Purpose

To create a fun, interactive reminder that God has the power to shut the mouths of the lions to protect His faithful servant Daniel.

Setup

1. Pre-cut strips of orange and yellow paper (about 2 inches long) for the lion’s mane, or let older children cut their own.
2. Have the brown paper bags folded flat. The flap at the bottom of the bag will be the lion’s face, and underneath the flap is the lion’s mouth!

Instructions

1. The Face: Have the children glue two googly eyes onto the top flap of the brown paper bag. Use the black marker to draw a nose and whiskers just below the eyes.
2. The Mane: Have the children take their orange and yellow strips and glue them all around the edges of the top flap to make a wild, crazy mane!
3. The Mouth: Have them lift up the flap. Underneath the flap, have them draw a tongue and some sharp teeth using their markers.
4. The Puppet: Show the children how to put their hand inside the paper bag and use their fingers to make the lion “roar” by opening and shutting the flap.
5. The Application: Have the children practice making their lion roar as loudly as they can. Then say, “God sent His angel to shut the lion’s mouth!” and have every child snap their puppet’s mouth tightly closed.

Discussion While Crafting

• “How do you think Daniel felt when he was thrown in the dark pit with roaring lions?” (Probably scared, but he kept trusting God).
• “Did the lions eat Daniel?” (No!).
• “Why didn’t they eat him?” (God sent an angel to shut their mouths).
• “God protected Daniel because Daniel was faithful to Him. When we pray and obey God, He is with us, too!”