Mon, Aug 4, 1980
aka ep164.1 Noni and John are cutting out pictures from old magazines. They make a picture book (later used in the story) pasting magazines pictures of the country and animals onto paper; including a frog. John sings 'Mr Frog', and 'Jump' for Kangaroo actions. After calendar song of the week 'Country Song' with galloping actions. The clock is 7 o'clock. The story is told with cutout Kangaroo stick puppet and scarp book. John sings with actions 'I went for a walk in the bush'. The toys go for a ride in a car of boxes, chairs and paper plates. Jemima has a home made 'travel' play bag with things to do in the car. Noni and John sing 'Take You Riding' with a 'where am I' guessing game. Through the windows is driving in the country. John sings about the animals in the country with 'Old MacDonald had a Farm'. Noni joins him.
Tue, Aug 12, 1980
Noni and John make Play School look like the country. Noni makes a tractor for Farmer Ted and sings 'Down on the Farm' for participation. John uses an old broom and hat to make a Jemima 'scarecrow' and sings 'Dingle Dangle'. Jackeroo Humpty and Jilleroo Hamble are dressed for work in the country and sing 'Country Song'. The clock is half past seven. The story is 'Mr McPherson's Hat'. Noni does actions mime for eating like a goat, eating a giant ice-cream, and eating like an elephant. There is a game putting together pictures of animals. Noni sings 'Giddiap' with lots of actions. Through the windows people are cycling home from school. 'I'm riding on my bike' is sung with actions. Program ends with an 'I spy' game using the toys ending with Jemima 'scarecrow', and they sing 'Dingle Dangle'.
Wed, Aug 6, 1980
OUTSIDE BROADCAST from country property. aka ep164.3 Benita and Alister visit a property in the country. Alister helps with the milking. The children Robbie and Becka help Benita feed the pigs. We see hens and eggs, and Alister feeds the fowls and collects the eggs. Benita helps in the vegetable garden making a 'scarecrow' line, and Alister and Robbie dig in the garden singing 'Do You Plant Your Cabbages?'. In the house, Marg and Benita show us how the cream is skimmed off the milk and beaten into butter. After the butter is washed Alister and the children make butter balls. There is fresh baked bread to butter and eat before a sing-song around the piano.
Thu, Aug 7, 1980
aka ep164.4 Noni and John mix dirty water to make mud. They sing 'Muck'. Through the windows children are playing with mud. John invites participation with sliding and sloshing action. Noni makes mud pies and cakes singing 'Pat-a-Cake', then they have a tea party with the toys. They wash up the dirty plates singing 'This is the Way'. The clock reads 10 o'clock. The story is 'Desmond the Pig'. Noni sings with mud-wallowing actions 'If I were a Little Pig'. John shows how to make an apple pig adding cheese and banana with toothpicks. 'This Little Pig Went to Market' is sung with toes and fingers. Through the windows a family is going to a country shop. John sings the 'Country Song'. Using a tape recorder, Noni identifies animals sounds: horse, pig, and sheep. John invites animal actions and sound making , singing 'Can you' before goodbyes.
Fri, Aug 8, 1980
OUTSIDE BROADCAST from country property aka ep164.5 Benita spends a day on a property shearing sheep. The family round up the sheep into the yards. Alister catches a sheep for a close look. We see the dogs working the sheep through the yards to the shearing shed. Benita chants a finger play 'Five Woolly Lambs'. In the shed Alister watches the shearing and attempting to 'throw' a fleece onto the wool table, we see sheep go down the chutes to underneath the shed. Benita watches the sheep come out of the shed and into the paddocks and sings 'Baa Baa Black Sheep'. There is 'team time' in the shearing shed then Alister and five year old Robbie make a cubby house in the paddocks near the house. Benita invites audience to play an 'I Spy' game using the farm animals, Alister leads a pony for the two children singing 'Giddiap'. Then the family and presenters say goodbye.
Mon, Aug 11, 1980
aka ep165.1 Jan and Alister have created a river environment - the sandtray a garbage bag forms the river base and a 'finger puppet' farmer goes for a row in a foil pie dish boat and Jan rows and sings 'Row, row, row your boat'. Through the windows is the Murray River and a paddle steamer. Alister picks up wheel action and sings 'Round and Round'. Jan makes a butter container paddle steamer with yoghurt lid wheels and puts it in the river in the sandtray. Alister floods the river with a watering can. The animals and farmer flee to higher ground. He sings 'I hear Thunder'. The clock shows 1 o'clock. The story is 'The Drought'. After Alister sings 'Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree'. Jan plays a reflection game with animal cutouts and a bowl of water. Alister sings 'What Do You Think My Name is?' with animal mimes. Through the windows are river animals. Jan and Alister sing 'All the Fish are Swimming in the Water'.
