Seaweed Swaying on the Ocean Floor

With feet or bottom stuck to the floor, children are seaweed swaying slowly in the ocean current. It works on smooth, continuous movement to relax.

How to play

1. Sitting cross-legged, the teacher explains we're at the bottom of the sea and we're seaweed with roots stuck to the ground (1 min).
2. To calm music, children sway their arms slowly side to side as if the water were pushing them (1 min).
3. The trunk and head sway too, always slowly, without lifting the bottom (1 min).
4. A fish (the teacher's hand) swims very slowly between the seaweed, and the seaweed gently moves aside as it passes (1 min).
5. The sea calms down: the seaweed moves less and less until it lies down on the sand (2 min).

Rules

• Seaweed has roots: I don't stand up.
• I move slowly, as if I were underwater.
• When the fish swims by, I move aside without touching it.
• I end lying down and quiet.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the child is seaweed from the chair, moving the arms.
• Visual impairment: the fish whispers "Coming through!" before getting close.
• Autism: let the child choose a spot a little apart and keep the same music every session.

Learning goals

• Make slow, continuous movements.
• Relax the body after effort.
• Express an ocean image with the body.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Music

Teacher tip

Use slow music, and always the same track for cool-downs, so they come to link it with relaxing. The fish is their favorite part; move very slowly so they don't speed up.

More activities like this

More cool-downs for Elementary