Bath Time for the Baby Elephant

In pairs, one child is a baby elephant tired from the sun and the other gives it a bath with a dry sponge, slowly scrubbing its ears, trunk, back and pretend legs. It works on relaxation through touch and empathy.

How to play

1. Meet the baby elephant: it rolled in the mud and it's tired; get into pairs with one sponge (1 min).
2. The elephant sits cross-legged and the keeper scrubs its arms, which are the trunk, from top to bottom (1 min).
3. The elephant lies face down and we soap up its back with gentle sponge circles (1 min).
4. We rinse it with "water" by dabbing the sponge from shoulders to feet, then dry it in the sun with our hands resting still (1 min).
5. Switch: the keeper becomes the elephant (1 min).
6. Both clean elephants lie down and breathe slowly, like spraying water from their trunks (1 min).

Rules

• The sponge goes slow and soft.
• We don't wash the elephant's face.
• The elephant stays still and calm.
• I say thank you to my keeper.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the bath is done seated, on the arms, hands and back.
• Autism: if touch is too much, they bathe a stuffed animal or scrub themselves with the sponge.
• Hearing loss: each step has a picture (trunk, back, legs) that the teacher points to.

Learning goals

• Relax with the soft feel of the sponge.
• Adjust the speed and pressure of their movements.
• Care for a partner kindly.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Bath sponges: 13

Teacher tip

Use clean, dry sponges, one per pair, and wash them afterward if they're shared. The trunk gets giggles at first: let it happen, then lower your voice so bath time turns calm.

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