These fun Lion Pancakes, inspired by Angie Holden at thecountrychiccottage.net turned into a really simple playdate, and making them was so fun, I made Lion Pancakes Playdate with more than one of my grandchildren. With a little bit of effort, we managed to turn this into a long-distance activity as well.
Age appropriate for children ages 3-7
The Book: Mama Panya’s Pancakes
We started with a reading of the book, “Mama Panya’s Pancakes,” which is a beautiful book about Adika, who is a generous and friendly little boy from Kenya. He and his Mama Panya set off for the market to purchase supplies so they can make pancakes for dinner. Along the way, Adika meets many friends and he invites them all to join the pancake supper that night. Mama Panya is worried, but Adika knows the secret of sharing. You start with a little bit and a little bit more. Somehow, that will almost always be all you need!
The Activity:
Once you finish the book, have some fun making lion pancakes together via video chat!
Supplies You’ll Need for Lion Pancakes :
Because most of these items are typically in my pantry or refrigerator anyway, this was a project I could pull out without a lot of advance prep if I were doing it at home. But over distance, we had to get more creative. Parents on the other side of the call agreed to gather up easy supplies and stick around long enough to supervise pancake making. It was fun to see everyone use their creativity just a little when I challenged them to think of what they could use for whiskers and eyes.
- Prepared (can purchase frozen) pancake
- Mandarin oranges, peeled
- Whipped Cream from a can (or use yogurt)
- A nose (we used a strawberry)
- Eyes (we used mini M&M’s or chocolate chips)
- Whiskers (we used strips of fruit leather, piped-on grape jelly, or Cheetos for our lion whiskers)
- Maple syrup, peanut butter, or another favorite pancake topping.
Instructions for Making Lion Pancakes:
A picture is worth a thousand words, so it’s going to be easier if I simply show you the finished product:
Adorable, no?
Try This Remotely:
If your grandchildren live too far away to visit regularly, try assembling Lion Pancakes as part of your next video call. Make a batch of pancakes, and check with your grandchild’s parents to see whether they can gather similar supplies on their side of the phone call. On the day of your call, you can assemble your pancakes together. You’ll build yours first to show your grandchild how to decorate their own lion pancake.
Form a lion mane around the outside edge of your pancake with mandarin oranges. Pipe some whipping cream and add a strawberry for a nose, then add whiskers. You can make eyes out of lots of different edible items. We used mini M&M’s candies. Read Mama Panya’s Pancakes together while you enjoy eating your pancakes. (If you use an app like Readeo.com, you’ll find this title among those available for a Book Chat, so you and your grandchild can see one another and read the book at the same time!)
Don’t forget the maple syrup!
The Connection Question:
Some fun discussions can happen around the concept of sharing. Maybe you could ask questions like these:
- What is your favorite thing to eat on top of your pancakes? (You can make this into a silly game by proposing some preposterous toppings)
- Have you ever shared something with someone else when it was really, really hard? What was that like?
- Why is sharing hard for some people and easy for other people?
- Why do you think it is sometimes hard to take turns or share?
- Have you ever shared something and then had someone share something with you in return so you both had more, like Adika?
- Have you ever heard the word, “Abundance?” What are some things that are abundant in your life?
Learn About Lions and Kenya
If your grandchild is age 5 or older, or you don’t have patience for making pancakes, you might be able to extend this activity a different direction as you get more curious about Kenya and lions. Start with some of the fabulous information about Kenya from the back of Mama Panya’s Pancakes. Look for the animals throughout the book. Practice pronouncing some of the new words in the book. Then ask one another some questions:
- Have you ever seen a real lion? When?
- Why do lions grow manes?
- Would you like to visit a country someday where lions live?
Extension Activity for Older Children:
Older kids may be interested in learning more about ways people and lions are learning to share space and resources in Kenya. Share your screen and let your grandchildren watch the video below with you. What questions did it spark?
Have fun with your Lion Pancakes Playdate! And if you have suggestions or feedback about how your long-distance video call went, I’d love to hear your feedback. What made it hard? What parts went better than you thought they would? You can scroll to the bottom of this page, hit “Contact” and let me know!
-Lynnae