Tue, Aug 12, 1980
Noni and Alister dress as Jilleroo and Jackeroo ready for work in the country and they sing 'The Country Song' and gallop around mustering 'cattle'. Through the windows camels are mustered by a motor bike. Noni musters 'camels' on a bike singing 'Motorbike Song'. Alister gallops in and lassos buckeroo. The story is 'Cranky the Camel'. Noni does a camel walk, singing 'The Camel Song'. Alister uses cushions to make a camel lump on his back and takes the toys for a ride. Noni looks at a dingo photograph. Through the windows are animals in dry outback Australia. Noni sings 'Do You Know What I Am'.
Wed, Aug 13, 1980
aka ep165.3 Noni and Alister have a picture of a rainforest with tree ferns and a waterfall. Glitter is sprinkled on for rain. There are animals in the rainforest including water snake, possums, tortoise and spider. Alister sings 'Eency Weency Spider'. Through the windows animals are seen in a rainforest. Alister looks at a tortoise and Noni moves like one. The clock says three thirty. The story is 'The Hare and the Tortoise'. Noni hops and sings 'The Hare'. Alister does a finger painting of hares and tortoises and uses a fern to 'paint' rainforest trees. Noni sings with actions 'Have you ever climbed a tree'. Through the windows is a walk through a rainforest. Alister goes for an 'I Spy' walk sings 'I went for a walk in the bush one day'. Noni joins him for goodbye.
Thu, Aug 14, 1980
aka ep165.4 Noni and Alister conjure up forms of transport in the country. Noni sets up a country shop, using bags, empty milk cartons, cardboard boxes and lots of newspapers. Alister brings in customers, Jemima who lives a long way out of town flies in, Big Ted comes in a truck and Humpty on a horse. They do their shopping. ALister gallops Humpty to his property and then gallops and sings 'Giddiap'. Through the windows there is the loading of cattle on to a truck. Noni sings with actions 'Squeaky Old Truck'. The clock shows 9 o'clock. The story is 'The Possum who lived in the roof'. Noni invites child to climb singing 'Have You Ever Climbed a Tree'. We see a picture of a cattle property and some of the animals. Alister sings 'Do you know what I am'. Through the windows is the Flying Doctor service. Noni invites child to sing 'zoom' with her then she flies in to help on 'injured' Humpty who has fallen off his horse.
Fri, Aug 15, 1980
Noni and Alister make outback sheep station in the sandtray using twig bushes, a paddlepop windmill, a bowl dam, egg carton with cotton wool 'sheep'. Noni sings the 'Windmill Song' with actions. Alister experiments with water (coloured) using plastic hose and a pump then fills the sandtray 'dam' with water and Noni uses the pump like windmill to pump water into the soap container 'water troughs' for the animals. She sings with finger actions 'Kangaroo Brown'. Through the windows is a Kangaroo dance. Alister picks up dance actions from film inviting child to join in. Noni shows us how to make footprints in wet sand and Alister does 'Mr Funny Feet'. The clock reads 5 o'clock. The story is 'The Emu Chase'. Alister moves like an emu then sings 'Do you know what I am'. Through the windows again rain comes to the dry centre of Australia. Noni sings 'Rain Song' and Alister joins her for goodbyes.
Mon, Dec 15, 1980
aka ep168.1 Noni and Mervyn create a block of flats out of cardboard boxes, a folded cardboard strip serves as stairs. Mervyn marches and sings 'Bananas in Pyjamas'. After calendar Mervyn shows us pictures of flats. A shoebox is made into a lift for the toys and Noni sings 'We're Going Up' with actions. Clock is 2:00. Story is 'The Lost Aeroplane'. Mervyn sings 'Up in the Air' zooming around as a plane. Looking at the top of objects, Noni plays a guessing game. The last object is a ball, Mervyn picks up the action and sings 'See, how I'm Jumping'. Through the windows children are playing in playgrounds in a high rise flat area. After film activities with action song 'Jim along Josie'.
Tue, Dec 16, 1980
aka ep168.2 Noni and Mervyn are at the windows dressing up in snow clothes with scarves, jumpers, snow boots, beanies. On the calendar are pictures of snow over recital of poem. Through the windows a snow cat is followed through mountain village revealing people at work and play. 'A Squeaky Old Truck' becomes a rumbling snow cat rolling over snow as Mervyn does actions of snow cat for participation. Noni moves Big Ted in a cardboard box snow cat over the mountain. An old lounge chair and a sheet become a snowy mountain with broom trees. Mervyn creates snow with cut up paper and sings 'Bend With The Wind'. Big Ted has cardboard skis and Hamble has a cardboard box skido, while Humpty 'falls' down the mountain. 'This is the Way' is sung by Mervyn with actions - rubbing hands, shaking body, stamping feet. Clock is 3.30. The story is 'Caps for Sale'. Mervyn mimes putting on and balancing lots of caps. Through the windows a father is taking his children for a walk in the snow. Mervyn and Noni pick up actions from film (walking, sweeping, digging in the snow) singing 'Everybody Do This'.
