Daniel and the Lions' Den Bible Story for Kids.
Daniel and the Lions' Den helps children see what brave faith looks like. Daniel kept praying to God, and God sent His angel to shut the lions' mouths.
Retold by Hannah Whitford · Daniel 6 · Updated September 2026
The Story of Daniel and the Lions' Den
“When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.”
Daniel 6:10
“Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. The king spoke and said to Daniel, ‘Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.’”
Daniel 6:16
“Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”
Daniel 6:23
Quotations from the World English Bible (public domain). Read the full passage together in your own family Bible. The reference is Daniel 6.
“…he is the living God, and steadfast forever…”
Daniel 6:26
King Darius wrote this to every nation after Daniel came out of the den. Say it with your child when something feels scary.
World English Bible.
Daniel and the Lions' Den teaches children that we can keep trusting God even when something feels scary. Daniel chose to keep praying, and God sent His angel and kept him safe through the whole night. God stays with us too.
- 01It is a dramatic story with lions, courage, and a happy ending.
- 02Daniel models steady faithfulness, praying just as he always had.
- 03The story reassures children that God stays close in scary moments.
- 04It opens gentle conversations about prayer, faithfulness, and trust.
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The animated version.
Our full-length animated retelling, in a vintage watercolor-and-ink style made for young children.
The kind of things parents wonder.
Why was Daniel thrown into the lions' den?
Daniel was thrown into the lions' den because he kept praying to God. Jealous officials tricked the king into signing a law that no one could pray to anyone but the king, but Daniel kept praying at his open window, just as he always had.
How did Daniel survive the lions' den?
God protected him. The Bible says God sent an angel to shut the lions' mouths, so they did not hurt Daniel at all. When morning came, the king found him completely safe.
How old was Daniel in the lions' den?
Daniel was an old man by this point, most likely in his eighties. He had been taken to Babylon as a young man and served under several kings, so the lions' den came late in a long life of faithfulness to God.
What is the lesson of Daniel and the lions' den for kids?
The lesson is that we can stay faithful to God even when we feel afraid. Daniel trusted God, and God sent His angel and kept him safe in the lions' den.
Why do children remember Daniel and the lions' den so well?
Children remember it because the lions make the story vivid, but the ending is peaceful and hopeful. It is exciting without losing the strong message of God's protection.
Is Daniel and the lions' den good for kindergarten?
Yes. It works very well for kindergarteners when it is told gently, with an emphasis on prayer, courage, and God's care rather than fear.
What is the moral of the story Daniel in the Lion's Den?
That God is worth staying faithful to, and that He stays with the people who do. Daniel had been praying three times a day long before the decree, and when praying suddenly became against the law he did not change a thing. God sent His angel and kept him safe inside the den, and Daniel's own words afterwards give the moral better than any summary: 'My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me' (Daniel 6:22). For children the takeaway is small and usable: do the right thing, and God is with you in the dark part too.
How to teach Daniel and the lions den to children?
Set up the habit before you set up the danger. Spend a minute on the fact that Daniel prayed at his open window three times a day, every day, long before the law was signed, so that when the trap is sprung children already know what Daniel is going to do. Then tell it in four steps: jealous officials trick the king into a law, Daniel prays anyway, Daniel goes into the den, and God shuts the lions' mouths. Pause at the stone over the den and ask what they think happened in there all night before you go on. For preschoolers, stop at the king pulling Daniel out safe. Older children can go on to the king's decree that everyone should honour Daniel's God.
Where is Daniel and the lions' den in the Bible?
Daniel chapter 6, in the Old Testament. It is one self-contained chapter, short enough to read aloud in about five minutes. If you want the shortest version, verses 10 to 23 carry the whole arc from Daniel praying at his window to the king finding him unharmed.
How long was Daniel in the lions' den?
One night. He was put in toward evening, the king went back to his palace and could not eat or sleep, and very early in the morning the king got up and hurried to the den to call out to Daniel (Daniel 6:18 to 20). Children often picture weeks, so it helps to say it plainly: one long night, and then the sun came up and Daniel was fine.
Why did the king throw Daniel in if he liked Daniel?
Because he had signed his own hands shut. Under the law of the Medes and Persians, a decree the king had signed could not be changed, not even by the king (Daniel 6:15), and the officials who set the trap made sure to remind him of it. He spent the whole day trying to find a way out and could not. It is a useful conversation for older children about how a careless yes can bind you later. Notice too how the officials sold it to him: the decree they proposed put the king himself at the centre of it for thirty days.
How can I tell this story without frightening a sensitive child?
