Theme Notes Series 252: Building
Building
Building is one way that young children begin to make sense of the world around them. It helps them understand the qualities of different materials and how these materials can be joined together to create something new. Children enjoy making and creating their own buildings and structures from the resources and materials they find around them. This process provides opportunities for the development of physical control, logical reasoning, decision-making and problem solving. First constructions can be quite simple, such as stacking blocks to build towers and watching them fall when knocked over. With experience, constructions can become more complex and may involve group work, such as creating cubbies and shelters using household objects and recycled materials. Children can learn more about the processes of construction by investigating buildings and structures in their local environment. A walk to the shops or a trip to the city can be extended by drawing attention to the shapes of windows and rooves and the colours and textures of different building materials. Watching the busy activity of a construction site from a safe distance can also be of interest.
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Theme Notes Series 252: Building
Monday SONGS Riding in My Car (Riding Along with a Crane) Composer: Rosalind Thrift Publisher: Control Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree Composer: Marian Sinclair Publisher: Larrikin Music
PRESENTERS Andrew McFarlane – Karen Pang
The Wheels on the Bus Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing
PIANIST Peter Dasent
Open Shut Them Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing
TOLD STORY Humpty’s Visit (A story told by the Play School team)
Mr Clicketty Cane Composer: Peter Combe Publisher: Control
FILM Building a Bus Shelter (Play School, ABC) ANIMATION Ning Nang Nong (Play School, ABC) IDEAS FOR LATER Make a cardboard tree house for your toys. Dress up as a princess or a knight. Build your own block castle with towers and turrets.
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Theme Notes Series 252: Building
MAKE AND DO
How to Make a Cardboard Crane You will need: Two cardboard boxes – one large and one small Masking tape Four recycled round plastic lids for wheels Two lengths of dowel, a bit longer than the width of the large box, for axles Two long cardboard cylinders Cardboard Ribbon Wool Tape the sides of the large cardboard box closed. Ask an adult to make a hole in the centre of each plastic lid, large enough to push the dowel through. Push one length of dowel through the holes in two plastic lids to create wheels on an axle. Repeat with remaining lids/dowel. Tape the two axles to the base of the large cardboard box. Cut one face from the small cardboard box and tape the three remaining faces closed. This will be the crane driver’s compartment! Sit the small box on top of the large box and tape to secure. Draw a hook on a piece of cardboard and cut out. Attach a ribbon loop for lifting objects. Thread wool through two long cardboard cylinders and attach the cardboard hook to the end of the piece of wool. Attach one cylinder to the medium box and let the other cylinder, with the wool and hook dangling out, hang down.
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Theme Notes Series 252: Building
How to Make a Picnic Table and Chairs for Your Toys You will need: Cardboard cylinders – short and medium in length Masking tape Sort the cylinders into a short pile and a medium pile. Arrange five or six medium cylinders side-by-side to make a table top. Tape the cylinders together with masking tape. Sit the table top on four short cylinder legs. Secure with tape. To make the seat of a chair, arrange three short cylinders side-by-side and tape together. Sit the chair seat on four short cylinder legs and secure with tape. Tape on another short cylinder for the back of your chair.
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Theme Notes Series 252: Building
Tuesday SONGS There is Someone Who is Hiding Composer: Henrietta Clark Publisher: ABC Music Publishing Friends All Together (Friends, Friends, Friends) Composers: Peter Dasent & Sophie Emtage Publisher: Origin/Control Walking Through the Jungle Composer: Max Lambert PRESENTERS Abi Tucker – Andrew McFarlane PIANIST Peter Dasent STORY Friends Author & Illustrator: Clara Vulliamy Publisher: Walker Books
English Country Garden Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing London Bridge Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing Our House Composers: Carl Smyth & Chris Foreman
FILM Government House (Play School, ABC) IDEAS FOR LATER Ask some friends over for a picnic or barbeque in your backyard or the local park. Visit a camping store and look at all the things people use when they go camping. Make a tent for your toys using an old sheet, pegs and some broom handles or a clothes rack.
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Theme Notes Series 252: Building
MAKE AND DO
How to Make Flags You will need: Cardboard cylinders – short and medium in length Coloured fabric or paper Crepe paper cut into narrow strips for streamers Double-sided tape Ask an adult to cut triangle flag shapes from coloured fabric or paper. To make a short flag, attach a fabric triangle to a short cardboard cylinder with double-sided tape. Stick some crepe paper streamers to the top of the flag/cardboard roll. To make a “double flag”, attach two fabric triangles to a medium length cardboard cylinder with double-sided tape. Stick crepe paper streamers to the top.
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Theme Notes Series 252: Building
Wednesday SONGS Let’s Go Composer: Peter Dasent Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing Build it Up Composer: Peter Charlton Publisher: ABC Music Publishing
PRESENTERS Karen Pang – Alex Papps
Move Over and Make Room Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing
PIANIST Peter Dasent
May I Come Over to Your Place Composer: Henrietta Clark Publisher: ABC Music Publishing
TOLD STORY Jemima’s Farmhouse (A story told by the Play School team)
Riding in a Helicopter (Wokka, Wokka) Composer: Sean O’Boyle Publisher: ABC Music Publishing/ EMI
FILM Helicopter (Play School, ABC)
Walking in the City Composers: A. North & M. Wesley-Smith Publisher: ABC Music Publishing
ANIMATION Jump & Jiggle (Play School, ABC) IDEAS FOR LATER Stack blocks to make tall city buildings. Use recycled materials such as flattened cardboard and cardboard cylinders to add other features, such as a bridge, a clock tower or traffic lights. Have a sleep over party with your toys! Make up beds for them to sleep in and wake them up in the morning for a pretend breakfast.