Wed, Dec 17, 1980
Aka 168.3 ep#688 Benita and Tyler are cleaning the pets' homes. Benita sings 'Two Little Dicky-birds'. The visitor is a duck. Benita sings 'I'm a Quacker, I'm a Squaker'. The book 'The Story about Ping' by Marjorie Flack, is read. Benita sings 'Five Little Ducks'. Tyler makes ducks out of match boxes and pipe cleaners. Benita sings 'Follow Me to Waddling Land', and Tyler follows. Through the windows there are people living on a houseboat. Tyler sings 'Row, row, row your boat'. The presenters play a houseboat game with the toys. They sing 'One, Two, Three, Four, Five'.
Thu, Dec 18, 1980
aka ep168.4 Noni and Don use the water tray to make the sea. They have a rocky island and a harbour. Noni uses plastic vegetable boxes to make a container ship with smaller plastic 'containers'. Noni sings 'The Big Ship Sails Through the Alley, Alley O'. Don mimes being a crane. Noni rows Humpty to his island. She sings 'Row Row Row Your Boat'. Jemima's island has a farm. Cow is sent from Jemima's island to Humpty's in a bucket tied on to a rope. Clock is at 1 o'clock. The story is 'The Surprise' about a visit to an island. Noni jumps like a kangaroo, then Don sings 'Boats'. Calendar and a look at pictures of a light house. A hand action is used by Noni to create the 'light' as she sings the 'Lighthouse Song'. Through the windows are people who look after a lighthouse. After film 'This is the way' is sung with actions (cleaning the light, sweeping, climbing steps). Thn Noni is a lighthouse, and Don some of the many things that pass by including an ocean liner and a sailboat. Noni and Don add a sailboat to the water tray. They suggest child might make boats and float them in bath or paddle pool.
Fri, Dec 19, 1980
aka ep168.5 Benita and Philip make furniture for a dolls' house using cotton reels, bottle tops and play-dough. They play a game miming activities appropriate to different rooms in a house. They make cheese pastry biscuits in various shapes and Philip mimes being a dough ball being rolled out. He then sings 'Here's a house with a wall'. The story is 'We Were Tired of Living in a House'. Philip sings 'Mr Frog', 'Hairy Bear' and 'Fly fly fly if you feel you want to'. Through the windows kindergarten children play in a tree house. Benita and Philip make a tree-house for the bears and climb them up to it. They raise their cooked cheese biscuits up to the tree house.
Mon, Jul 6, 1981
aka ep169.1 Benita and Alister are spinning with hula hoops. They sing as they spin. Alister and several of the toys then try to jump through the hole in the hoop. Poem of the week is illustrated with items that emphasises the 'holes' theme e.g. a sock with a hole and a shoe with a hole in the sole. Benita tears holes in paper to make patterns and makes a paper dress for Jemima. Benita then mimes putting on various items of clothing. She ends with gumboots and stomps about. Clock shows 2 o'clock. Story is 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' by Eric Carle. Benita does butterfly and caterpillar movements with her hands. Alister recaps part of the poem of the week which leads into the action song, 'I'm a Little Teapot'. Film shows milk bottles in a factory being cleaned and refilled with with milk. After the film Benita and Alister mime the movements of the milk bottles on conveyor belt. Benita delivers milk to the toys and Alister, singing 'Heigh Ho' as she goes.
Tue, Jul 7, 1981
aka ep169.2 Jan and Don are making a wall out of cardboard boxes. Don, behind the wall, makes a hole for a window and Jan puts a tea towel curtain over the window. They sing "Who's that Tapping". Don forms his fingers into another window and sings "See My Fingers" with actions. The poem of the week is followed by a look at the items on calendar with holes in them - including a key hole and a plug hole. Jan has 'going out' clothes. She looks through the window to check weather. don as the weather is raining. Jan puts on raincoat and gumboots. Don sings action song "I Hear Thunder". Clock shows 6 o'clock. The story is 'Herbert Humpletoff's Party' about a tailor who has nothing to wear to a fancy dress party...he sews together the good sides of some holey pyjamas and goes as a clown. Action song "Punchinello" follows the story with clown tricks. Jan makes a clown doll out of material scraps and macaroni. There is a reprise of "Punchinello". Film shows a school fete with various stalls and games. Don fishes and catches sea creatures and sings "How Does a Little Fish Go". Then they put their heads through holes in large sheets of paper on which are painted cat, clown and Humpty bodies. They sing "Humpty Dumpty".
