Free Lion Coloring Pages

Lions are big cats that live in the grasslands and open woodlands of Africa, with one small group still living in the Gir Forest of India. They are the only cats that live together in family groups, called prides, which makes them a favourite subject for children learning about animals. The lion's mane is what most kids want to color first. Only male lions grow one, and it can be sandy blonde, deep gold, ginger or almost black. That makes these pages a great excuse to experiment: there is no single "right" lion color, so children can try warm yellows, oranges and browns and still end up with a lion that looks real. The eight designs on this page are deliberately different from one another. The first few use thick, simple outlines with big open shapes, which suit toddlers and preschoolers who are still learning to stay inside the lines. The later designs add swirling mane detail, whiskers and fur texture for children in kindergarten and early primary school who want more of a challenge. Every sheet prints on landscape US Letter paper at 200 DPI, so the lion fills the page without being cut off. Plain copier paper is fine for crayons and colored pencils; if you are using markers or paint, slightly thicker card stock stops the color bleeding through. Teachers and parents often pair these pages with a short lesson about African wildlife, food chains, or the letter L. Print a few different designs, let each child pick their own, and you have a quiet activity that also teaches something about where lions live and how they behave.