Australian animals

6
AIM

Spending quality time together helps young children feel safe, connected, and ready to learn, grow and thrive.

1
BENEFIT

Playful interactions build communication and trust. Being together and playing with movement helps children develop spatial awareness, social skills, and creativity in fun and supportive ways.

WHAT YOU NEED:
  • Australian animal cards
  • Tapping sticks
  • Rickeeta’s song: click play on the video to watch Rickeeta’s song and how she uses the tapping sticks
WHAT TO DO:
  • Gather into a small group and show the Australian animal cards.
  • An adult might need to show children the movement. Go through all the cards to start.
  • Begin moving like Australian animals at different levels (high/low) and at different speeds (fast/slow).
  • Encourage everyone to practice how that animal might move.
  • A child picks a card and shows it to the group. Everyone does the movement.
  • Remind everyone to take care so that they don’t bump into or knock anyone over.
  • Once everyone knows the moves, introduce the tapping sticks and play them slow and then fast.
  • Explain that when they are played slowly the animal movement will be slow and when played fast it will be faster.
  • A child picks a card and shows it to everyone. The others start to do the movements while someone plays the tapping sticks at a slow or fast pace. You can also introduce the heights.
  • With the help of an adult, the child holding the card can move the card high or low while everyone follows along like the animal at that level and speed.
AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS:
  • Bird
  • Kangaroo
  • Emu
  • Butterfly
  • Frog
  • Snake
  • Goanna

Use this part of the video as a SPARK for the activity

Fun fact
FUN FACT

Moving and playing games with friends is a great way to get some physical activity into the day. Young children like to play pretend games as it allows them to explore their imagination and have fun.