If your little one is a fan of Rachel Bright and Jim Field’s lion story book, The Lion Inside, they might be asking for a lion themed party. While jungle decorations are simple enough to get hold of, what games can you play to bring the event to life and immerse the kids in lion land? Here are our suggestions.

1. Sleeping lions

Sleeping lions is a classic party game that shouldn’t be left out of a lion themed party. It’s best introduced towards the end of the event to tame children’s high spirits and regulate their emotions ready for home time. The kids lie on the floor trying to keep still and pretending to sleep. One child is chosen to walk around trying to make them laugh or move without touching them until only one ‘lion’ is left.

2. Simba’s sprint to safety

This is a great option for kids that need to burn off a little of their energy and party excitement. Take inspiration from Disney’s The Lion King and build an obstacle course in your garden. This is the elephant graveyard, and kids take turns to be Simba, conquering the course before the hyenas catch up to them. You can either time each child’s attempt and have a prize ready for the winner, or split the children into teams - lions and hyenas - to see which wins.

3. Feed the lion

This game tests children’s throwing skills. Draw a large, open-mouthed lion face on a piece of cardboard and cut out the mouth to make a hole. The kids can then take turns tossing bean bags or balls into the lion’s mouth. If there are enough children at the party, divide them into teams and add a bit of friendly competition to the game.

4. Pin the tail on the lion

Pin the tail on the donkey is a party staple, and to make it fit your theme you can simply switch the donkey for a lion. Give each child a paper lion tail with their name on, then blindfold them one at a time and gently turn them around three times. They must stick their tail where they think it should go. The one closest to the real position of a lion’s tail wins.

5. Musical lions

Many children are familiar with musical statues, and you can put a twist on the game by getting the kids to strike a lion pose when the music stops. They could open their mouths in a silent roar, adopt a pouncing pose or make their fingers look like claws.

See The Lion Inside this summer

If your children love The Lion Inside book, don’t miss the chance to see the story retold live on stage with puppets, music and dancing. This spectacular show is aimed at kids aged three and up, bringing the popular lion book to life and introducing little ones to the magic of the theatre. Catch it in Southampton or Chelmsford this summer, and look out for more dates coming soon.