Fresh air, bare feet ad grubby hands = active learning! Fun, down-to-earth nature based ideas & educational resources for Grubby kids!
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| Tohora Nui – Big Whale (with cartoon images) |
Are you planning on attending an Anzac service this year? This FREE scavenger hunt printable is a great little conversation starter that’s perfect for using before, during or after your dawn parade experience….
Looking for some handy follow up activities for your favourite Anzac day ‘read-alouds?’ You’ll defintely need a copy of this free set! Scroll to the bottom to grab your set…
This awesome list of ‘read aloud’ books are by a mixture of Kiwi & Aussie authors – have a peek below for a quick review and some specific reader response sheets that match the books…. have I missed your favourite? Flick me an e-mail or leave a comment below!
My Grandad Marches on Anzac Day – By Catriona Hoy & Benjamin Johnson
Another great read aloud – succinct words and beautiful illustrations, This book focuses on all the little details that make attending an Anzac day parade special… getting up early, driving in the dark, rugging up warm as it’s always cold, the sounds of the guns and hot chocolate afterwards…
‘Anzac Day Parade’ is a current favourite of mine – aimed at the mid to upper primary level, the book contains minimal words that have been chosen to provide high impact and provoke deep thinking. The beautiful illustrations tell as much of the story as the words. A short but powerful read.
Ahh…. good old summer holidays…… and not a snowman in sight! Alongside your usual term 4 sun safe lessons, end of year reports and beach trips, it’s nice to delve into some Kiwi themed Christmas books… Here’s a list of my favourite ‘read alouds’ – scroll to the bottom for a FREE download containing follow up printables for the following books!
We really are spoilt for choice when it comes to beautifully illustrated and written New Zealand books – have a peek below for a quick review and some specific reader response sheets that match the books…. have I missed your favourite? Flick me an e-mail or leave a comment below!
By Kingi M. Ihaka
This classic (written in 1981) is still a favourite, and perfect for a sing-a-long! If you’re teaching in a city school, this book is choc full of lots of interesting vocab which may require some further explanation (huhu grubs, puha etc.) This song is also great for adapting to create your own class version…
This modern version of Jingle Bells comes complete with a CD and catchy lyrics! Packed full of lots of Kiwiana references, it’ll have you day dreaming of starting your beach holiday early…
This book (suitable for slightly older children) follows the story of Josh who is off to spend Christmas with his Dad in the country. It gently touches on the topic of split families, and also the idea of creating different traditions with different sides of your family. I also enjoyed the theme of Christmas as a time for creating new memories – not the big focus on commercial gift giving.
Parents and busy teachers will all sympathise with the frazzled Mum in this book, who is juggling her older child and baby in the lead up to Christmas! Older children will enjoy the exploits of the ‘big kid’, and younger ones will enjoy the unfolding chaos of a busy house hold through the detailed illustrations.
Grubbily yours,
A simple set of action cards to match the Māori version of “Hokey tokey!’
You put your right hand in,
you put your right hand out,
you put your right hand in,
and you shake it all about,
you do the hokey tokey,
and you turn yourself around,
that’s what it’s all about!
The cards are in Māori (with a brief English translation), and were designed for my hard-working-musically-minded-Mum to hold up for her students to see as the song progresses. The cards contain the key words from the lyrics, as well as simple illustrations and arrows to support all your learners with the correct actions.
Also included are some simple position cards (in Te Reo & English) for the words under, on top/over, inside, outside in front & behind!
Grubbily yours,