Wed, Jul 8, 1981
aka ep169.3 Benita and Alister use car tyres as swings and try different ways of swinging. They sing 'The daring young man on the flying trapeze'. Henrietta, one of the Play School mice, goes round in her mouse wheel. Alister says the action poem 'A Mouse Lived in a Little Hole'. The Poem of the Week is followed by a look at head holes i.e. ears, mouth, nose. Benita looks at caterpillars and the holes they've eaten on leaves then makes her hand into a caterpillar and sings 'How Does a Caterpillar Go?'. Clock shows 2 o'clock. The story 'Here's a House' is told with with sock puppets and a megaphone. Alister sings action song 'Mr Frog'. Using wooden animals, Benita finds out where frog, snake, lizard and possum live. Alister sings action song 'The Lizard'. Through the windows are Australian animals and their homes. Alister makes his fingers into running ant. The toys and tyres are used for a Jack-in-a-box. Alister and Benita do 'Jack-in-the-box' song together.
Thu, Jul 9, 1981
aka ep169.4 Alister and Colin use a simple insert puzzle of a house. This is followed by the action game 'Build the House Up Very High'. After calendar, poem of the week. Alister mimes digging a hole with a pneumatic drill. He is joined by Colin and they sing 'Hole in the Road'. Clock shows 4 o'clock. Story is 'Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel'. Colin mimes being a big shovel and 'digs' a big hole to build a house. He sings 'Building up my House'. He then becomes a house and Alister enters and inspects 'house' with Little Ted. Little Ted climbs stairs then Colin climbs his fingers over his body. Alister then adds pets and a flower garden to Colin's 'house'. Through the windows are bees and blossoms. We see a honeycomb with the holes full of honey and sing hand action song 'Here is the Beehive' and 'What Do You Suppose'. Alister and Colin spread honey.
Fri, Jul 10, 1981
aka ep169.5 Don and Colin use plastic bottles and tubing in an experiment which shows how water flows from high to lower levels. After going through three bottles, the water turns a wheel which makes a bell ring. After calendar, poem of the week. Don plants lettuce in a tray of earth and shows how a carrot top will grow in a saucer of water and how onions and potatoes will grow, suspended over a jar of water. Colin does a digging mime. The activity song 'Do You Plant Your Cabbages' is sung using nose, elbow, tummy and feet. Clock shows 3 o'clock. The story is 'Such a Useful Elephant', about an elephant in a zoo who takes the rose from a watering can. Colin mimes an elephant walking, sings 'The Elephant'. He waters the plants and showers himself. Don sprays paint from a detergent bottle. He tears holes in paper to make smiley face and sings 'Smile'. He places smiley face on paper and sprays paint through holes, lifting it off to reveal smiley painted face. Film is Car Spray Paint shows stages car go through when they are panel beaten and spray painted. A car is made out of a large cardboard carton. Colin sings 'Take You Riding'. Don enters and using detergent bottles, they spray paint the car. They sing 'Take You Riding' again with various car noises.
Mon, May 4, 1981
aka ep170.1 Jan and John finish the cat pictures around the calendar. We see an animation of a black cat and Jan sings 'The Black Cat' and mimes being a cat. John has made a large cardboard box cat with things from the Useful Box (tissues, newspaper scraps, glue, masking tape etc.) He finishes straw 'whiskers'. Jan enters and they say 'Rat-a-Tat-Tat'. A film then shows lots of real cats and kittens. John moves like a cat. The story is 'Buffy Visits the Vet'. John sings 'If You're Happy and You Know It' as a happy dog. Jan is a vet and she bandages Fido. John sings 'I Feel Sick'. The second film shows dolls being repaired at a Doll's Hospital. Jan sings 'Open Shut Them'. Hamble is sick and Jan and John sing 'Miss Polly'.
Tue, May 5, 1981
Lyn and John play a game matching drawings of animal bodies to their tails. They sing 'The Little Mouse Goes...'. At the end of the game Lyn sings 'If I Were a Little Pig'. John inspects the tails of various Play School toys including Slush and Diddle, who swishes her tail in anger. Lyn sings 'I'm Cross'. The story is 'The Teddy Who Wanted a Tail' starring Little Ted. John dresses up as a black cat complete with a tail made from a panty hose stuffed with newspaper. The Black Cat animation follows and Lyn mimes being a cat. The film shows animal tails and John sings 'The Monkey' as we watch monkeys swing by their tails. Lyn makes a panty hose monkey tail. John enters as Cat. They sing 'Anything You Can Do'.
