How to Play Sleeping Lions

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Sleeping Lions is a children's party and playground game in which most players lie motionless on the floor while one or two players try to make them move without touching them. It is simple to explain in under a minute, requires no equipment whatsoever, and can absorb a large group of excited children almost instantly.

Parents and teachers love it because it doubles as a brief calm-down exercise after high-energy activities. It works equally well indoors at a birthday party, in a school hall, or on a patch of grass outside. The silence it produces is, frankly, remarkable.

A little history

The origins of Sleeping Lions are unclear. It belongs to a broad family of stillness and elimination games found across many cultures, and its rules have been passed on informally through generations of playground and party play rather than through any single documented source. No definitive first record has been traced.

Setting up

1. Clear a playing area large enough for all lions to lie down without touching one another.
2. Choose one player to be the Caller (sometimes called the Hunter or Ranger). With larger groups, two Callers works well.
3. All remaining players are Lions. They find a space, lie down on their backs or fronts, close their eyes, and become as still as possible.
4. The Caller stands ready. Once everyone is settled, the game begins.

How to play

1. All Lions must remain completely still and silent from the moment the game starts. No movement of any body part is allowed, including fingers, feet, and eyelids.
2. The Caller walks slowly around the room among the Lions. The Caller must not physically touch any Lion at any time.
3. The Caller may use any non-touching method to try to make a Lion move or react: talking to them, telling jokes, pulling funny faces, moving hands close to their face, making noises, or giving compliments or dares.
4. If a Lion moves, twitches, laughs, smiles, speaks, or makes any sound, the Caller points at them and announces they are out. That Lion sits up and is eliminated from the round.
5. Eliminated Lions must sit quietly. They may not distract or assist the Caller.
6. The Caller continues until only one Lion remains completely still. That Lion wins the round and becomes the Caller for the next game.
7. If two Callers are used, they take turns or work simultaneously. Both must follow the no-touching rule.

Winning and scoring

The last Lion who has not moved, twitched, spoken, or made any sound wins the game. In a single-round format, that player is declared the winner and typically earns the right to be the Caller in the next round. In a multi-round format, award one point per win and play a set number of rounds, with the player holding the most points at the end declared the overall winner.

The fine points

The most common dispute is over small involuntary movements such as breathing visibly, blinking, or a slight finger curl. The standard ruling is that normal breathing is permitted and blinking is generally allowed unless the group has agreed at the outset to a strict no-blinking rule. Deliberate, visible movements of any limb, facial expression changes such as smiling, and audible sounds including giggling are always out. When in doubt, the Caller's decision stands, but it should be consistent across all players.

A second frequent dispute arises when the Caller gets very close to a Lion's face. The Caller may bring their hands or face near a Lion but must not make contact. If the Caller accidentally touches a Lion, that Lion is not out; play simply continues. Some groups add a rule that if the Caller touches a Lion, the Caller loses their turn or is replaced, which is a fair optional addition worth agreeing before the game starts.

How to win more often

• If you are a Lion, pick a face-down position rather than face-up. It is harder for the Caller to make eye contact, and you cannot see what they are doing, which removes the temptation to react.
• Control your breathing deliberately and slowly. Anticipating the Caller's next move causes shallow, rapid breathing that leads to visible movement.
• As a Caller, work the room methodically rather than jumping between players randomly. Spend time on the lions who look tense, as they are closer to breaking.
• Silence is often more unsettling for Lions than jokes or noise. Standing next to someone without speaking for a long pause frequently produces a reaction.
• If you are eliminated early, watch the Caller's most effective technique and remember it for when you become the Caller yourself.

Variations

Sleeping Lions with Elimination Rewards

When a Lion is eliminated, instead of simply sitting out they complete a small forfeit, such as answering a question, doing five star jumps, or telling a joke, before sitting quietly. This keeps eliminated players engaged and adds a light-hearted consequence that younger children enjoy.

Team Sleeping Lions

Divide players into two equal teams. Each team takes a turn as Lions while the other team's nominated Caller tries to eliminate them all as quickly as possible. Time each round with a stopwatch. The team that eliminates all opposing Lions in the shortest time wins. This format works especially well with groups of ten or more.

Last Lion Standing (Strict Rules)

For older children or competitive groups, tighten the rules so that any visible facial movement including blinking counts as elimination. The Caller may also recruit already-eliminated Lions to stand silently nearby and pull faces, increasing the pressure on those still playing. The game becomes significantly more challenging and usually produces a clear winner faster.

Sleeping Lions with a Timer

Set a timer for a fixed period, typically two or three minutes. Any Lion who survives the full time without moving is declared a joint winner alongside any other survivors. This variation suits younger children who find a long open-ended game frustrating, and it gives the Caller a clear, limited task to focus on.

Sleeping Lions: frequently asked questions