Few Bible stories settle into a child’s imagination quite like Daniel in the lions’ den.
There’s a brave man, a quiet prayer, a long dark night, and a God who shuts the mouths of lions. My oldest asks me to tell it again and again — sometimes while she’s wrist-deep in flour, sometimes while we’re folding warm laundry on the living room floor.
If you’ve been looking for a hands-on way to bring this story home — for Sunday school, homeschool morning, or just a slow afternoon at the kitchen table — you’ve landed in the right little corner of the internet.
I’ve gathered ten simple, faith-filled Daniel in the lions’ den crafts here. Most use what you already have tucked in a drawer — paper plates, paper bags, a few cotton balls, the leftover paint your toddler hasn’t yet declared his favorite.
All of these give your little ones a way to hold this brave story in their own hands.
why this story matters for little hearts
Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den because he wouldn’t stop praying to God. He spent the night surrounded by hungry lions, and when the king came to check on him in the morning, Daniel was unharmed. “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions” (Daniel 6:22).
That’s a lot for a tiny human to take in. But when little hands shape a paper plate lion, or peek into a shoebox cave, or color a sleeping Daniel — the story stops being words and starts becoming real.
I love crafts for this reason. They slow the story down. They give children something to do with their wonder. And they give us as mamas a quiet place to talk about courage, prayer, and a God who is faithful even in scary places.
If your kids love Bible stories that feel a little wild and brave, you might also enjoy our easy David and Goliath crafts — that one’s another favorite around our house.
a few simple supplies to keep on hand
Here’s what tends to come in handy around our kitchen table:
- Paper plates and paper lunch bags
- Construction paper or cardstock in browns, yellows, and tans
- Cotton balls (they make the softest little lion manes)
- Glue sticks, washable markers, child-safe scissors
- A shoebox or two saved from the closet
- Yarn or twine
- Brown and yellow paint, if you’re feeling brave with toddlers
If you’re already a paper-plate-craft kind of family, our collection of paper plate crafts for kids has more ideas than you’ll know what to do with on a rainy afternoon.
10 faith-filled daniel in the lions’ den craft ideas for kids
Here they are, sweet friend — ten simple ways to bring this brave story to life.
1. paper plate lion and daniel in the cave craft
This one’s a sweet little starter. Paint one paper plate yellow for the lion’s face, glue on a fluffy cotton-ball mane, and add ears, eyes, and a smile drawn with marker. Cut a second paper plate in half to form the cave opening, and tuck a small Daniel cutout safely inside.
The kids love folding back the cave to “check on Daniel” — a tiny reminder that God watched over him all night long.
2. shoebox diorama daniel and the lions’ den craft
If you’ve got an empty shoebox waiting for a second life, this one is golden. Line the inside with brown paper for the rocky cave walls. Cut out little lion figures and a sweet praying Daniel from cardstock, and stand them up with small folded tabs.
My toddlers like to peek inside and whisper, “shhh — Daniel’s praying.” It’s the kind of craft that becomes a little keepsake on a bedroom shelf.
3. paper bag puppet daniel and lion story craft
Brown paper lunch bags become the lion’s head, and the flap at the bottom turns into the mouth that opens and closes. Glue on a paper mane, draw the eyes, and make a smaller Daniel puppet from another bag. This is the kind of craft that turns into an hour-long puppet show across the kitchen table.
Bonus — little ones get to act the story out, which is one of the most powerful ways for them to remember it.
4. pop-up cave daniel in the lions’ den craft for kids
Fold a piece of cardstock in half and cut a small arched flap for the cave opening. Color the outside like rocky cave walls, then open it up to reveal Daniel kneeling in prayer with the lions sleeping around him. The pop-up effect is simple, but it never fails to make little eyes go wide.
Older kids can write “the Lord shut the lions’ mouths” on the inside flap.
5. handprint lion mane daniel craft for kids
This one doubles as a keepsake. Trace your child’s hand in yellow or orange paint over and over in a circle to make the lion’s mane — a sweet, golden ring of tiny fingerprints. Add a paper face in the middle and a kneeling Daniel beside it. Years from now, you’ll pull it out of a memory box and your heart will squeeze.
For more keepsake-style ideas, our handprint crafts for kids post is full of them.
6. rock cave cotton ball lion craft with daniel
Take a small piece of cardboard and glue smooth river rocks (or paper rock cutouts) around the edges to form a cave. Glue cotton balls together to make a sleeping lion curled up inside, and place a tiny Daniel figure beside him with hands folded in prayer.
The texture of the rocks and the soft cotton lion makes this a beautiful sensory craft — gentle, tactile, and quiet.
7. finger puppet lion and daniel prayer craft
Cut tiny tube-shaped puppets to fit your child’s fingers — one tan lion with a yarn mane, one Daniel in a simple robe. As you tell the story, your child can act it out right on their own little hands.
This is one of my favorites for car rides, doctor’s offices, or that long stretch of waiting at church before service starts. Faith and play, folded together.
