Nothing beats a good family sing-along and these days the choice of music is so varied that there’s plenty to keep kids (and mum and dad!) entertained and having fun. And as parents know only too well, a good selection of music is essential for long car journeys.

Classic Campfire Singalong Collection is a great choice for holidays and car journeys. This ABC Kids collection has 40 of the classics like “ten green bottles”, “kumbaya” , “ten fat sausages”, “Waltzing Matilda” and “row, row, row your boat”.
All-rounder Georgie Parker – actress, Gold Logie-winner, Play School stalwart and now children’s singer – has a lovely collection called Here Comes the Sun, which includes songs that have a special meaning to Georgie like the title track, “Singing in the rain”, “La Bamba” and “You’ve got a friend in me” (Featuring Jay Laga’aia). This is her first solo album and it has proven a hit with families for its relaxed, upbeat feel.
Another Play School favourite Jay Laga’aia is also one of Australia’s most popular children’s entertainers and his second CD I can Play Anything encourages children to sing and dance along with him. All the tracks are written by Jay and are influenced by his Polynesian culture and his love of funk (James Brown, Earth, Wind and Fire) and folk and soul (James Taylor, Bob Marley). This collection is a great one for parties, the car and just having on at home and doing a family dance party.
Movie Magic is a fun collection from ABC Kids full of best-loved tunes from the silver screen. Your kids will love tracks like “Hakuna Matata” (The Lion King), “Be our guest” (Beauty and the Beast), “So long, farewell” (The Sound of Music), “I like to move it” (Madagascar) and “Life is a highway” (Cars). And it’s a pleasant, sing-out-loud selection for adults in the car (it’s one of those CDs that won’t make you too crazy from high rotation!).
A great Australian band for children and families is Lah-Lah and their CD Shake It Like This has fresh, fun tunes to bop along with. Lah-Lah’s five members are drawn from adult bands like popular gypsy group Monsieur Camembert and the bands of James Morrison and Guy Sebastian. The band performs live and has filmed their songs for the Nick Jr television channel. Stand-out tracks are “brush your teeth”, “Lola loves to dance” and “shake it like this”.
Dr Knickerbocker by Mike Jackson is a classic collection for families. Mike performs with The Flying Wombat Band to present this CD of rambunctious, comic songs that have delighted children all over Australia for over 25 years. Dr Knickerbocker is his most requested song and also included on this CD are “I’ll tell me Ma when I get home”, “when Santa got stuck up the chimney” and “me and my teddy bear”.

Paul Adshead is an author and illustrator who weaves magical tales (with an environmental conservation message) about wildlife and adventure in his intricately illustrated books.

Puzzle Island is one of Adshead’s most popular titles (it has sold over one million copies) and is about Ambrose Fogarty, who is doing research on the island. He stumbles upon two animals, a male and a female, of a species that is thought to have been extinct for hundreds of years. Fogarty wants to return the animals to their original habitat. However, he travels on and off the island in a hot air balloon and can only take one of the animals with him. He writes the reader a letter asking for help to relocate the female animal. He is concerned that someone may exploit the animal and has therefore hidden it somewhere on Puzzle Island, leaving clues. In the book are eleven paintings of different locations around the island and in them are hidden the word and picture clues which will lead you to the identity and location of the animal.
Puzzle Island is an engaging way for youngsters to learn the alphabet and he text is rich with information and descriptive imagery that will power along your child’s vocabulary.
Around the World with Phineas Frog is a book and geographical puzzle in one. Travelling frogs Phineas Phineas and his daughter visit different countries of the world and the reader is challenged to identify each place by clues like landmarks, cities and costumes. (Phineas’ daughter likes spending his money on souvenirs at each place they visit.) This story is told in rhyme that makes it accessible and entertaining for all abilities. Suitable for ages eight to 16.
A Peacock on the Roof is the true story of a peacock family that lived in Adshead’s garden. Prince is the peacock of the title. A strange cat frightens Prince’s peachicks up a tree but Prince is too busy trying to get attention to help guard his family. There are extra fun activities to have with this book by exploring the illustrations to find cats and words cleverly hidden in the artwork. There are many educational benefits to this title for ages three to 10 including vocabulary development, visual imagery, discussion on care of animals and birds and extended thinking skills. The story is divided into six chapters and each chapter introduces a new character (a great way to introduce children to the use of chapters).
Similarly, The Chicken Who Could Swim is another tale of birds that live in Adshead’s garden. (He is known as “the man who loved birds’’.) When a ducking is hatched by a chicken, it thinks she is its mother. What will happen when it joins its brothers and sisters in the pond? There are also puzzles of hidden mice and words on every page.
One Odd Old Owl is a charming story about the owl whose snoring keeps a slow, sleepy snail awake. The snail attempts to rally all the birds who come by her tree to help her wake the owl so she can sleep. They clitter-clatter, shout, shriek, screech, squawk, whirr, sing, quack, knock, hammer, chirp, chirrup and cheep… “But One Odd Old Owl continues to sleep”.  Can Princely Peacock wake up that owl?  This book is lots of fun and has puzzles to be solved, including one where the snail (who still can’t sleep!) hides the names of 56 birds and her name too. If you find all the names, you can use them to discover the snail’s secret message.
The Red Herring Mystery introduces children to problem solving in a creative and colourful way (the illustrations are stunning). Adshead gives the reader the role of assistant detective who must gather clues from the text and illustrations to help solve the mystery of a disappearing fish-shaped ruby. Suitable for ages five to adults.
Adshead is world-renowned and loved for his complex and intricately illustrated books and puzzles contained within them.
Any of these titles would make a great gift or Christmas stocking-stuffer.

