Australian collection
Tadpole,
tadpole what do you see?
The
emu and the kookaburra
The
kangaroo
The
ostrich
The sneezing fisherman
Three
jellyfish
When
someone smiles at me
Who
wants an octopus cuddle?
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: 3/1/2016
3:17 PM
The songs below are part of ‘Away we
go’ Round and about compiled, adapted and
illustrated by Dany Rosevear
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songs click on O
To watch the
author sing a song click on the title at:
© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved
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Tadpole, tadpole what do you see? O
This
retelling of Eric Carle’s ‘Brown bear, brown bear what do you see?’ comes from
Australia’s Northern Territory Department of Education materials. I made some
slight changes and have written music for the song. |
|
Tadpole, tadpole, what do you see? I see a yabby a-looking at me. Yabby, yabby, what do you
see? I see a little frog a-looking at me. Little frog, little frog, what do you see? I see a big crab a-looking at me. Big crag, big crab, what do you see? I see a hungry fish a-looking at me. Hungry fish, hungry fish, what do you see? I see a turtle a-looking at me. Turtle, turtle, what do you see? I see a water snake a-looking at me. Water snake, water snake, what do you see? I see a crocodile a-looking at me. Crocodile, crocodile, what do you see? I see mamma croc a-waiting for me! |
|
This song
can be used as a knee bouncing game for a baby or toddler. The original
verses come from versions of ‘Ain’t it great to be
crazy’. This one with a key change in the second verse was adapted by Mike
Jackson (?). If you feel
adventurous you could add further verses getting higher each time! |
|
Up in the North and a long way off, The emu's got the whooping cough, He coughed so hard his head fell off, Up in the North and a long way off. Way up yonder and not far off, A kookaburra died of the whooping cough, He whooped so hard with the whooping cough, That he whooped his head and his tail right off. Yes, he whooped his head and his tail right off. |
|
This is a
very old Australian rhyme and Fee Showell makes a reference
to it in her delightful account of school in 1921. It is a
lovely rhyme to use to emphasize the sounds of consonants. |
|
Old Jumpety-Bumpety-Hop-and
Go-One Was lying asleep on his side in the sun. This old kangaroo, he was whisking the flies, With his long glossy tail, from his ears and his eyes. Jumpety-Bumpety-Hop-and Go-One Was lying asleep on his side in the sun, Jumpety-Bumpety-Hop! |
|
Most of the
creatures in the songs above are native to Australia, the ostrich however is an introduced species and in some places has gone
feral. There are
no hedgehogs in Australia but they could be replaced in this rhyme by an
echidna a marsupial unrelated to the hedgehog – it is a spiny anteater. |
|
Here is the ostrich straight and tall, Stretch arm above head Nodding his head above us all. Here is the long snake on the ground, Move arm like a snake Wriggling upon the stones he found. Here are the birds that fly so high, Cross hands and flap like wings Spreading their wings across the sky. Here is the hedgehog, prickly and small, Hands together with fingers sticking out Rolling himself into a ball. Here is the spider scuttling around, Hands and fingers make spider movements Treading so lightly on the ground. Here are the children fast asleep, Hands to cheek And here at night the owls do peep. Make thumb and forefinger into rings Too whit too whoo!