Wed, May 6, 1981
aka ep170.3 John tells the story of an old woman looking for firewood as he draws a picture of a cat (from the Useful Book). Lyn draws a cat in the air - a spotty cat. Lyn sings 'The Spot Song'. John shows some cat drawings that people have sent to Play School. The Black Cat animation is followed by a cat mime. There are real cats and kittens in Play School. John looks closely at them, pointing out their whiskers and paws, etc. he sings 'Warm Kitty, Soft Kitty'. Lyn brings food for the cats and kittens and she and John sing 'I Had a Cat'. The story is 'John Brown, Rose, and the Midnight Cat'. John sings 'There's a Word For It' a song giving the names of different baby animals. Hamble is a baby who Lyn feeds as she sings 'I'm Hungry'. The film shows a baby in a high chair eating a banana. John sings 'Here's a Ball For Baby' and Lyn makes a simple toy for the cats from a bit of newspaper and string.
Thu, May 7, 1981
aka ep170.4 Benita and John make a cat mobile using black cardboard cut-outs, a coathanger and string. John sings 'The Black Cat' while we look at the Black Cat animation. Benita mimes being a black cat. John dresses as a witch with a newspaper witches' hat. Diddle the Cat is his helper. He mixes up a 'Magic Stew' and uses it to make spells on the toys. Benita, also a witch, enters on a broomstick and takes Diddle flying. Benita and John then use the broomstick to do a limbo dance. The broomstick becomes a horse as John 'gallops' and 'trots' and sings 'Gee Up Neddy'. Benita adds a cardboard witch on a twig broomstick to the cat mobile. She sings 'Five Old Witches'. The story is 'Meg's Car'. Benita is a flying car that vrooms about. She sings 'Zoom' then loses her balance and 'crashes'. John has a wobbly cat made from a large plastic soft drink bottle with a rounded bottom. He is pushing dough into the bottle to 'balance' the cat. He sings 'You Can Stamp Your Feet'. The film shows a family bike riding in a park. Benita and John sing 'Round and Round' as they pedal.
Fri, May 8, 1981
aka ep170.5 Lyn and Don are foot painting. Lyn makes footprints and toeprints. Don washes his feet and sings 'Jump, Jump, Jump'. Lyn looks at the footprints that some animals make (horse, seagull and cat). Don has traced the outline of his hand and draws on his finger nails. He sings 'One Day a Hand Went Walking'. Then he traces round a shell and a button. The story is 'Red Button'. Don sings 'The Spot Song'. Lyn and Don look for camouflaged animals in a jungle collage made from scraps of material. Don and Lyn say the poem 'Walking in the Jungle'. They mime being a monkey, a tiger and a giraffe. The film shows animals in camouflaged surroundings. Lyn is 'a lion' as she sings 'The Lion Stalks'. Don looks at pictures of animals and their claws. Lyn sings 'The Black Cat' over the Black Cat animation.
Mon, May 11, 1981
aka ep171.1 Lyn and Don are making things from items found in the Useful Box. Don, using a cake box on a string and packing material for 'hair', makes a bouncy 'Hairy Ug'. Lyn turns a plastic detergent bottle into 'the little girl who had a curl'. Calendar surround has various sorts of hair-dos. The poem of the week is sung by Lyn over an animation. Lyn pulls faces - inviting participation from the viewer, and sings 'Open, Shut Them'. Don tells the story, 'The Hair Book' which features all kinds of hair. He sings 'This is the Way We Comb Our Hair'. We play a guessing game using pictures of hairy animals. Lyn sings 'Giddiap', then asks if the viewer brushes their own hair. Don mentions that he has to do something else each morning - shave. He mimes shaving. Through the windows we see a man shaving. After film, Lyn invites participation in a shaving activity, and sings 'Soap Your Hairy Face' (to tune: 'Farmer In the Dell').
Tue, May 12, 1981
aka ep171.2 Lyn and Don are making a face using a felt oval, and cardboard moustache, hair mouth etc. Both sing the 'Hair Song'. Song of the week is sung over the animation by Don. Lyn changes the felt face from a girl to a bearded bald man, then changes the expression. Don sings 'Changes'. Lyn changes Jemima by adding a wig, and sings 'I'm Goldilocks'. Jemima is to be Goldilocks in the story of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'. The story is sung, Big Ted being Father Bear, Little Ted is Mother Bear and Littlest Ted is Baby Bear. Don becomes a bear walking, and sings 'I Know a Hairy Bear'. Lyn dresses Little Ted as a scarecrow. She sings 'When All the Cows were Sleeping'. Don sings 'When All the Cows Were Sleeping', and invites participation in arm shaking and foot shaking. Lyn introduces the film, which features a little girl getting ready for a party. Lyn sings 'This is the Way We Twist Our Hair'. The toys are having a party, while Don and Lyn play a game guessing which character each toy is dressed up as.