Christmas in Australia is unique – the flipside of traditional celebrations and traditions in the Northern Hemisphere. Sure, there’s the Christmas carols we know and love as well as turkey, Christmas pudding and all the trimmings but the weather and relaxed atmosphere of an Aussie family Christmas needs some music all of its own.

An Australian Christmas from ABC Kids is full of songs that celebrate the scorching Aussie weather during the festive season. The Christmas songs on this CD all have an Australian flavour to them and features songs such as “Six White Boomers”, “Aussie Jingle Bells”, “Christmas Where The Gum Trees Grow” and “Santa’s Coming On A Surfboard”.
Christmas Fun time by Linda Adamson is part of the incredibly popular Love to Sing range from this Kiwi educator and music lecturer. This pack includes 32-page, highly illustrated book, featuring all the words and actions for each song, a music CD and bonus DVD with selections from the popular New Zealand TV series. Songs included are a mix of traditional and modern with a southern hemisphere flavour (some of the titles are “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”, “Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere”, “A Chubby Little Snowman” and “Pop, Bang, Crack”). Adamson’s Love to Sing range has become a worldwide hit over 20 years with teachers, parents and kids and her songs are played daily on NZ children’s television.
Kids’ Christmas Music by Hilary Henshaw is full of simple but catchy tunes to help the whole family get into the festive holiday spirit. There’s also fun Christmas games (Christmas Box, Thank You, The Giving Game) and dances (Christmas Bush Dance, Chanukah) on the CD that are ideal for school activities or holiday concerts and performances.  Henshaw is an Australian singer, performer and speaker of international renown whose seven-CD collection for children – Growing with Music (of which Kids’ Christmas Music is one) – is one of Australia’s most widely used music resources.
For a funky festive season try Christmas with Jamo, which has plenty of upbeat tunes to get everyone movin’ and groovin’.  “Reindeer On My Roof” and “No Snow” are fun Christmas story-telling songs. Others like “Christmas Time” and “Reindeer’s A ‘rockin’” are guaranteed party starters! Jamo is Paul Jamieson – a Melbourne-based entertainer whose songs are infused with lots or rhythm, reggae, rap and calypso (a nod to his Caribbean heritage).
Peter Combe’s Christmas Album is, in Combe’s own words, “…the realisation of a dream of mine to compose and record a set of new Christmas songs for children and their families…”. The CD features six choirs and will make a wonderful addition to your collection of Christmas music to enjoy with the family. Peter Combe is a beloved children’s performer and musician and this is a must-have CD.
Christmas for Aussie Kids combines the best of traditional and Aussie-flavoured songs. This collection has all your favourites like “Away in a Manger”, “The First Noel” and “Jingle Bell Rock” as well as more modern tunes “Six White Boomers” and “North Wind”.

Merry Christmas from the team at Educational Esteem!

