The Otters Hold Hands in the River

Children are playful otters who find a stone, play with it, float on their backs, slide down the mud slide, and fall asleep holding hands. It builds body awareness on the floor and shared fun.

How to play

1. The teacher explains that otters live in the river and play all day long; we swim on hands and knees along the bank and shake off the water (2 min).
2. Each otter finds a stone (beanbag) in the river and plays with it: passing it hand to hand, putting it on the head, the shoulder, around the tummy (2 min).
3. The otters float on their backs with the stone on their tummy: they watch it rise and fall as they breathe and turn slowly on their backs by pushing with their feet (3 min).
4. They go down the mud slide: they log-roll across the mats, stand up and head back to the bank (3 min).
5. In pairs, the otters lie on their backs and hold hands so the river won't carry them apart while they sleep, stone on tummy (3 min).

Rules

• Each otter has its own stone and takes care of it.
• On the slide we roll one at a time.
• To sleep, we hold hands gently.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the otter floats in a wheelchair with the beanbag on their lap, passes it around the body, and holds a partner's hand at the end.
• Autism: let the child sleep next to a partner without holding hands if touch feels uncomfortable.
• Less skill: on the slide, the teacher guides the roll with a hand on the hip.

Learning goals

• Notice which body parts touch the floor.
• Roll and move on the back with control.
• Enjoy calm play with a partner.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Beanbags: 25
• Mats: 4

Teacher tip

Tell them real otters hold hands to sleep: they love it and do it very sweetly. The usual slide mistake is several kids rolling at once, so have a lifeguard otter say when to go.

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