Mini Beasts (2)

Series 286: Mini Beasts We see insects and other small creatures almost every day of our lives. These “mini beasts” are one of the first introductions young children have to the natural world. They come in countless varieties, shapes, colours, patterns and sizes and are celebrated in favourite pre- school nursery rhymes, such as “Incy Wincy Spider”, “Ladybird, Ladybird” and “The Ants Go Marching”. In this series of Play School, we explore “mini beasts” through craft activities, play, songs and stories. We are also visited in studio by some real-life insects: slaters, snails, worms and even a stick insect! Episode 2 PRESENTERS Michelle Lim Davidson – Teo Gebert PIANIST Peter Dasent TOLD STORY The Frog Gobbler (A story told by the Play School team) FILM Honey Farm (Play School, ABC) IDEAS FOR LATER Play a bug dress-up game with a friend or family member. Use your body, imagination and some simple items from your dress-up box to transform into a bug. For example, put a yellow towel around your shoulders and “buzz” around like a bee, or, get into a sleeping bag and wriggle on the ground like a worm. Your friend or family member has to guess what kind of bug you are. Make a paper plate frog. Paint a piece of A4 paper and the bottom of a paper plate green. Once dry, place both hands on the green paper, ask someone to trace around them, and then cut out. Stick the two handprints to the bottom of the paper plate for legs. Add two sticker dot eyes and a long, red, paper tongue. Eat some honey on toast. Yum! SONGS Round and Round and Round Composer: Colin Buchanan Publisher: Rondor Come On And... Composer: Louie Suthers Incy Wincy Spider Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly Composer: Traditional Publisher: Origin/ABC Music Publishing I’m So Hungry Composers: Ann North & Martin Welsey-Smith MAKE AND DO How to Make a Spinny Painting You will need: - A round, clean garbage bin lid - Paper - Safety scissors - Three or four colours of paint, we used blue, green, yellow and pink This activity can get messy, so cover your workspace in some old newspaper or a plastic worksheet and put on an old shirt or painting smock. Cut a large shape from paper. We cut out a butterfly shape. Spoon or pour different coloured paint all over the inside of the bin lid. Spin the bin lid around. As the lid turns, the paint will spread all over, making colourful patterns. Put the butterfly shape into the bin lid and press down on it with your hands. Lift up the butterfly to reveal lots of colourful swirls and stripes. Some of the colours may have mixed together to make new colours. MAKE AND DO How to Make Honey Joys You will need: - 90g butter - 1/3 cup castor sugar - 1 tablespoon honey - 4 cups cornflakes Makes 24 honey joys. Preheat oven to 150°C. Line a 24 cup cupcake or muffin tin with paper patty pan cases. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and honey to the butter and mix together with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves. Place the cornflakes in a large bowl and pour the honey mixture over the top. Gently mix together with a wooden spoon, so all of the cornflakes are coated in the honey mixture. Spoon the honey cornflakes into the patty pan cases. Bake for 10 mins. Allow to cool before eating.