet is really easy to make and doesn’t require many materials. You can make it with cardstock or paper – cardstock will result in a sturdier puppet, but will be more difficult for young children to fold, so choose a lightweight card if possible.
- A sheet of A4 or letter size yellow paper (or lightweight card stock) for the body and ears
- Strips of orange card stock or paper for the mane
- Red paper or card stock for the tongue
- Scraps of white card stock for the teeth
- Black card stock for the nose
- Googly eyes
- Glue & scissors
How to make the Paper Lion Hand Puppet:
1. To make the body, fold the sheet of yellow paper or card in thirds lengthways. Put glue on one of the thirds and stick it down, as shown in the photo. You should end up with a long strip, like a flattened “tube”.
2. Fold the strip in half. Fold each end back on itself as shown, to make a zig-zag shape. You now have the head and mouth constructed, with the hand-holes at the back!
3. Cut out a tongue from red paper or card and stick it inside the mouth. Then take two pieces of white card approx. 1.5cm x 3cm. Make a small fold at one end of each strip and glue inside the top of the mouth to make the teeth. In my experience it’s better to make the mouth first because it helps young children see clearer which way the face should be oriented!
4. Glue strips of orange card or paper around the sides and top of the face. Cut two semi-circles from yellow card to make the ears and glue on. Cut an oval from black card to make the nose and add googly eyes.
5. Your cute paper lion hand puppet is ready to roar!
You will need about 30-40 minutes to complete this craft with a small group of pre-schoolers.
Some tips:
- When it’s time for kids to stick on the mane, make sure they know which way the face is oriented. Making the mouth first should help them with this.
