Australian
collection
An
Australian animal alphabet
(Tread
lightly on the Earth my friend)
Click
go the shears
Did
you ever see a kangaroo?
Good
morning Mrs Dingo
Grandma
saw a possum
Great
big boomers
Hop,
hop, hop
How
does a kangaroo go?
If you cannot see the music below
try this PDF link:
http://singinggamesforchildren.com/A%20Cluster%202.2%20Awaywego/16%20Australian%20collection.pdf
Last updated: 2/25/2016
4:59 PM
The songs below are part of ‘Away we
go’ Round and about compiled, adapted and
illustrated by Dany Rosevear
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author sing a song click on the title at:
© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved
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(Tread lightly on the Earth my friend) O What a curious continent
with such unique and wonderful animals! This song is quite a
challenge to learn but its alphabetical structure will aid the memory. |
SPOKEN Tread lightly on the Earth
my friend, tread lightly as you go, Leave it as you found
it for tomorrow’s child to know. Albatross, archerfish,
angel shark and ant, Bilby, bandicoot,
budgie, brolga, bat. Cassowary, cockatoo,
crocodile, cane toad, Dugong, dolphin and
dingo by the road. In the bush, the
swamps, the skies, the oceans all around, We came along and
wondered at the creatures we had found. Emu, echidna, eastern
tiger snake, Fairy penguin, frilled
lizard, flying foxes wake. Galah, goanna, gecko and
the great white shark, Humpbacked whale, hare
and hog deer leaping through the dark. In the bush, the
swamps, the skies, the oceans all around. We came along and
wondered at the creatures we had found. Ivy leaf roller, island
thrush, ibis, Jacky lizard, jabiru
and box jellyfish. Kookaburra,
koala bear, kestrel, kangaroo, Lyrebird, lorikeet,
long-footed potoroo. In the bush, the
swamps, the skies the oceans all around, We came along and
wondered at the creatures we had found. Marsupial mole, magpie,
Nightjar and numbat, Orcas, osprey, octopus,
oystercatchers catch. Possum, pelican,
parrot, platypus, Quokka, quoll and
button quail making such a fuss. In the bush, the
swamps, the skies, the oceans all around, We came along and
wondered at the creatures we had found. Red back spider,
rainbow lorikeet, Sugar glider, stink
bug, swordfish and the sheep. Tree frog, tiger moth,
turtle and termite, Ulysses butterfly so
beautiful in flight. In the bush, the
swamps, the skies, the oceans all around, We came along and
wondered at the creatures we had found. Vine hawk moth, vinegar
fly, velvet gecko then, Wombat, wallaby, willy
wagtail, wren. Many eXtinct animals
then Yabby, yakka skink, Z is for the zebras;
lionfish, shark and finch. In the bush, the swamps,
the skies, the oceans all around, We came along and
wondered at the creatures we had found. SPOKEN Tread lightly on the
Earth my friend, tread lightly as you go, Leave it as you found
it for tomorrow’s child to know. |
Click go the shears O Roud # 8398. The tune
is an adaptation of the American Civil War song "Ring the Bell,
Watchman" by Henry Clay Work. Find out more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Click_Go_the_Shears I learnt this version below in the
1980s from the children’s Music Box programme. |
Down by the pen, there the old shearer stands, Grasping the shears in his thin bony hands, Fixed is his gaze on the next sheep to come, In a little minute boys, another’s done. Chorus: Click go the shears boys, Click, click, click! Wide is his blow and his hands move so quick, The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow, Zip! Another sheep is done and let him go. In the middle of the floor in his cane-bottomed chair, There sits the boss with his eyes everywhere; Notes well each fleece as it comes to the screen, Paying strict attention that it’s taken clean. The tar-boy is there, awaiting command, With his black tar pot, and his black tarry hands, Sees one old sheep with a cut upon its back, Hears what he's waiting for it’s, "Tar here, Jack!" |
Did you ever see a kangaroo? O A question and answer song. Groups can swap roles for each verse. The
words could easily be adapted to suit animals from other continents. Children
can have great fun making up daft rhymes – the more ridiculous the better! |
Did you ever see a
kangaroo? Yes sir! Did you ever see a
kangaroo? Yes sir! Did you ever see a
kangaroo Playing on a didgeridoo?
Yes sir! Surely not sir? Would I lie? Did you ever see a
platypus? Yes sir! Did you ever see a
platypus? Yes sir! Did you ever see a
platypus Jumping on a Sydney
bus? Yes sir! Surely not sir? Would I lie? Did you ever see a
bandicoot? Yes sir! Did you ever see a
bandicoot? Yes sir! Did you ever see a
bandicoot Bungie jump and loop
the loop? Yes sir! Surely not sir? Would I lie? ...kookaburra... ...
