One night, Lion was getting ready to go to sleep. He read his favorite bedtime story and sang his favorite bedtime song. He turned on his night-light to keep the room cozy. But then, he heard a sound… Tap! … Tap!
“What’s that sound?” Lion whispered to himself. Tap! … Tap! “That sound is coming from outside the window!” He got out of bed, grabbed a baseball bat, and tip-toed towards the window. Tap! Tap! Tappity-tap! TAP!
“It’s a monster!” Lion thought. He quickly put on his bicycle helmet to feel safe. The sound came again… TAP! … TAP! … Tappity-TAP! Lion started to panic. “The monster is getting closer! It sounds like the BIGGEST, SCARIEST monster ever!”
Tap! … Tap! … Tappity-tap! TAPPITY-TAP! TAPPITY-TAPPITY-TAPPITY…. TAP! “EEEK!” Lion squealed. He ran away from the window and hid under the bed. He pulled a blanket over his head and held his baseball bat tightly.
Tappity tap!… A little frog jumped up on the window sill. The frog was wearing a tutu and tap shoes. She danced a little dance. Tap tap tappity tap!
“Hello Lion! Are you in there?” said the frog. She looked through the window and saw Lion hiding under the bed. Lion was wrapped in a blanket, wearing a bicycle helmet, and holding a baseball bat. He looked quite silly. (And to be honest, he felt silly too.)
“Ummm… I have some new dance moves to show you,” said the frog. “But you look busy. I will come back later. See ya!” The frog hopped down to the ground and happily danced away.
Moral: Sometimes our imaginations make things scarier than they really are.
Did you know that frogs can jump up to 20 times their own body length? That’s like you jumping across a whole room in one leap!
Imagination vs. Reality: Gather a few everyday objects like a spoon, a shoe, or a book. Ask the children to close their eyes and imagine what these objects might sound like if they were making noises in the dark. Then, let them open their eyes and see the objects. Discuss how our imaginations can sometimes make things seem scarier than they are. Encourage them to share a time when they imagined something was scarier than it turned out to be.
Sound Detective: Take the children on a “sound walk” around the classroom or playground. Ask them to close their eyes and listen carefully to the different sounds they hear. Afterward, discuss what they heard and try to identify each sound. This activity helps them understand how sounds can be mysterious and encourages them to use their senses to explore their environment.
Frog Jump Challenge: Measure how far each child can jump and compare it to the fun fact about frogs jumping 20 times their body length. Use a tape measure to mark the distance each child jumps and see how many “body lengths” they can jump. This activity combines math and physical activity, making learning fun and interactive.
**The Frightened Lion**
*(A version of the tale by TheFableCottage.com)*
One night, Lion is getting ready for bed. He reads his favorite bedtime story and sings his favorite bedtime song. He turns on his night-light. Then — he hears a sound… Tap! … Tap!
“What’s that sound?” he whispers. Tap! … Tap! “That sound… it’s coming from outside the window!” He climbs out of bed. He grabs a baseball bat and tip-toes towards the window. Tap! Tap! Tappity-tap! TAP!
“It’s a monster!” he thinks. He grabs his bicycle helmet and puts it on his head for protection. He hears the sound again… TAP! … TAP! … Tappity-TAP! Lion panics. “The monster is getting closer! It sounds like the BIGGEST, SCARIEST monster ever!”
Tap! … Tap! … Tappity-tap! TAPPITY-TAP! TAPPITY-TAPPITY-TAPPITY…. TAP! “EEEK!” Lion squeals. He runs away from the window and hides under the bed. He pulls a blanket over his head. He holds his baseball bat tightly in his hands, and….
Tappity tap!… A little frog jumps up on the window sill. The frog is wearing a tutu and tap shoes. She dances a little dance. Tap tap tappity tap!
“Hello Lion! Are you in there?” says the frog. She looks through the window and sees Lion hiding under the bed. Lion is wrapped in a blanket… wearing a bicycle helmet … and holding a baseball bat. He looks quite silly. (And to be honest, he feels silly too.)
“Ummm… I have some new dance moves to show you,” says the frog. “But you look busy. I will come back later. See ya!” The frog hops down to the ground and happily dances away.
**Moral:** Sometimes our imaginations make things scarier than they really are.