Wed, May 13, 1981
aka ep171.3 OUTSIDE BROADCAST at TARONGA ZOO, Sydney. Jan, Elaine and Don look at various animals, e.g. giraffe, the hippopotamus, chimpanzees, the elephant and the spider monkeys. Some animals are kept at the zoo for school children to touch and the presenters look at these with the zoo's education officer. They tell a story about a fly's adventures at a zoo. Don helps a keeper feed the lions, and Elaine the seals. Jan shows the zoo's Animal Nursery where sick and baby animals are kept. Finally the presenters look at the animals in the zoo's Friendship Farm.
Thu, May 14, 1981
aka ep171.4 Lyn and Don make a 'dingly dangly jumping matchbox man' with elastic, a matchbox and tape. (It may jump better with dough or plasticine in the matchbox). They jump to the verse, 'Jumping Jeremiah'. Lyn gives the man wool hair, and sings 'There was a Little Girl'. The story is about a person visiting a country where they don't understand the language, who has to resort to mime - with amusing results. Lyn and Don sing 'Shake Yourself' then Don shows pictures of the Italian city of Venice and sings 'Row Row Row'. On film we see someone at home making spaghetti (flour, salt, eggs, and water in haphazard proportions) with a spaghetti machine. After a movement song about spaghetti we see Don pressing dough through a garlic crusher to make spaghetti - like hair on a dough face. Lyn dresses as a hairy monster and is joined by Don to do a 'monster flop'.
Fri, May 15, 1981
aka ep171.5 Jan and Don are curling hair - Jan has been curling her own hair, while Don puts curlers in a wig. After the Song of the Week, Jan brushes out her hair singing 'Brush Brush Brush'. Jan shows photographs of herself with different hairstyles and lengths, including one when she was a school girl. They sing 'When I Was a Schoolgirl/Big Girl/Baby', and Don photographs Jan pretending to be a baby. Don uses all sorts of hair accessories to make-up a story about a press photographer who tries to broach a well-defended castle to photograph the princess. Jan pretends to take the viewer's photograph and she and Don sing 'You Can Stamp Your Feet'. Jan paints a picture of the toys, then Don looks at a collection of brushes. The film shows children grooming their ponies and riding them at a Pony Club meeting. Jan and Don sing 'Giddiap Horsey' and finally look to see whether the curlers, placed in the wig had any effect.
Mon, Aug 3, 1981
aka ep172.1 Jan and Don look at different ways to do up clothes. Don has a 'whizzer' made with a button and string. He shows how it works and Jan whirls around like the whizzer. They play a game throwing buttons into an egg carton. Song of the week is 'Buttons and Bows' sung with clapping. Story is 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit' by Beatrix Potter. Don sings 'Dingle Dangle Scarecrow' with actions to scare away the rabbits. A glove is made into a rabbit puppet with button eyes and straw whiskers. Jan animates puppet to poem 'There Once Was a Rabbit'. Both sing with actions 'Little Peter Rabbit'. Through the windows children in an after-school class act out 'Little Red Riding Hood' with puppets. Don sings with actions 'Little Cottage'.
Tue, Aug 4, 1981
aka ep172.2 Jan and Don dress the toys showing different ways to do up clothes. Song of the week 'Buttons and Bows'. Jan dresses up in a Japanese kimono and sandals. Jan shows us how Japanese women walk. Don invites child to mime walking in different shoes - running shoes, gum-boots, Japanese sandals, high heels. The story is 'The Kite' about Japanese children flying their kites. Don sings 'Skipping Game' song with actions. Don and Jan make a simple kite with a painting, two bits of wood and string. The child is invited to zoom around like a kite. Through the windows and Peter Travis and school children fly spectacular kites. Jan picks up the action of the swooping kites and their ribbon tails. A ribbon stick is made with a piece of wood and ribbons and a plastic jar full of buttons makes a musical shaker. This is used by the presenters to lead a march, 'Everybody Marching'.
Wed, Aug 5, 1981
aka ep172.3 Jan hammers some nails into a wooden frame. John sings along with Jan's hammering 'Johnny Works With One Hammer'. Jan winds string around the nails on the frame. Using raw wool they weave a picture (ribbons or paper can be used instead) as they sing 'Baa Baa Black Sheep'. A black sheep and her new baby, black lamb, are visitors in Play School. Jan looks at their wool while singing 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' (to them). Song of the week 'Buttons and Bows'. The story is 'The Red Button Story' told with simple button pictures. John walks to 'I Can Walk as Fast as You' in preparation for a clothes race, first with Jan using real clothes and then with the child in mime. Through the windows a father dresses the baby as the brother watches. The mother breastfeeds and they all go for a walk - the baby rocking to sleep in a papoose. Jan sings 'Rock-A-Bye Baby' before the presenters say goodbye to the sheep and lamb and the child. The sheep and lamb were from Golden Ridge Stud Farm.