Learning another language is a great way to expand your child’s world and with French you’ll add a dash of sophistication to your little ones’ vocabularies, as well as introducing them to the culture of France (Who doesn’t love chocolat or croissant!). And a recent US study of bilingual children who learned French and English found that being bilingual could give them a cognitive edge.

French is a fabulous language for kids to learn. The CD resource Sing and Learn French is aimed at 3-10 year olds and a collection of a beautifully illustrated book and CDs that introduce children to languages and cultures through fun songs and pictures. The simple ABC system is A: Look at the pictures; B: Listen to the songs; and C: Sing along and dance. This collection introduces basic phrases in French and vocabulary to do with colours, numbers, food, animals, greetings and the weather.
For a splash of music from France, the ever-reliable Putumayo Kids presents French Playground – a delightful collection of family-friendly songs. This CD is full of whimsy, fun and a certain je ne sais quoi!
Universe of Song features popular songs in French, including the classics Alouette, Au Clair De La Lune and Frere Jacques. The lyrics in the accompaning booklet are in both French and English to go your child a greater understanding of what they are listening to and singing.
The Little Pim DVD series are a great place to start. The series features unique “entertainment immersion” whereby animation and real kids combine to teach simple words and phrases for everyday activities. Little Pim French for Little Kids is a three-DVD pack and each 35-minute DVD contains seven five-minute episodes and introduces over 60 words and phrases. The three discs cover “eating and drinking”, “wake up smiling” and “playtime”.

Foreign language books are also great additions to your home if you are aiming on getting your child to learn another language. The French language Big Hungry Bear (Le Gros Ours Affame) and There Was An Old Lady (La Vieille Dame Qui Avala Une Mouche) are beautifully illustrated picture books. Big Hungry Bear is unusual in that it features a large two page picture with very few words. The reader meets an adorable little mouse who never says a word, but answers the reader with a wonderfully expressive face. In this book the reader talks to the mouse.  The repetition in There Was An Old Lady assists children to remember words and phrases with visual cues and simple language. A great way to build confidence in kids who are learning a language.

Introducing children to dances from around the world is a wonderful way to teach them about cultural diversity and encourages creativity.  It’s never too early to start either – there are plenty of resources to allow you to bring the world to your child, whether it is at home or in the classroom.

Around the World in Dance features lively and fun dance experiences for children by Henry “Buzz “Glass and Rosemary Hallum PhD who have been creating music and movement resources for families since the 1970s. Off the Wall Dances is a collection of folk dances for ages 2-9 from Gary and Carol Crees that promotes coordination, body awareness and social skills. The Crees have been working in Australian early education for over 20 years and have a philosophy that music, movement and the creative arts gives a richness and joy in life that adds to individual, family and community health. The CD also comes with a book.
Shenanigans’ Bush Dances of New Holland is a terrific resource for primary aged children onwards and includes dances from a variety of styles and cultures, including standard Australian bush dances. Other cultural influences on the collection are ‘Louisiana Saturday Night’, the Serbian ‘Scissor Dance’ and the old English ‘Sellenger’s Round’. Shenanigans are one of Australia’s best-known and regarded educational troupes who have conducted bush dance and world dance and multicultural workshops at hundreds of schools over the years. Shenanigans’ original music release Dance Music for Children is still a favourite with schools and features folk dances from Poland, Ukraine, Israel and Denmark.

Simple Folk Dances is just that – easy-to-follow and fun dances suitable for ages 3-6. These traditional folk dances that are slow, repetitive and contain the basic coordination skills children need to develop. Each dance has rhyming words that describe or direct the movement. Tracks 1-9 contain music with narrative directions and each dance is repeated twice. Tracks 10-18 contain music only.
For some unusual and really fun multicultural dance experiences, Children’s Folk Dances by Georgiana Stewart takes you on a world trip from America to Scotland to Korea. A guide with lyrics and instructions is included. Georgiana Stewart is a highly regarded education specialist who has authored more that 55 CDs. She is renowned for her music, movement and aerobic CDs, which are a hit with teachers around the world.

As parents we know that having kids isn’t all fun and games. There are many times our little ones need quiet time, calming down and help to manage emotions. In fact, emotional intelligence programs, which are increasingly part of curriculum at schools, promote and teach guided breathing activities for children.

