Sunshine pie songs written by Dany Rosevear

Wild things 2

Giraffe, giraffe, giraffe

Grandma saw a possum

Great big boomers

Hey, hippopotamus

Inky pinky pumpkin pie

Knicky knocky noo

Something scary this way comes

Whales can’t ride a bike

Where did the dodo go?

Last updated: 10/12/2015 1:37 PM

The songs below are part of ‘Sunshine pie’

written and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

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To listen to music from these songs click on O

To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:

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Giraffe, giraffe, giraffe O

With his head is so far away from the rest of his body, how can you know what giraffe is

thinking?

Hear also it sung in Polish translated by Maria Tomaszewska at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu8S06iP6k8&feature=youtu.be

This game can be played simply with one arm stretched up in the air and hand bent to make a giraffe’s head peering from side to side. Children walk in a stately fashion in and out of each others. In the second part they find a partner link arms and skip round on the spot. Follow the same sequence each time meeting up with a new partner.

Change arms if one becomes too tired.

Make a circle with partners facing each other as below.

Giraffe, giraffe, giraffe,

Way up there with your head so high,

Giraffe, giraffe, giraffe,

Are you dreaming a dream in the sky?

Your neck is so long,

Are you singing a song,

Or giving a great big sigh?

With your head in the clouds,

You look terribly proud,

As you go sailing gracefully by.

Children offer first right then left hand in sequence as they weave in and out of each other with a measured step and walking tall. La chaine anglaise’ On the last line they stop in front of a partner.

Cross hands and skip round on the spot finishing in the same position as before ready to set off once again.

Here it is in Polish translated by Maria Tomaszewska

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 cancan,

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.

Children could mime the actions of these Australian animals: bouncing, stretching arms and making hands snap, dance on all fours, investigate the sound a kookaburra makes and try to imitate it!

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.

Hey, hippopotamus O

A hippo is the third largest land mammal. Did you know that despite his stubby legs and barrelled fat body a hippopotamus can easily outrun a human? So watch out when you’re on safari or playing this game!

An ideal activity for outside play, on the grass, if possible, as you will need plenty of space!

Make circles of 8-10 children with one or two hippos in the middle.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Hey, hippopotamus,

With your great big bot-tom-us,

Please don’t sit on top of us,

For no one would approve.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Hey, hippopotamus,

There are quite a lot of us,

Not ready for a squash-a-mus,

So which ones will you choose?

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

}x2

Run away, run away,

From Mr. Hippo’s land.

Run away, run away,

Catch us if you can!

Hippos stamp round the centre as the circle stamps on the spot.

Those in the circle slap their bottoms and then shake forefingers.

Stamp as before.

Make a ‘chaise anglaise’ as below round the circle or more simply skip round with a partner on the spot.

Stomp as before.

Children in the circle run off as the ‘hippo’s’ take chase and catch a child each.

Those caught become the new hippos as the circles are reformed ready for the next game.

Inky pinky pumpkin pie O

What to do when something unwanted grabs hold of you? Send it as far away as possible wrapped up in a pumpkin pie!

A pink pirhana in the pool is tugging my toe and won’t let go,

That pink pirhana in the pool will not let go but I’m no fool,

I’ll send it off to Istanbul;

In an inky pinky pumpkin pie.

An octopus in the deep blue sea is pulling my leg and won’t let go x2

An octopus in the deep blue sea will not let go but I’ll get free

And send it off to Tennessee;

In an inky pinky pumpkin pie.

A tiny flea with great big bite is nipping my knee and won’t let go! x2...

A tiny flea with great big bite will not let go so I’ll grab that mite

And send it off to the Isle of Wight;

In an inky pinky pumpkin pie.

A boa constrictor smooth and sleek is squeezing me tight and won’t let go! x2

A boa constrictor smooth and sleek won’t let go so I will shriek

And send it off to Mozambique;

In an inky pinky pumpkin pie.

A vampire bat in a dark, dark cave is tugging my hair...

A vampire bat in a dark, dark cave won’t let go but I’ll be brave

And send it to Spain with a smile and a wave.

In an inky pinky pumpkin pie.

A cockatoo at the Sydney zoo is pecking my nose and won’t let go x2

The cockatoo at the Sydney zoo will not let go so I’ll shout, “Shoo!”

And send it off to Wallamaroo;

In an inky pinky pumpkin pie.

I wish the fish, the octopus, the flea, the snake, the bat, the bird would let me go x2

I’ve been tickled and chased all over the place;

Now I’ll wiggle and jiggle and shiver and quake

And shake them all into a pastry case,

To make an inky pinky, slinky malinky, winky-blinky, rinky-dinky pumpkin pie;

A great big inky pinky pumpkin pie.

Knicky knocky noo O

A song for fidgets everywhere.

Who knows what a Fidgetty Foo is? I don’t! Encourage children to draw, describe and name their own monsters. Are they scary, friendly, funny or fierce? Encourage them to think of that monster as they move around the room.

Find a space ready to move. Alternatively play as a circle game.