«Aserrín, Aserrán»: Partner Seesaw Saw

Sitting in pairs face to face and holding hands, we rock back and forth like a saw while singing the traditional Spanish rhyme «Aserrín, aserrán, los maderos de San Juan» (like «See Saw, Margery Daw»). Each round gets slower. It works on partner coordination and calming down.

How to play

1. In pairs, sit face to face cross-legged and hold hands (1 min).
2. Rock slowly: one leans forward while the other leans back a little, to the song's beat (1 min).
3. On «they ask for bread and get none; they ask for cheese and get a bone» keep rocking, and on «bone» give a little giggle shake (2 min).
4. Stretch: legs apart with soles touching, one leans forward and the other back, very slowly (1 min).
5. Finish back to back, breathing together without talking (1 min).

Rules

• Rock slowly, don't pull my partner.
• If my partner says «stop,» I stop.
• Sing softly.
• Back to back, feel each other breathe.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the partner sits facing the wheelchair and they rock with their arms.
• Autism: they can rock holding a scarf their partner holds instead of hands.
• Visual impairment: a great fit; holding hands guides the rhythm.

Learning goals

• Calm down with slow, rhythmic movement.
• Coordinate rocking with a partner.
• Learn a traditional cradle song.

Teacher tip

Tell them the one leaning back doesn't lie all the way down, so nobody bumps their head. If pairs are pulling hard, sing slower.

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