Gumnut wreaths – craft for kids
Red and gold glitter on gumnuts and gum leaves – a beautiful Christmas display!
I just had to share this craft idea! Being so Australian I thought it would fit beautifully on this site, too!
I helped at my children’s kinder the other day and all the children were busily making some Christmas wreaths, and loving it. I was impressed with the great results but also that they were so very Aussie, well within the children’s abilities and also so much fun to make.
Although be warned if you try this at home because it took me ages to vacuum up all the glitter afterwards!
Making gumnut wreaths
I didn’t see this bit, but the kids were given cardboard rings which they stuck together, with a loop of ribbon sticking out one end. I think they are double to be stronger, and it makes attaching the ribbon neater.
They painted this double ring green and left it to dry.
I then was there to watch them stick on gum nuts of various sizes, along with gum leaves and even sticks if they wished.
They also had some red felt leaves (which does add colour on the green background) but I think I prefer just the gumnuts, leaves and glitter – or is that just me?
Once they were happy with their arrangement, they sprinkled glitter over the top – first letting it stick to the excess glue already on the wreaths, then adding dobs of glue where they felt more glitter was needed.
Some of the gumnut wreaths made by kinder children – aren’t they beautiful?
As they dried, I got some photos – I think they are beautiful Christmas wreathes, don’t you?
Once they come home from kinder, there will be one hanging with pride on our front door!
Online, Australian Advent Calendar
I just came across an advent calendar on an Australian site so I thought I’d share it because it’s such a good idea!
They share gift tags, colouring pages and so on day by day to keep little people occupied in the build up to Santa’s arrival.
Today’s item isn’t ready yet, but there are some cute images on day 2 and gift tags on day 6.
Another Aussie version of jingle bells
Damien added an Aussie version of Jingle Bells last week, but I know another one so I thought I’d give it to you as well!
Jingle Bells
Dashing to the beach
With my boogie board and towel
Look at all the waves
Hear the surfers yell, YEE HAA
Put your sunscreen on
Don’t forget your hat
Because you will get sunburnt
If you don’t remember that
Chorus
Summer time, Christmas time
Mosquitoes, bindies
BBQ’s, sausages
Tomato sauces and flies
Jump into the pool
With your flippers on
Watch the dog catch flies
Sing a Christmas song
Christmas in Australia
Is very, very hot
So snow and sleighs and jingle bells
Is what we have not got
Chorus x2
12 Aussie days of Christmas
I know someone else posted about the 12 days of Christmas, but I heard a different version today at school so I thought I’d try and remember it for you.
My true love brought to me…
one lyrebird in a gum tree
two beach umbrellas
three splashing swimmers
four …
five banana chairs
six …
seven …
eight crazy chickens
nine…
ten…
eleven pairs of thongs
twelve …
Ok, so there’s a lot I forgot so I’ll see if I can get the rest to fill in the gaps!
Jingle Bells – Aussie style!
Here is another carol that’s been Aussiefied!
Dashing through the bush
In a rusty Holden Ute
Kicking up the dust
Esky in the boot
Kelpie by my side
Singing Christmas songs
It’s summer time and I am in
My singlet, shorts & thongs
Chorus:
oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
jingle all the way
Christmas in Australia
on a scorching summer’s day
jingle bells, jingle bells
Christmas time is beaut
oh what fun it is to ride
in a rusty Holden ute
Engine’s getting hot
Dodge the kangaroos
Swaggy climbs aboard
He is welcome too
All the family is there
Sitting by the pool
Christmas day, the Aussie way
By the barbecue!
Chorus
Come the afternoon
Grandpa has a doze
The kids and uncle Bruce
Are swimming in their clothes
The time comes round to go
We take a family snap
Then pack the car and all shoot through
Before the washing up
Chorus
Christmas Lights in ACT
There is a lot of fun and delight to be had from Christmas lights, for the young and the young at heart! Some homes have lights in their tree, some have just a few lights visible to the world, but there is a growing number of homes (and businesses) that make a display every Christmas for many people to enjoy.
Next year, when you are thinking about where to go for some Christmas magic, try some of the magnificent light displays across the Australian Capital Territory.
Sharing…
Share the light displays you know of – give an address or directions to find the displays so other people can enjoy those lights, too.
Rank the displays as follows:
4 Santas – spectacular displays that are an event in themselves
3 Santas – displays that are worth taking a detour to on your way home
2 Santas – displays that locals should know about for choosing the best route home
1 Santa – nice displays that perhaps aren’t worth travelling to, but are enjoyable just the same
Kids love Santa letters
An article in The Australian newspaper today reported that despite messages to Santa being available via email, sms, etc, children still prefer to send Santa an old fashioned snailmail letter like we all remember doing.
Apparently, 6 million letters were sent to Santa in 2006 (glad the postal workers have been counting as Santa and th elves were too busy reading to count!) and that is likely to be less than this year’s total.
The Universal Postal Union represents 191 countries and has over 5 million people helping deliver letters and cards to and from Santa each year!
An Aussie Christmas
I think my childhood Christmases were pretty Australian.
We spent the day at my Uncle’s house every Christmas. They lived right on the beach so in between food and presents, we’d spend the day on the beach – mostly I remember playing cricket for hours on end.
It was hot, sunny and great fun!
Regardless, we had the traditional roast meal – lamb, pork and turkey I think were there most years, with loads of veggies, followed by Christmas pudding and custard and/or cream.
Present time was a bit mad, but it was controlled enough that we all watched what everyone got before the next presents were handed out – made it more fun to prolong the pleasure and enjoy everyone’s happiness at their gifts.
The day was loud and seemed to last forever, and we hated going home afterwards.
White boomers
Six white boomers, snow white boomers,
racing Santa Claus through the blazing sun…
(from Six White Boomers by R Harris & J Brown)
So what is a white boomer? It is a large, male Kangaroo that has white fur. When they move fast across the dry sands of Australia, they make a booming noise so they earned the name boomers. Most boomers are not white by the way 🙂
In Australia, Christmas Eve can be hot – and it certainly isn’t cold and snowy. Santa’s poor reindeer would find it very hard to pull a sleigh across the Australian skies so he gives them a rest while six large boomers pull the sleigh instead. The boomers can’t fly normally, but with Santa’s magic, anything is possible.
Rolf Harris made this story famous in the 1960s by releasing his version of six white boomers. You can see the lyrics on the all down under website* (it would be a copyright infringement if we copied the words here!) and find out the boomers’ names here.
If you are creative, you may like the instructions on painting some white boomers of your own. Or grab our boomer colouring in page before ordering a Love Santa letter.
* We used to link to the song composer’s personal site for the lyrics, but it has disappeared now.
Aussie 12 Days of Christmas
We all know the 12 Days of Christmas, I was doing a Google search & came across the lyrics to the Aussie 12 Days of Christmas. As you obviously love Australia with your Aussie letters, I thought you might enjoy it 🙂