Surf boarding at Scarborough.... ...great white whale...
Swimming in a water pail ...jellyfish... ...Wave a wand to make a
wish... |
Good morning Mrs Dingo O This rhyme is from the
Australian Northern Territory Department of Education resources for teaching
poetry. I have added a tune so
it can be sung or recited. |
Good morning Mrs Dingo, Good morning Mrs Fly, Good morning Mrs Kangaroo, The sun is in the sky. Good morning, good morning, The sun is in the sky. Good morning Mr Donkey, Good morning Mr Pup, Good morning Mr Buffalo, The sun.....is....up! Good morning, good morning, The sun.....is....up! |
Grandma saw a possum O And
so she did with granddad on her grandson’s very first birthday. It was on New
Year’s Eve 2013 at Tarpeian Precinct overlooking Sydney Harbour bridge! Down
the gum tree ran the marsupial and scarpered across the park in the hot
sunshine much to the delight of the multinational crowd gathered to watch the
fireworks that day. This is just a song to enjoy rather than a
singing game. |
Grandma saw a possum, It ran down a tree, “G’day,” said the possum, “You can’t ketch me!” Chorus Well, a possum is a possum, And a cross one possibly, If you tried to toss a possum Off a eucalyptus tree. “You betcha?”
cried old grandma, She chucked up her hat. It landed on the possum And stopped it in its track. “Is it night time?” cried the possum, “I can no longer see.” So he popped it in his pocket And he ran back up the tree. Grandma danced a jig, She danced the old can can, While possum twirled the hat around Shouting “Ketch it if you ken!” Grandma caught her hat, She doffed it high and low. She blew the possum kisses And danced off on tippy toes. |
Great big boomers O No visit to Australia is
complete without sight or sound of the amazing wildlife to be found in the
outback, bush and billabong. Early and late in the day are the times when
these creatures stir and make themselves known with their movements and
incredible choruses. Male kangaroos have several different nicknames ‘boomer’ is one of
them. Others include: jacks, bucks and old men. |
I’d like to see the
great big boomers, Bouncing in the bush
lands, I’d like to see the
great big boomers, Bouncing as the sun
goes down. Hippy hop, don’t stop,
great big boomers, Hippy hop, don’t stop, leap
and bound, Hippy hop, don’t stop,
great big boomers, Bouncing as the sun
goes down. I’d like to see the
long necked turtles, Paddling in the
billabong, I’d like to see the
long necked turtles, Paddling as the sun
goes down. Snippety snap, long
necked turtles, Snippety snap, all
around! Snippety snap, long
necked turtles, Paddling as the sun
goes down. I’d like to watch the
dingoes dancing, Dancing in the outback, I’d like to watch the
dingoes dancing, Dancing as the sun goes
down. Howl as the sunsets,
dancing dingoes, Howl as the sunsets,
paw the ground, Howl as the sunsets,
dancing dingoes, Dancing as the sun goes
down I’d like to hear the
kookaburra, Laughing in the
treetops, I’d like to hear the
kookaburra, Laughing as the sun
comes up. Whoop-a-whoop, hoo ha
ha, kookaburra, Whoop-a-whoop, woo,
you’ll get hiccups, Whoop-a-whoop, hoo ha
ha, kookaburra, Laughing as the sun
comes up. |
Hop, hop, hop O Can you hop on one foot?
It’s easy on two! Originally
a German children’s song ‘Hopp, hopp, hopp’ this baby
bouncing game is translated into English as ‘Trot, trot, tot’. Place baby on your lap facing you and off you
go. Young children can bounce around on two feet,
join with a partner for the second verse and attempt to hop on one foot for
the last verse. Stand perfectly still at the end of the song – probably the
most difficult thing to do! |
Hop, hop, hop, Go and never stop. Hop along old kangaroo, May I ride away with you? Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, Go and never stop! Whoa, whoa, whoa, We’ve not far to go. Safe and snug inside your pocket, Off we go just like a rocket, Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, We’ve not far to go. Hop, hop, hop, Now its time to stop. You hopped on two feet kangaroo, Can you hop on one foot too? Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, Whoa, now its time to stop! |
How does a kangaroo go? O This is an adaptation of the song by M.C.Dainton ‘How does a
caterpillar go?’ from ‘Physical action training songs’ it can also be found
in the original ‘This little puffin’ by Elizabeth Matterson. Mime actions for each of the creatures in this song. The last line
will help you.
|
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