Thu, Aug 6, 1981
aka ep172.4 Jan and John use buttons and old bits of material and ribbons and a broken zipper to make a picture. Song of the Week is sung. Jan makes a tree on the picture into an apple tree while they sing 'Once There Was an Apple Tree'. A material car is made with buttons for wheels. Both presenters go for a ride, singing 'Take You Riding'. John acts out the story of 'Tiny Thomas', who is going on a holiday. As he doesn't have a suitcase he has to wear all his clothes - even to bed. Jan sings, with grooming actions, 'I Jump Out of Bed In The Morning'. We look at pictures of animals grooming themselves, ends with a mime of a cat cleaning itself. Through the windows cows are being judged and be-ribboned at the Sydney Easter Show. Jan sings 'I Went For a Walk At the Show', looking at the animals. Play School has a show with the Play School toys receiving ribbon prizes. Jan adds some material animals to their picture turning it into a farm picture.
Fri, Aug 7, 1981
aka ep172.5 Jan and John draw outlines of their feet. They later cut these out, add buttons, bows and wool to make puppets. John says 'This Little Pig Went to Market'. 'One Day a Hand Went Walking' is sung with puppets and as a finger play. Cut-out foot puppet becomes a clown introducing action song - 'Ha Ha This A-way'. The story is 'Wait For Williams'. Action song 'The Circus' gives opportunity for marching, elephants, horses and clown participation. John wears large clown shoes and Jan looks at babies' bootees with ribbons, sandals with buckles and shows how to tie up school shoe laces. Song of the Week 'Buttons and Bows' is sung. Through the windows a family is walking to the mail-box in the country. John walks singing 'I Went to Visit a Farm' looking for farm animals including a horse. Jan takes a horse shoe and nail, and John a jar of buttons to accompany 'Buttons and Bows'.
Mon, Aug 10, 1981
aka ep173.1 Jan and John operate a clockwork cowboy. They pretend to be a clockwork toy, acting out being wound up, riding and gradually stopping. John looks at the size, face, hands, pendulum and winding mechanism of a grandfather clock. He sings the song 'The Clock'. Jan makes a cardboard box grandfather clock. The 'Hickory Dickory Dock' animation is shown. The story is about a boy who doesn't want to get up in the morning. The song 'I jump out of bed in the morning' is sung. Jan uses a wind-up alarm clock to wake John and the toys. Through the windows are farm animals. The song 'I said good morning' is sung about a goat, horse, rooster and hen. John boils an egg. The presenters eat the egg.
Tue, Aug 11, 1981
A clockwork mouse that runs and bows is wound up by John. Benita does 'Two Fat Gentlemen' fingerplay, which continues bowing and meeting theme. Another thing we do when we meet is shake hands. They sing 'How do you do and shake hands'. Shadow puppet 'Hickory Dickory' is viewed and hand actions follow. Story is a development of the song 'Two Fat Gentlemen'. There is skipping and bowing with the song, 'I Will Bow to You'. John makes a 'day clock', drawing round a clock face, things a child might do in a day. Then, with a hand pointing to drawings he develops opportunity for songs and participation. Film shows children playing in a park on climbing equipment, slides and wooden house. Benita trots singing 'Giddiap', then they use a chair for a horse and convert it to a train.
Wed, Aug 12, 1981
Jan and John looks at the white mice, then sing with actions 'Hickory Dickory Dock'. Shadow puppet version is viewed. A cuckoo clock is seen and made to strike several times, giving the opportunity to count. This idea is developed with the song, 'Cuckoo Clock', making tick tocks and cuckoo sounds. Story 'Harry's Hiccups' is about a boy who can't get rid of his hiccups until he forgets them when eating. John sings 'I'm So Hungry' and Jan invites participation in miming eating bananas, ice-cream and spaghetti. John then sings 'The Spaghetti Song'. Spaghetti is messy to eat and some animals are messy eaters; they eat like several animals ending with John cleaning himself like a cat. Film shows lions being fed. Wild animals don't eat at set times like those in captivity. A mime illustrates the action of a lion stalking and eating, followed by the song 'The Lion Stalks'. Time for the mice and cocky to be fed.