Two things help. Say early, before the lions appear, that God kept Daniel safe all night, so your child listens to the middle of the story from a safe place. And end the reading at verse 23, where Daniel comes out without a scratch. The chapter goes on to describe what happened to the men who accused him, which is not a scene young children need; older children who read it themselves may want to talk about it, and that is a fair conversation to have when they raise it.
Conversation starters.
Questions to ask after you read together. No right answers, just good conversation.
If you were Daniel, do you think you would have kept praying? Why?
Why do you think the king liked Daniel but still couldn't change his own law?
Has there ever been a time you did the right thing even when it was hard?
What did God send to shut the lions' mouths all night?
Teaching this story.
- 01Slow down at the moment the stone covers the den. Pause and ask, 'What do you think happened in there all night?' before you go on. Children who sit in the suspense for a few seconds remember the rescue far more vividly.
- 02Little ones usually worry about the lions more than anything else. Say plainly, early on, that God kept Daniel safe all night, then point out that Daniel had talked with God every single day, just as he always had, long before the lions.
- 03Expect the question 'Why couldn't the king just cancel the rule?' In Daniel's Babylon, a signed law could not be undone, even by the king. It is a natural opening to talk about how words and promises carry real weight.
- 04For ages 3–4, keep it simple: Daniel prayed, God protected him. Ages 6–8 can handle the jealousy of the other officials, and the harder question of why Daniel kept his windows open instead of just praying in secret.
Shut-the-Lion's-Mouth Plate
Fold a paper plate in half so it opens and closes like a big mouth, then paint it gold and glue on a yarn mane and paper teeth. As you retell the story, the lion's mouth roars open, until the angel arrives, and your child holds it firmly shut.
Sealed-Stone Prayer Rock
Paint a smooth rock to be the great stone over the den, and press a 'royal seal' into a blob of play dough on top, the way the king sealed Daniel in. Keep it by the bed as a nudge toward Daniel's three-times-a-day habit. Each time your child spots it, say one small prayer together.
Everything you need in one place.
Written for a parent at the kitchen table or a Sunday school helper with twenty minutes and a box of crayons.
Ages: 4 to 9. At four and five keep it to praying, lions, and morning. From about seven a child can handle the jealousy of the officials and the king's unchangeable law.
Read together: Daniel 6 (WEB)
- A paper plate, gold paint, yarn, and white paper for teeth
- A smooth rock, paint, and a small blob of play dough
Three times a day, for a week
- Read Daniel 6:10 together and count the three prayer times out loud.
- Pick your family's three times: waking up, a meal, and lights out are the easiest to keep.
- Tape the paper JERUSALEM frame to a window your child passes at all three times.
- Kneel there together for one sentence of prayer at each time, for seven days. Do not lengthen it.
- At the end of the week ask what it was like when you forgot, or when it was inconvenient. That is the doorway into why the new law did not change anything for Daniel.
The night in the den
- Make the paper-plate lion and let your child work the mouth while you read Daniel 6:16 to 17.
- Turn the lights low and put the painted stone in front of the plate. Ask your child what they think is happening inside.
- Say what the Bible says: God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths.
- Turn the lights back on and read verses 19 to 23, with your child holding the lion's mouth firmly shut.
- Finish with the fold-out sunrise picture so the last image of the story is morning, not the dark.
If the conversation stalls
Short model answers for the questions above. They are a starting point to offer if a child shrugs, not a script to read out.
If you were Daniel, do you think you would have kept praying? Why?
There is no wrong answer here, and 'I don't know, it sounds scary' is a good one to receive warmly. What is worth adding is that Daniel had been praying that way long before the decree, exactly as he always had. He did not have to find courage for something new; he only had to keep doing something ordinary.
Why do you think the king liked Daniel but still couldn't change his own law?
Because the law of the Medes and Persians could not be undone once the king had signed it, and the officials made sure he was reminded of that (Daniel 6:15). He had signed something he had not thought through, which is a very human thing to have done, and then spent the whole day until sunset trying to undo it.
Has there ever been a time you did the right thing even when it was hard?
Give your child time, and be ready to go first with a small, real example of your own. The point is not to collect heroic stories but to notice that doing right is usually inconvenient rather than dramatic, which is exactly what it looked like for Daniel.
What did God send to shut the lions' mouths all night?
God sent His angel. In the morning Daniel told the king, 'My God has sent his angel, and has shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me' (Daniel 6:22). The Bible also tells us that the king did not eat and could not sleep that night.
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Story 15 of 27 in the reading plan
These Bible story retellings are based directly on Scripture and written for children ages 3–8. Each page includes its Scripture reference so families can read the original passage together. Written and edited by Hannah Whitford. Quotations are verbatim from the World English Bible; each retelling is checked against the passage.