I personally like this game to play and it’s one of my favorites. Sleeping Lions is easy to play, no cost, equipment free and most demanding birthday party game. When I was a kid, I love to play this game during my birthday party.

    This game can be played as a part of rest, relaxation routine or after other exciting activities. It is a drama game for your kids to calm down. It can be played at home or at school. You can enjoy this game with your family, friends or kids. The best part is it can be played indoors or outdoors.

    Other variations or names of sleeping lions game are Dead Lion, Dead Soldier or Sleeping Tigers.

• Age: It can be played by toddlers or above aged kids.
• Number of participants: Sleeping lions can be played with any number of toddlers or kids but minimum number should be 3 or 4 so that it can be played effectively.
• Equipment: It is equipment free game.
• Skills Developed: Teamwork, verbal and non verbal communication, patience, self-control, concentration, and body awareness.

Sleeping Lions Game Rules

• Hunter is not allowed to tickle or touch the lion.
• All lions have to stay still.
• Any lion who moves must be out of the game or can join hunters.
• Winner is the last left sleeping lion.

How to play Sleeping Lions Game

• Step 1: Make teams

  • Two teams are required to play the game. Hunter’s team and the Sleeping lion’s team. You can have as many as participants in each team.
  • Two teams are required to play the game. Hunter’s team and the Sleeping lion’s team. You can have as many as participants in each team.

• Step 2: Preparing Sleeping Lions

  • All the children of sleeping lions team lie down on floor in different sleeping poses. Once they lie down, they are not supposed to move and must lie still.
  • All the children of sleeping lions team lie down on floor in different sleeping poses. Once they lie down, they are not supposed to move and must lie still.

• Step 3: Hunter’s aim

  • The hunter’s walk around the sleeping lions and find different ways to make sleeping lions laugh, move or react. Main aim of hunter is to move sleeping lion without any physical touch. Hunters can play jokes, produce different sounds, make funny faces, perform dance or even share stories to distract sleeping lions.
  • The hunter’s walk around the sleeping lions and find different ways to make sleeping lions laugh, move or react. Main aim of hunter is to move sleeping lion without any physical touch. Hunters can play jokes, produce different sounds, make funny faces, perform dance or even share stories to distract sleeping lions.

• Step 4: Lion’s aim

  • Aim of sleeping lion is not to react to any activity of hunters. If any sleeping lion moves or reacts, he is out of the game and must join hunter’s team.
  • Aim of sleeping lion is not to react to any activity of hunters. If any sleeping lion moves or reacts, he is out of the game and must join hunter’s team.

• Step 5: Winner

  • Last sleeping lion on the floor is the winner of the game.
  • Last sleeping lion on the floor is the winner of the game.

When to Play Sleeping Lions Game?

• Calming Down After Active Play: It is a perfect transition activity. It transforms children from high energy activities to quieter ones. It helps to calm and settle children before moving to a new activity.
• At the End of Birthday Party: It is a quiet and relaxing activity which helps children to prepare for departure.
• During Storytime: It encourages kids to listen quietly and engage with the story.
• Before Sleep: It creates a peaceful and calm environment for sleep.
• Classrooms: It is the best classroom activity as it helps students to regain focus and prepare for the next learning activity.
• Rainy Day: It is a great indoor activity for rainy days when outdoor play isn’t possible.
• Group Gatherings: Sleeping Lions game is suitable for family reunions, playdates and community events where a mix of high-energy and low-energy activities are required.
• Any Time as a Calm Activity: Anytime when kids need a break from energetic play and need to be calmed down quickly.

Sleeping Lions Game for Toddlers

    As toddlers are not easy to manage and won’t be able to stay still for a long period of time, the best is to play in rounds. The one who is most quiet and remains still long, is the winner. Toddlers love to hear sleeping lions song too.

Sleeping Lions Game Song:

    See the little Lions sleeping ‘till it’s nearly noon,
    Shall we wake them with a merry tune?
    They’re so still, are they ill?    Wake up little lions!
    Roar little lions, roar, roar, roar,
    Roar little lions, roar, roar, roar,
    Roar little lions, roar, roar, roar,
    Roar little lions, roar, roar, roar.

Advantages of Sleeping Lions Game

1. Creativity and imagination: Children are able to think creative and by imagination they can create funny stories, jokes to make sleeping lions laugh.
2. Verbal communication: Hunters use different words, expressions or sounds to make sleeping lions reacts. It enhances their verbal communication.
3. Non-verbal communication: Gestures, facial expressions and body language play important role in this game. All of these enhances non-verbal communication which plays an important role in the interpersonal development.
4. Understanding: It helps the children to understand the feelings and reactions of others.
5. Planning: It helps the hunters to plan their strategy to awake sleeping lions. Children learn how to react or plan for different situations and how to achieve their goal.
6. Mind-body connection: It encourages children to co-ordinate mind with their body. Children can balance their body with their mind.
7. Teamwork: One of the most important parameter is teamwork. This game encourages all the players to work in a team by coordinating each other and to achieve their goals.
8. Self-control: Remaining still for long period of time need self-control and patience too. Children learn how to be self-controlled which is important for one’s personal growth.
9. Positive behavior: It is a fun filled game which boost self-esteem and positive behavior in children.
10. Sharing thoughts: By sharing jokes, stories, gestures or producing sounds, all the players are sharing thoughts with others. It increases the self-confidence and morale of children.

Conclusion

    In this article, I expressed my views on Sleeping Lions game.
    It is magical, versatile, educational and fun filled game which promotes calmness, Behavior Management, Teamwork, Communication skills, Focus and Self-Control in children. It is best game for birthday parties and social gatherings.
    I hope you get benefits from my experience and thoughts shared in this article.

Feel free to share your feedback or suggestions. Thank you !