Sleepy Bear's Mattress Ride

In groups of eight, children carry a mat with a sleeping teddy bear on it to its cave, without dropping it or waking it up. It practices lifting and carrying something big together and agreeing on how much effort to use.

How to play

1. The teacher explains that three sleepy bears have dozed off in the middle of the forest and we need to carry them to their cave without waking them (2 min).
2. Each group surrounds its mat and practices lifting and lowering it on “One, two, three!”, without the bear (2 min).
3. We put the bear on top and make our first trip in a straight line to the cave (2 min).
4. Second trip through the cone forest, taking curves without the bear falling off (2 min).
5. Third trip without talking: only the group captain gives the signal by raising a hand to start and stop (2 min).
6. We tuck the bears into their cave and lie down beside them, snoring like bears (2 min).

Rules

• We all lift and lower at the same time: “One, two, three!”
• We walk, not run, so the bear stays asleep.
• If the bear falls, we stop and put it back together.
• Only the bear rides on the mat.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: they can be the captain guiding from the front, or carry the bear on their lap for the last part of the trip.
• Autism: always give them the same corner of the mat and give a heads-up before each “One, two, three!”
• Hearing impairment: the lift signal is the captain's hand up and the lower signal is the hand pointing to the floor.

Learning goals

• Carry a large object as a group.
• Synchronize effort with classmates.
• Follow a captain's signal.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Lightweight mats: 3
• Large teddy bears: 3
• Cones: 6

Teacher tip

Use thin mats a few kids can lift and check that the handles aren't torn. Kids tend to pull in different directions, so before setting off have everyone look at the bear and take the first step together.

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