Five Dancing Lions Felt Story

What you need:

Dancing Lion pattern
Felt or magnet board
Orange and brown felt
Brown yarn
Wiggly eyes
Black marker
Scissors

Learning Skills and Standards

Listening
Oral language
Rhyming words

Children will enjoy a wide range of sensory experiences when they listen to this felt board story rhyme about five dancing lions and then act out the story with their very own handmade lion puppets.

What you do:

Print the Dancing Lions pattern and trace it on to felt. Cut out pieces and assemble lions as shown. Attach magnet strips or Velcro dots to the backs of each one.

Begin by placing all five dancing lions on the board. As you recite the words in the rhyme, dance away one lion at a time according to the verse. Let children make the movements together.

Five Dancing Lions
Adapted by Erin Lassiter, KidsSoup, Inc.
(Recited to the rhythm of “Dancing Dinosaurs)

Five dancing lions, spinning across the floor,
One spun away, and then there were four!
Spin, spin, spin, spin,
Spin, spin, spin, spin... Roar!

Four dancing lions, twisting round with glee,
One twisted away, and then there were three!
Twist, twist, twist, twist,
Twist, twist, twist, twist... Whee!

Three dancing lions, a whirling, twirling crew,
One whirled away, and then there were two!
Whirl, whirl, whirl, whirl,
Whirl, whirl, whirl, whirl… Woo!

Two dancing lions, swaying in the sun,
One swayed away, and then there was one!
Sway, sway, sway, sway, sway,
Sway, sway, sway, sway... Yay!

One dancing lion, having lots of fun,
He turned away, and then there were none!
Turn, turn, turn, turn,
Turn, turn, turn, turn... Done!