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Theme Notes Series 252: Building
MAKE AND DO
How to Build Your Own City You will need: Large pieces of paper, such as butcher’s paper Crayons, pencils and markers Black and green material Cardboard boxes Cardboard Safety scissors Think about what you might see in a town or city, such as roads, buildings, a park or shops. Draw a city plan with all of these things on a large piece of paper with crayons, pencils and markers. Build your own city using your plan as a guide! Use black material for roads and green material for a park. Use cardboard boxes to build tall and short buildings. Build a car park using a box and a piece of cardboard for a ramp. Take your toys for a walk around the city! You might also like to draw a plan for a country landscape with bush tracks, fences, creeks, farmhouses and sheds. Use fabric, boxes and other craft materials to recreate your drawing.
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Theme Notes Series 252: Building
Thursday SONGS Mary Had a Little Lamb Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing All the Colours of the Rainbow Composer: Colin Buchanan & Keith Robert Publisher: Rondor
PRESENTERS Abi Tucker – Alex Papps PIANIST Peter Dasent STORY Red is a Dragon © 2008 by Roseanne Thong & Grace Lin Used with permission of Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco FILM Annabelle and Isaac’s Farm (Play School, ABC) IDEAS FOR LATER Make a fruit salad! You might like to use lycees, or a fruit you haven’t tried before. Paint a rainbow.
Sing a Song of Sixpence Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing Build it Up Composer: Peter Charlton Publisher: ABC Music Publishing Put on Your... Composer: Val Donlon Publisher: ABC Music Publishing Giddiap Horsey Composers: L. Scott & L. Wood Publisher: Harrup Publishing Heel and Toe Polka Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing
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Theme Notes Series 252: Building
MAKE AND DO
How to Make a Dragon Puppet
How to Make a Dragon Dress Up
You will need: Coloured cardboard Marker Safety scissors Coloured A4 paper Tape Straws Colourful streamers Sticker dots
You will need: Washing basket Paper plates Patty pans Paste Tape A cape, old towel or long piece of material
Draw a dragon head and tail on coloured cardboard and cut out. Draw eyes, a nose and a smiling mouth on your dragon’s head. Fold a piece of coloured A4 paper back and forth in a concertina fashion. Before unfolding, cut the folded piece of paper in half, widthways. Open the two folded pieces of paper and tape them together to create a long, bendy body for your dragon. Attach the dragon head and tail to either end.
Paste two patty pans in the centre of two paper plates to create big dragon eyes. Attach to the washing basket with tape. Tie a cape, towel or long piece of material to the washing basket for your dragon’s body. Hold the washing basket above your head and dance about like a dragon. You might like to ask a friend of family member to hold the end of the cape, towel or material and animate the dragon’s body.
Turn your dragon over and tape one straw to the bottom of your dragon’s pointing downwards. Stick another straw to your dragon’s tail, also pointing downwards. These two straws will be handles that allow you to animate your dragon. Decorate your dragon with colourful streamers and sticker dots. Use the straws to dance your dragon around!
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Theme Notes Series 252: Building
How to Make a Super Sandwich You will need: Sliced wholemeal bread Cream cheese Shredded lettuce Grated carrot Grated cheese Build a sandwich tower with slices of wholemeal bread and different toppings in between. For example, spread one slice of wholemeal bread with cream cheese and top with shredded lettuce. Stack another slice of wholemeal bread, also spread with cream cheese, on top and sprinkle with grated carrot. Add another slice of wholemeal bread spread with cream cheese on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Finish the sandwich with one final slice of wholemeal bread. Eat and enjoy!
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Theme Notes Series 252: Building
Friday SONGS Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing Build, Build, Build (Dig, Dig, Dig) Composers: Monica Trapaga, Julian Gough, David Basden & Penny Biggins Publisher: ABC Music Publishing
PRESENTERS Alex Papps – Karen Pang PIANIST Peter Dasent STORY The Big Ball of String Author: Ross Mueller Illustrator: Craig Smith Publisher: Allen & Unwin, Sydney 2004 FILM Buildings Montage (Play School, ABC) ANIMATION Pussycat, Pussycat (Play School, ABC)
Put a Spot Over Here Composers: John Fox & Warren Carr Publisher: ABC Music Publishing I Have Made a Pretty Nest Composer: Ann Elliott Farmer in the Dell Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing There Was a Princess Long Ago Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing Moon, Moon Composer: Lucy Sprague Mitchell/Gerfolktune Publisher: Allans Music (Aust) Ltd
IDEAS FOR LATER Visit a hardware store and look at all the bits and pieces used for building and fixing. Play a special game of hide-and-seek with a friend or family member! Take a walk around the garden with a big ball of string or wool, leaving a trail behind you that leads to your hiding spot. Your friend or family member has to follow all the twists and turns of the string until they find you! Take a walk to the park and look for birds. Look at the colour of their feathers, the shape of their beaks and watch them fly. Be very quiet and listen to their bird calls. What do you think they might be saying?
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Theme Notes Series 252: Building
MAKE AND DO
How to Make a Clay Nest You will need: Clay Water String Wool Feathers Take a piece of clay about the size of a small orange. Knead the clay with your hands to soften it, adding water if too dry. Form a bowl like shape for a nest. Add wool, string and feathers to make a soft and cosy space. Roll a small piece of clay around and around between the palms of your hands to create a round egg. Make a few eggs for your nest. Make a bird from clay or recycled materials.
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