Too whit too whoo! |
|
The sneezing fisherman O
This
nonsense song attributed to ‘Anonymous featured in ‘Merrily, Merrily’ published
in 1989 by the Nursing mothers’ Association of Australia: A schnapper (as spelt in Victoria) is commonly known in
Australia as a snapper or aa silver seabream; it is a food fish. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasian_snapper
|
|
A fisherman went out one day, To catch some schnapper
in the bay. But all he caught was a nasty cold, That stayed with him till he grew old. He sneezed and wheezed and wheezed and
sneezed. Each time he sneezed he looked displeased; He sneezed and wheezed every night and day, Until he sneezed himself away! |
|
Another from the book ‘Kindergarten
of the air’ though I recently found it in the classic children’s compendium
‘This little Puffin’. – I had thought it must have originated in warmer
climes. Use fingers to indicate the number
of jellyfish and hands to show movement of these sea creatures. |
|
Three jellyfish, three jellyfish, Three jellyfish sitting on a rock. One fell off! Oooooh! Two jellyfish, two jellyfish, Two jellyfish sitting on a rock. One fell off! Oooooh! One jellyfish, one jellyfish, One jellyfish sitting on a rock. It fell off! Oooooh! No jellyfish, no jellyfish, No jellyfish sitting on a rock. Then one jumped on! Hooray! One jellyfish, one jellyfish, One jellyfish sitting on a rock. Then another one jumped on! Hooray! Two jellyfish, two jellyfish, Two jellyfish sitting on a rock. Then another one jumped on! Hooray! Three jellyfish, three jellyfish, Three jellyfish sitting on a rock. |
|
When someone smiles at me O
This song
by Don Spencer or Val Dolon (?) is about feelings
and featured in ABC’s Play School 1966 Season 306 5. Faces and feelings. Initially I
came across it in the publication ‘Kindergarten of the Air’ 1975. The verses
below invite children to find a partner and cooperate / coordinate by moving
in unison. The last three verses are written by Dany Rosevear. You will need to adapt this according to the
age / abilities of your children. Verse 1.Walk around room smiling; in the second
part find a partner and skip round. Verse 2. Leave partner walk around as
before then find a new partner, hold hands and jump up and down. 3. As before
but do a clap own hands / slap partner’s hand sequence. 4. As before but yawn
and sit down with partner hands to cheek. Verse 1. Jump up and repeat
actions. |
|
When someone smiles at me, I feel like smiling too, When I see someone who is happy I feel happy too. Happy, happy me, Happy, happy you, When I see someone who is happy I feel happy too. When someone jumps near me, I feel like jumping too, When I see someone who is jumping, I feel like jumping too. Jumping, jumping me, Jumping, jumping you, When I see someone who is jumping, I feel like jumping too. When someone claps near me I feel like clapping too, When I see someone who is clapping, I feel like clapping too. Clapping, clapping me, Clapping, clapping you, When I see someone who is clapping, I feel like clapping too. When someone yawns near me I feel like yawning too, When I see someone who is yawning, I feel like yawning too. Yawning, yawning me, Ygawning, yawning you, When I see someone who is yawning I feel like yawning too. |
|
We all like a cuddle but there
are limits! Encourage children to make up more verses about animals they
would not like to cuddle. 1. Move hands like the sea. Join thumbs so eight
fingers wiggle like tentacles on toes, knees and nose. Put hands to the face and
make a loud sneeze. Cuddle self. 2. Thumb and forefingers open and close like
crocodile jaws. Then as above. 3. Put
paws out in front. Stroke toes, knees and toes. Make a tiny sneeze and cuddle
self. |
|
Under the sea there’s
an octopus, An octopus, an octopus, And under the sea that
kind octopus, Wants to give you an
octopus cuddle. It’s after your toes,
it’s after your knees, It’s after your nose
with a wigglely ease; But just in time comes
a great big sneeze... ATCHOO! HOORAY! IT’S WIGGLED
AWAY, For we don’t want an
octopus cuddle, No, we don’t want an
octopus cuddle! Down in the swamp lives
a crocodile, A crocodile, a
crocodile, And down in the swamp
that kind crocodile, Wants to give you a crocodile
cuddle. It’s after your toes,
it’s after your knees, It’s after your nose
with a snippety ease; But just in time comes
a great big sneeze... ATCHOO! HOORAY! IT’S WADDLED
AWAY, For we don’t want a
crocodile cuddle, No, we don’t want a
crocodile cuddle! Up in a gum tree sits a
koala bear, A koala bear, a koala
bear, And in the gum tree
that kind koala bear, Wants to give you a
koala bear cuddle. It’s after your toes,
it’s after your knees, It’s after your nose
with a snufflely ease; But all at once comes
the teeniest sneeze... ATCHOO! HOORAY! IT’S STILL
HERE, For we all want a koala
bear cuddle, Yes, we all want a koala bear cuddle! |
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