Mother Nature Guided Relaxation is a resource for children and caregivers alike. On this CD clear instructions are set against a background of pure nature sounds and the occasional presence of a beautifully played acoustic guitar. There are four tracks on the CD – a short guided relaxation, a listening track, full guided relaxation and a beautiful Brahms’ Lullaby with nature sounds.
Likewise Water Baby (nature and nurture) is a beautiful, calming nature soundtrack – bubbling summer streams, ducks, frogs, insects and birds. During the recording mother and baby take a relaxing nature walk that will allow baby to discover sounds and bond with mummy. The CD also features the sound of a heartbeat that has been proven by several scientific studies to calm fretful babies.
Bedtime stories are also a great way to calm children at bedtime and send them off into a peaceful sleep.
Sleepy Time Tales: The Princess Who Wouldn’t Go To Sleep and To the Sunset are deep relaxation stories for bedtime for ages 3-9. Written and presented by Australian Noni Turner, who created the stories and guided relaxations as a way to soothe her children (and then her grandchildren) and make bedtime less stressful. The CDs begin with a story followed by guided meditation/relaxation, which helps the process of being eased into sleep become more familiar as the meditations are used. The children wind down to the familiar activity of listening to a bedtime story and then they are calm enough to engage with the relaxation activities. Noni Turner is a hypnotherapist and psychological astrologer based in Melbourne. Currently the CDs in the collection are about a little girl (something to bear in mind if you are looking for resources for older boys).

YogaPlay and Relaxation for Young Children is a CD and book that features movement and relaxation resource that uses stories, songs & games to increase children’s ability to focus and balance. The activities draw upon yoga, creative dance, qigong and tai chi – all known for their calming and health benefits. The CD is by Gary and Carol Crees, who are major players in early education resources with a focus on the wellbeing of kids through music and movement.

Hap Palmer is one of the greats of children’s music and movement and Sea Gulls is his relaxation CD – suitable for all ages (that means you too mum and dad!). Slow motion activities (stretching amongst others) and appropriately titled music tracks (summer rain, misty canyon, coming home and Sea Gulls among others) ensure a peaceful nap or bedtime.

The toddler years can be challenging but children aged 1-3 years are also a lot of fun. Toddlers love music and imaginative play and we have plenty of resources at Educational Esteem for you and your little ones to have fun and help them develop their sense of selves and the world around them!
Fun Activities for Toddlers has simple activity songs, physical fitness routines and creative movement exercises to delight kids while they develop listening, perceptual and motor skills. Developing these skills in the early years is crucial for a child’s development and this CD and guide has progressive activities to challenge two-year-olds right up to almost four-year-olds.
Teach a Toddler features playful songs for learning and is broken down into sections for 1-2 year olds 2-3 year olds. The great strength of this CD is that each track specifies skills and topic like “hello time”, “loosening up”, “rhythms” and “pretending and locomotion”.
Tots Preschool Music Class is aimed at 2-3 year olds and is a mainstay of music education in New Zealand preschools, where it has been a major success. As children progress through each session in the series they gather basic musical skills appropriate to their age. Presented by Radha Sahar, a popular music producer and composer in New Zealand, Tots Preschool Music Class features original songs that are developmentally appropriate and fun for adults to join in with too!
Wriggle and Jiggle takes tots on a music journey from the warm Caribbean Sea, a helicopter ride and right back to the adventures that wait at the bottom of the garden. Presented by the Kids Music Company – New Zealand duo Wendy Jensen and Janet Channon – the songs on Wriggle and Jiggle help a child to progress through essential learning stages while developing co-ordination, language and an understanding of the world around them. Jensen and Channon, who started Kids Music Company over 20 years ago, see the positive contribution music and movement makes to a young child’s growth and development. This album is an award winner and suitable for ages 2-6. Kids Music Company advocates the Orff style of teaching. This was developed by Carl Orff in the 1930s and incorporates melody, rhythm and movement to teach children. The method is well-established and respected around the world among music teachers and practitioners.
Another award-winning Kids Music Company title available from us is Teddy Jumps, which is aimed at the very young (0-4). These early years are recognised as being critical in a child’s development. The Teddy Jumps collection involves young children in bouncing, crawling, jumping, swinging, stamping, tickling, stretching, singing, playing instruments and relaxing for sleep.
Hap Palmer is a giant in the world of music and movement for children and the appropriately titled So Big has songs geared towards encouraging youngsters to move, sing and engage in make-believe. American Palmer has been a musician, composer, and singer for over 40 years and is widely regarded as a pioneer in the integration of music and movement for kids, so much so that he teaches early education teachers in this area. Each song on So Big is repeated in an instrumental version that encourages children to sing along to the song themselves. “Ten Wiggle Worms”, “Teddy Bear Playtime” and “Baby Chickie” are some of the fun and engaging songs that make this collection a must-have for fun time with your toddler.

