Dressing up is always a fun activity for children, enabling them to play imaginatively and explore their interests. If your little ones like animals, making their own costumes allows them to hone their crafting skills and get creative. In a few simple steps, your kids could become a lion and have hours of fun practising their roars. Our step-by-step guide shows you how to make a really cool yet easy lion outfit. If your children ever need to play a lion in the school play, this is also a go-to guide. Enjoy! 

Step 1: One of the easiest ways to make a lion costume is to get hold of a yellow or brown tracksuit with a hood. Alternatively, source trousers and a hooded jumper of your preferred colour. This will provide the base for other accessories which you can add to the outfit and will save a lot of hassle.

Step 2: Once you’ve sourced the outfit of your choice, cut up strips of faux fur fabric for the mane. These should be around three inches wide and eight inches long (adjust as appropriate). You then need to glue or sew each of the strips onto the hood of the hoodie top. Feel free to experiment with a range of colours and textures to make the mane more realistic.

Step 3: The next step is to make the ears. Do this by cutting two triangles out of yellow felt and sewing them onto the top of the hood. To make the ears look more realistic you can cut two smaller brown triangles out of felt and sew/glue these to the yellow shapes before attaching to the hood.

Step 4:  Make the tail by cutting a strip of gold or brown fabric. This should be about three inches wide and the length of your choice. Fold it in half lengthways, sew along the edges leaving a small gap for the stuffing and turn inside out. You can then stuff the tail using polyfill or cotton and sew up the gap. Cut a small piece of black to sew onto the end of the table. Cut strips into it but make sure they remain attached to the fabric. 

Sew or glue a length of elastic to the top of the tail so your little one can wear it around their waste and remove it easily. 

Step 5: Make this outfit come to life with a spot of face painting. This is your chance to get super artistic, so find a face paint template you like online and enjoy. Children will love running round the house prancing and roaring.

If your kids love lions and you’re looking for family fun near me, don’t miss The Lion Inside stage show, which is currently touring the UK. Based on the book by Rachel Bright and Tim Field, this play is a story of self-belief and acceptance. Stunning puppetry brings the tale to life, and at just 60 minutes long, it’s perfect for kids aged three and up. If you’re looking for ‘kids activities near me,’ this show certainly won’t disappoint. Book your tickets today and enjoy family entertainment near me like no other.