Koalas: A New True Book by Emilie U. Lepthien
Kangaroos, Koalas, and Other Marsupials by Ellen Rabinowich
A Family in Australia by Rollo Browne
The Bunyip of Berkeley’s Creek by Jenny Wagner
Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughan
Koala Lou by Mem Fox
Wombat & Bandicoot: Best of Friends by Kerry Argent
Waltzing Matilda by A.B. Patterson
Great for reading to young children, especially when studying Australia. It is a counting book featuring animals of Australia. Maybe talk about how the Australian animals differ from locally found animals. Field trip idea too to see any Australian animals at the local zoo.
When studying Australia or kangaroos etc. Here is a cute little song for little people.
Poem and next to it, the actions.
Jump, jump, jump Jump
Goes the kangaroo Jump
I thought only one– Hold up one finger
But now I see two! Hold up two fingers
Mommy and her baby Wiggle thumb between index and middle finger
With his head popping out;
He holds on tight Pretend to hold on tight
As they jump all about! Jump all about
Fill a clear plastic, two-liter soda bottle (or other vessel) halfway with tap water. Add a few drops of blue food coloring and shake gently to mix. Fill the rest of the bottle with vegetable oil, leaving no space for air. Cap the bottle tightly and then, tilt it slowly back and forth to see miniature waves roll and crest.
Idea for National Week of the Ocean, studying waves, ocean etc.
The idea was originally to make a boomerang of poster board and just decorate them. But with a boy, I’m thinking he could fashion a boomerang from wood or other substance, then decorate it and USE IT! This would be a great craft when studying Australia.
April is National Knuckles Down Month so celebrate by trying your hand at one of Abraham Lincoln’s favorite games–marbles. Practice the true shooting technique: turn your hand palm up with all of your knuckles (except for your thumb) touching the ground. Place the marble between your index finger and thumbnail and flick it. Then, test your skills with a homemade course made of jar lids (to hit) and tissue tubes (to roll through). Or use chalk to draw a three-ring bull’s eye on a paved surface and assign each circle a certain number of points. Mark a shooting line several feet away. Then players can take turns trying to score by landing their marbles inside the bulls-eye.
Interesting fact: April 18th is the Anniversary of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride
Decorate white t-shirts by cutting apples in half, brushing fabric paint on the surface, and pressing the fruit on the shirts. You could even take a bite out of an apple to personalize it further. Accent the apple prints with black seeds, green leaves and brown stems.
Additional idea: Wear them to go picking apples.
Peel a large apple, red or golden delicious seems to work well
Coat the apple with a mixture of 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon salt
Using a knife, carve eye sockets, nose, mouth and ears
Stick cloves in eye sockets and rice teeth (be creative, especially if this is a Halloween decoration)
Place the apple on a cooling rack in a warm, dry place for 2 weeks, shaping the face as it shrinks and harden.