It may just seem like all fun and games but there are also very important physical and cognitive benefits to play and structured activities. These types of activities are particularly good for children with special needs and also for group fun at daycare centres and preschools. Educational Esteem has an extensive range of great resources from Kimbo Educational – a family-run company that specialises in music and movement.

Ball Activity Fun is aimed at ages 3+ and has songs and games set around ball activities that will improve coordination. The excitement and fun of the ball games are sure to delight and engage kids and their caregivers who will appreciate the easy-to-follow guide included.

Bean Bag Rock ‘n’ Roll channels the great music from the 1950s and 1960s to create this fun resource for 3-9 year olds that promotes coordination, team work, following directions and spatial awareness. If you’ve got a set of bean bags and this CD you can groove and move to tunes like “Happy Days”, “Rock Around The Clock”, “See You Later Alligator” and “Blue Suede Shoes”.

Parachutes are a great, colourful way to encourage cooperation, promote social interaction and are an inclusive activity not dependant on ability. You can pick up a parachute from specialist education stores or teacher supplies websites.

A world of Parachute Play features activities for 4 to 8 year olds that improve skills and coordination. Parachute activities set to songs like “Hakuna Matata” “Macarena” and “Hava Nagila” also encourages teamwork and listening skills. A guide with lyrics and instructions is included. Shakin’ the Chute is all about fitness and imaginative play with a parachute and has routines set to fun and engaging music. The activities are ideal for circle time, arrival and departure activities or physical education classes.

Ribbons and Rhythms is a resource for movement activities that features diverse music like African, Reggae, Cha Cha and rap. Grab ribbons or scarves and twirl and whirl along to the routines that encourage movement, imaginative play and improved motor skills. Following on with the rhythmic theme, Lummi Sticks for Kids has 12 routines created specifically for children at the preschool and primary level. Lummi Sticks, also known as rhythm sticks are named after the Lummi Native American people and are incredibly popular instruments in schools. They are also lots and lots of fun! The routines on this CD develop fine and gross motor skills, increase listening skills and promote rhythmic awareness.

So get your rhythm sticks and parachutes ready for some serious fun and games.

It is widely acknowledged that music is an important part of a balanced education for children and can help improve numeracy and literacy. The simple and fun act of singing with your child will build language and early literacy skills

Also, the ability to feel, express and keep a steady beat (a consistent, repetitive pulse) is an important prerequisite for language development as it affects speech flow, attention span, motor skills and reading comprehension. There’s no better way to learn about a steady beat than through rhyme or song. Hap Palmer’s One Little Sound Fun with Phonics and Numbers is a fun, musical way for children to learn about phonics, reading, writing, and mathematics. Hap Palmer is a pioneer in the integration of early childhood music and movement. Palmer’s songs enhance the development of motor skills, language acquisition, reading readiness, and math concepts. Palmer has won a slew of awards for his music including the coveted Parents’ Choice Award and gongs from the American Library Association and the National Association of Parent Publications.

Another title from Hap Palmer is Two Little Sounds – original compositions and unique adaptations of traditional favourites like “Hickory, Dickory, Dock”, “Ten Monkeys in a Tree”, “How Many are Here?” and “Tall Tremendous Tens And Wee Wonderful Ones”. These songs stimulate learning through active involvement by encouraging children to listen, think, move, and sing. This CD is ideal for ages 4-9.

Leaping Literacy! (Rhythm Sticks, Ribbons and Games for Reading Readiness) is aimed at kids Aged 4-8 and uses rhythm and movement as tools to reinforce basic literacy foundations. Popular children’s singer, Don Monopoli sings the 16 tracks on this title.  Monopoli is part of the trio The Learning Station who has over 27 music CDs and a philosophy of “healthy music for a child’s heart, body and mind”.

