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 ofAway we go’ Round and about compiled, adapted 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:

 

© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved

You are free to copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the following conditions:

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Your fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.


 

 

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!

 


 

The emu and the kookaburra O

 

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.

 

 


 

The kangaroo

 

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!


 

The ostrich

 

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!

 

 


 

 

Three jellyfish O

 

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.

 


 

 

Who wants an octopus cuddle? O

 

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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