Join Cheeky Monkey on an Aussie bush walk, and follow the animals to Uluru. Race the baby koalas, jump with the kangaroos and play football with the emus. Be careful counting the sizzling sausages on the BBQ. Coo wee!
Download the complete activity sheet pack here.
MUSIC - HOME AMONG THE GUMTREES by Bullamakanka
Learn a fun bush dance while performing with a partner. Teach the children Chorus Actions and a variety of bush choreography to perform. Ask everyone to find a partner (“a friend”) OR place them in suitable pairs. Go through the Chorus Actions and other choreography for the verses without the music while clapping and counting. When ready to begin, start with some VERSE CHOREOGRAPHY, followed by the CHORUS ACTIONS.
VERSE CHOREOGRAPHY IDEAS
16 counts – (16 x gallops) Face partner holding hands and gallop around on the spot
16 counts – (8 x sways) Face partner holding hands and sway arms side to side
8 counts – (8 x claps) Clap both hands on the knees
8 counts – (4 x jump and claps) Clap own hands with a jump, turn and face a different direction every clap & jump
16 counts – (8 x sets of claps -1 x clap partner & 1 x clap own hands) Clap your partners hands, then alternate, clapping your own hands
16 counts – (16 x skips) Hold hands with a partner skip in a circle, travelling in the same direction OR without holding hands
16 counts – (8 x IN / 8 x OUT) Form a large circle and everyone march in to the middle and march back out
ADVANCED SUGGESTIONS
16 counts – (8 x claps / 16 skips) In a pair, CHILD ONE kneels and claps along, while CHILD TWO skips closely around CHILD ONE.
Make a tunnel using the arms connecting with fingertips. Take the children through the tunnel, adding them to the end of the tunnel to continue for the next couple. This will take some co-ordinating!
CHORUS ACTIONS
Give me a home Arms make roof over head joining at fingertips
Among the gum trees Hold arms up high, swaying like tree branches
With lots of plum trees Rub tummy, yummy, yummy!
A sheep Point one finger in the air
Or two, Point two fingers in the air
And a kangaroo Jump like a kangaroo with hands in front like paws
A clothesline out the back, Point thumbs to the back over shoulders
Veranda out the front, Wipe flat hands out to the sides in front of you
And an old rocking chair Back & forth rocking motion with body and hands
Learn about echoes and how they can help us in the bush. Teach the children how to sing “Coo wee”. This is what you sing loudly if you are lost in the bush. Ask the children to listen to your “Coo wee” sound and then ask them to copy it. This is called an echo.
Repeat this, until the children automatically respond with their echo.
Be creative and call different versions of the “Coo wee” changing the rhythm (fast and slow) and pitch (high and low). Have fun even changing the sound!
Suggestions:
Coo Wee Wee Wee
Coo Coo Coo Wee
Coo Pee Doo Pee
Have the children sitting in a large circle. Show the children one little clip on koala and ask the children what colour it is wearing.
The children can name the different coloured koalas as you hold each different one up.
Explain that they are called “Racing Koalas” and love to race in teams, however they need help!
Each Racing Koala team has their own coloured racing stick with a coloured flag attached to the top. Teach the children how to clip the correct colour on the corresponding coloured stick.
Give the children their own “Racing Koala”. Take the time to practise opening and closing the koala’s arms, by squeezing the shoulder area. Once the children have developed this skill, it is time to race.
There are many ways of “racing”.
You can call out one colour and the children with that colour can come and attached their koala to the stick. Once all the koalas are clipped on, time to count to see which team has the most, least or same. Also measure the highest and lowest koalas.
Random Selection
Randomly select a number card to determine how many koalas are in each team. Children can take turns, to select the correct coloured koala from the basket and place it on the stick, until the number of koalas on the stick corresponds with the number card.
Teach the children to say “Congratulations” to the winning team and well done to everyone who participated.
Take a look at our Cheeky Snippet of this activity.
The children are going to run like an emu, under the skipping rope while it’s going around at a controlled speed. Organise the children into a line waiting for their turn.
Show the children how the rope will turn and listen for the sound it makes, when it slaps the floor. Select one child to run through, when you say “Ready, Set GO!” Have a mat or section dedicated for the children to sit and wait when they have had their turn. The children will love this and develop great confidence and co-ordination with this activity wanting to play again and again.
All you need is a long rope and fast emus ready to run?