8. split scene before and after miracle daniel craft
Fold a piece of paper in half. On one side, draw or color the dark, scary cave with hungry lions. On the other side, draw the same cave the next morning — Daniel safe, lions calm, sunlight streaming in. This one is so good for older toddlers and preschoolers because it visually shows the miracle.
God didn’t take Daniel out of the den. He met him in it. That’s a truth I want my little ones to carry their whole lives.
9. 3d paper cone lions’ den craft for kids
Roll a piece of brown construction paper into a cone and tape it shut — that’s your cave. Cut a small opening in the side, and tuck a tiny paper Daniel and a few paper lions inside. Set it on the windowsill where the morning light hits it.
Something about the 3D shape makes the story feel like it really happened, which of course it did.
10. bible story wheel daniel and the lions’ den craft
Cut two paper circles. On the bottom circle, draw four scenes from the story — Daniel praying at his window, the king signing the law, the lions’ den, and the morning rescue. On the top circle, cut a small window so only one scene shows at a time.
Fasten them together with a brad in the middle, and let your child turn the wheel to retell the story over and over. Quiet, hands-on, and surprisingly mesmerizing.
how to weave scripture into craft time
The simplest thing is to keep your Bible open on the table while you craft, and read a verse or two as your little ones glue and color.
A few that fit beautifully with this story:
“My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions” (Daniel 6:22).
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3).
Read it. Say it again. Let your child repeat it back to you while they finish their lion’s mane. Truth has a way of sticking when little hands are busy.
If you’d like more story-and-craft pairings, our roundup of simple Christian crafts is one I come back to all the time.
tips for making craft time feel calm, not chaotic
Sweet friend, I’ll be honest — craft time at our house has involved glue in hair, glitter on the cat, and once, a paper bag puppet sailing into the toilet. Calm is a goal, not a guarantee. But here’s what helps:
- Lay an old sheet or shower curtain on the floor before you start. Future you will thank present you.
- Set out only the supplies you need for the one craft you’re doing. Toddlers see a full craft drawer and stop hearing the word focus.
- Talk about the story as you work, not before. Little ones do better with story-and-doing at the same time.
Don’t worry about the finished product looking like the Pinterest picture. The goal isn’t a perfect craft. The goal is a child whose heart heard the story.
If you’re looking for more gentle, faith-rooted ideas for Sunday mornings or church groups, our easy church crafts for kids post has plenty more to choose from.
pick one craft and try it this week
Sweet friend, if your kids walk away from craft time today knowing that Daniel prayed and God protected him — you’ve done the holy work of homemaking. That’s it. That’s the whole win.
Pick one craft from this list. Just one. Pull out the paper plates, open the Bible, and let your little ones hold this brave story in their hands.
Then — come back and tell me how it went. Drop a comment below and let me know which craft your kids loved best, or share a sweet little moment from your craft time. I read every one, and there’s nothing I love more than hearing how this story is settling into your home, too.
With love,
Betty
Get the FREE Printable Jonah and the Whale Printable Crafts
Don’t let your kids just hear Jonah’s story—help them step into it.
With these 2 free Jonah activities, children can explore the story in a fun, memorable, hands-on way. They’ll make an interactive pull-tab whale slider craft that reveals five scenes from Jonah’s journey, and follow along with an 8-page coloring storybook that shares the complete story—including God’s important lesson about mercy and compassion that’s so often missed.
frequently asked questions
what age are these daniel in the lions’ den crafts best for?
Most of these crafts work beautifully for ages 2 through 8, with a little help from a grown-up for the youngest ones. Toddlers love the cotton ball lions and handprint manes. Preschoolers and early elementary kiddos can manage the pop-up cave, the story wheel, and the split-scene craft on their own with simple guidance.
can i use these for sunday school or vbs?
Yes, absolutely. Every single one of these works in a group setting. The paper plate lion, paper bag puppet, and handprint mane are especially great for larger classrooms because the supplies are inexpensive and the prep is minimal. If you’re planning a summer program, our VBS crafts for kids post pairs nicely with these.
what’s the main lesson of daniel in the lions’ den?
The heart of the story is faithfulness in prayer and trust in God’s protection — even when things feel scary or impossible. Daniel kept praying when it was against the law to do so, and God was faithful to him in the den. For little ones, the simplest takeaway is this — we can pray to God any time, anywhere, and he hears us.
how do i make daniel crafts more meaningful for my kids?
Tell the story slowly while they work. Open your Bible and read the actual passage from Daniel 6 — even if they only catch a few words. Ask gentle questions like, “what do you think Daniel was feeling?” or “what would you pray about if you were in the den?” Let the craft be the doorway, not the destination.
what other bible story crafts go well with this one?
So many. The story of Daniel pairs beautifully with other stories of courage and miracles — like our Jonah and the whale crafts for another rescue story, or our armor of God crafts for a deeper conversation about being brave in faith. You can build a whole little month of Bible story afternoons just from that pairing.