Literacy in Motion (Music & Movement with the Learning Station) is a CD where your kids can dance along to songs based in children’s classic books like Where the Wild Things Are, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This CD has 20 interactive songs, dances and activities from the trio The Learning Station that are designed to motivate children to read and foster a lifelong love for reading.

Rockin’ Reading Readiness by Dr Pam Schiller and Ronno is aimed at inspiring children to learn literacy concepts from rocking’, energetic music. Skills covered on this title include oral language (sentence structure, vocabulary building, listening), phonological awareness (alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyming words), letter awareness and word families. Dr Schiller is expert in early childhood having been a childcare administrator, kindergarten teacher and Head of the Early Childhood Department at the University of Houston. Ronno, who teams up with Dr Schiller and sings the songs on this CD, is a Canadian-born and internationally renowned children’s performer.

Laugh ‘N Learn Silly Songs will have your children rolling with laughter while they sing and dance along with familiar and original tunes. This title is another from Dr Pam Schiller, who believes Laughter helps children with memory and alertness, which makes learning easier.  The CD also includes an accompanying guide to help parents, teachers and librarians use the music. The guide includes brain information, lyrics and activities for every song.

So, what are you waiting for? Check out our resources that combine words and numbers with music fun!

Food is an essential part of life and also a way to teach children about health and improve literacy.  There are the names and colours of fruit and vegetables and finding out where the food comes from, as well as providing a great topic for imaginative play. Research consistently links between child nutrition and the ability of children to realise their full potential so education about food is vital.
Food can equal fun too!

Ronno Smart Moves, Smart Foods Book and CD (Ages 3-9) is a multi-purpose resource full of songs and activities to teach kids about nutrition and encourage healthy habits and exercise. The CD is by Ronno, a Canadian-born and internationally renowned children’s performer and Liz Jones-Twomey (aka Miss J.T) and all the activities and songs are brain-based, following the belief that the body, brain and mind are deeply interconnected.  The set includes an 82-page companion teachers’ manual, which features guided-movement instructions and diagrams; creative nutrition and physical fitness activities and games; and nutrition song lyric sheets.

Food Groups Game for ages 5-plus has three association games where kids will learn where different foods come from, the major food groups and how they are important to everyday health. Additionally, games are powerful ways to improve your child’s concentration and decision-making skills.

Fruits, Vegetables and their Plants is another fun and educational game with a food focus. Preschoolers (aged 4-plus) can match fruits and vegetables to their respective plants.

Healthy Eating game is a fun-filled resource to teach preschoolers about nutrition and healthy eating by matching objects to their proper groups or creating a balanced meal. The game is part of the Fun with Science range and also requires players to burn off calories from physical activities.

Picnic Playground from the ever-popular Putumayo Kids range celebrates music, food and good times. This collection is a “feast” of international tunes about food, cooking and healthy eating including “Eat Like a Rainbow (from American artist Jay Mankita), the Caribbean-flavoured “Ice Cream” (Asheba), “Beautiful Day” (by South Africa’s Kheswa) and “Let’s Bake Cookies” (from Canadian artist Maggie G). Picnic Playground is a joyous CD that will get the family dancing (it’s a great one to play while cooking with your kids in the kitchen).

Dancing in the Kitchen by renowned children’s artist Franciscus Henri has songs about food and cooking. The ARIA-nominated album has been a favourite since its release in 1991 and kids will move to the culinary grooves of 30 tracks including “mix a pancake”, “pizza song” and “flim flam”. This CD is a sure-fire way to get kids having fun in the kitchen (hopefully while they are helping mum or dad cook!).

On Top Of Spaghetti from ABC Kids is all about food! This collection has favourite food-themes tunes like “Food Glorious Food”, “Jelly on a Plate”, “Spaghetti Bolognaise” and “Animal Crackers In My Soup”. The songs span the generations and guarantee lively sing-alongs in the kitchen or car.

Play School Munch and Crunch DVD is a fun offering from the television show beloved by parents and children alike. The Play School presenters (including Alex Papps, Jay Laga’aia, Abi Tucker, Rhys Muldoon and Georgie Parker) and favourite toys like Big Ted, Jemima and Humpty Dumpty share the fun of making delicious healthy food and exploring food-themed activities like exploring a worm farm, making corn husk dolls and playing shop.