Daddy Seahorse Carries His Babies

In pairs, one child is the daddy seahorse and the other is his baby, who travels close to him, swims out, and comes back to the pouch. It practices upright posture, moving together as a pair, and caring for a partner.

How to play

1. The teacher explains that in the sea it's the daddy seahorse who carries the babies in a pouch; we all become seahorses, standing tall on tiptoes with gentle little bounces (2 min).
2. In pairs, one is the daddy and the other the baby, who walks behind holding his waist; they swim around the sea to the music (3 min).
3. When the teacher says "The babies are born!", the baby lets go and bounces around the daddy; when the daddy opens his arms, the baby goes back into the pouch (2 min).
4. "Strong current!": each pair finds a piece of seaweed (a cone) and holds on by curling an arm around it, very still, until the current passes (2 min).
5. We switch roles, and at the end daddies and babies sway slowly in a hug as if the water were rocking them (3 min).

Rules

• Seahorses always stand very tall.
• The baby stays close to the daddy.
• In the current, we hold onto the seaweed without knocking it over.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: if the daddy uses a wheelchair, the baby walks alongside with a hand on the armrest; if the baby does, the daddy walks next to the chair.
• Autism: let the child pick a trusted partner, and the baby can hold hands if holding a waist feels uncomfortable.
• Hearing impairment: the teacher opens their arms for "babies are born" and waves a hand for "current."

Learning goals

• Keep an upright posture while moving.
• Match steps with a partner.
• Look after a partner during play.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Cones: 12
• Music

Teacher tip

Make the pairs before starting the story. The usual mistake is the daddy walking too fast and losing the baby, so ask daddies to glance back now and then.

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