Roaring Lion Mask

What You’ll Create

RRROOOAAAARRR! 🦁👑 Your little cubs will transform an ordinary paper plate into the king of the jungle — a magnificent lion mask complete with a wild, shaggy mane! Paint the face golden, add a fearsome nose and whiskers, then surround it with a mane of curled paper strips. Hold it up on a stick and unleash your mightiest roar!

How to Set It Up

Step 1: Paint the Lion’s Face

Take a paper plate and paint the front with poster paint — golden yellow or orange for a classic lion! Cover the whole plate evenly and let it dry completely (about 20 minutes). While it dries, you can start making the mane pieces. 🎨

Step 2: Create the Wild Mane

Cut strips of paper (orange, yellow, and brown if you have coloured paper — or paint white paper strips first). Each strip should be about 15 cm long and 2 cm wide. Wrap each strip tightly around a pencil to curl it, then release — instant wild mane fur! Make at least 15–20 curled strips for a full, impressive mane.

Step 3: Build the Lion’s Face

⚠️ Adult Helper Needed — Cut two eye holes in the plate so your child can see through (or leave them uncut if using as a hand-held mask). Use scraps of paper to cut out a large triangular nose (brown or dark orange) and long thin whiskers. Glue the nose to the centre and the whiskers either side. Add round paper ears at the top.

Step 4: Attach the Mane and Handle

Flip the plate over and glue all your curled paper strips around the back edge of the plate, pointing outward like a wild mane. Space them evenly so the mane goes all the way around. Finally, tape or glue a popsicle stick to the bottom back as a handle. Hold it up to your face and ROAR! 🦁💥

Have fun!

• 🦁 Put on a jungle show — make masks for different animals and act out a safari story!
• 🗣️ Practice your LOUDEST roar, your SCARIEST roar, and your SILLIEST roar!
• 📸 Take photos of your best lion pose — frame it as jungle wall art!
• 🌿 Build a jungle den from blankets and cushions to hide in with your mask!

Why It’s Amazing

• Fine Motor Skills: Cutting strips, curling paper around pencils, and gluing small pieces develops precise hand control. ✂️

• Creative Expression: Designing the face features and choosing mane colours encourages artistic decision-making. 🎨

• Dramatic Play: The finished mask becomes a prop for imaginative play, storytelling, and character development. 🎭

• Animal Learning: Making the mask opens conversations about lions, habitats, and what makes a mane so special in the animal kingdom. 🌍

Pro Tips

For ages 3–5: Pre-cut the mane strips and whiskers. Let them focus on painting, curling (great for fine motor practice!), and gluing. Use the popsicle stick handle rather than eye holes.

For ages 5–8: Let them cut their own strips and design the face independently. Challenge them to make the mane as big and wild as possible!

For ages 8–12: Make multiple animal masks — a lion, a tiger (orange with black stripes), a zebra (black and white). Put on a full safari puppet show!

Secret Pro Move: Scrunch some of the mane strips instead of curling them — mixing curled and scrunched pieces creates a much more realistic, textured mane! 🌟