Thu, Aug 13, 1981
Benita and John tidy up the bookshelves and look at nursery rhymes and the Useful Book. 'Hickory Dickory' is shown with shadow puppets then sung with hand actions. Benita and John use a bed as a source for dramatic play, a chair back gives an idea for a zoo, hiding under sheets the idea for a monster play, a pillow gives a hill for 'The Grand Old Duke of York', and wall for 'Humpty Dumpty', then becomes a horse to ride. Story is about a little girl who doesn't want to go to bed and is the last one awake in the house. Benita sings a lullabye 'All the Pretty Little Horses'. There are lots of clocks around the calendar this week and today John looks at a clock that doesn't have hands and doesn't tick: a digital clock. He tries its alarm. Benita does the finger play 'This Little Boy all Ready for Bed'. The final lines, 'Up he jumps, is dressed and away, ready to work and play all day' lead to jogging action, after which the film shows people at the beach very early in the morning: we see joggers, children playing and fishing and people on boats. Action song 'Here is the Sea' follows. Back on the bed which is now a 'boat' with John as a fisherman, they go to sea 'rolling and bobbing' about before catching a 'dogfish'.
Fri, Aug 14, 1981
A tiny hurdy-gurdy is wound up to play 'Happy Birthday'. It can be made to play fast and slow. John moves like a robot at various speeds. Don sets a metronome at various speeds and develops participation with tick-tocks and counting to ten. They then have a game, each building a tower of boxes while the other counts to ten. Still counting with the metronome, they blink then stare. 'Listen' is a sound making song with actions introducing the idea of amount of noise. Story is 'Too Much Noise'. After, there is noise-making with the song 'Clap Your Hands'. John's voice is recorded on tape, then played at various speeds and at the piano the song 'I Can Hear My Feet' is developed, each repeat getting faster. Film shows children at a kindergarten at music time and moving at different speeds. The metronome provides temp for Warren to play slow 'elephant walk' music, and fast 'running' music. They watch the shadow puppets 'Hickory Dickory Dock' then sign the song with actions beside the piano.
Mon, Mar 29, 1982
aka ep174.1 Noni and John draw patterns on a large strip of paper. Noni sings the 'Spot Song'. John puts paste on the strip of paper and they wallpaper a large carton house for Big Ted. 'Father Papered the Parlour' animation is shown. John puts cellophane paper over the window in Big Ted's house and one by one the toys come to visit Big Ted with gifts for the house. Noni sings 'This is the Way We Sweep the House' miming actions. The story is about a boy and a girl going through a house looking for gumboots. It's told with pictures on a roll of paper pulled through a cutout box frame. Noni and John say 'I'm the Man with the Wellington Boots' miming actions. The film shows a boy and his father sailing a paper boat down a stream. Noni and John sing 'Two Little Boats'. There are chains of cutout paper people around the calendar. Noni sings the Song of the Week 'Paper Song' with the aid of a paper pop up model. Big Ted's house is decorated for a party. They sing 'For He's a Jolly Good Fellow'.
Tue, Mar 30, 1982
aka ep174.2 Noni and John tear holes in newspaper to make simple newspaper jigsaw puzzles. To the tune of 'Elephant Lumber', Noni is a 'blob' and a 'scrunch' and a 'wriggle'. John tears strips of newspaper to make a wig for Little Ted. Noni sings the Song of the Week. John uses the newspaper wig and a paper cut out dolly to dress Little Ted as a princess. John sings 'Jump, Jump, Jump'. The story, 'There Was a Princess Long Ago'. Little Ted is the princess with a newspaper crown. Noni tells and sings the story with John as the wicked fairy and the prince. He has a newspaper skirt, crown, cloak and sword. After the story, John mimes wearing a crown, a cowboy hat and a soldier's hat. Noni makes a newspaper for the toys with pictures torn from old newspapers. John sings 'Looking in the Paper' with actions. The film shows a man getting the morning paper and the family eating breakfast. Noni mimes being a bit of toast 'popping up' out of the toaster. John makes muesli from rolled oats, wheatgerm, raisins, sultanas and chopped dried apricots. They put milk on the muesli and eat it.
Wed, Mar 31, 1982
Noni and John play pin the tail on the donkey with a simple donkey drawing and newspaper tails. Noni sings 'Sweetly Sings the Donkey' with actions. The story is 'When Willy Went to the Wedding'. Bit and Bot, the Play School fish are fed and Noni and John sing 'All the Fish are Swimming in the Water'. Noni sings the Song of the Week. John makes a newspaper hat for Humpty and a tissue paper hat for Hamble. Jemima has a white tissue paper veil - she is the bride in a bride's dress. Noni puts on a paper floral hat, John a black jacket with a white paper carnation, ready to go to the wedding. They get into a cardboard box 'decorated' as a wedding car and sing 'Take You Riding in my Car' with actions. Through the windows: Princess Anne's Wedding. Noni mimes taking photographs and then sings and plays a 'freeze' game. John is at the wedding reception for Jemima and Little Ted. Noni 'takes' the wedding picture. They sing 'For They Are Jolly Good Fellow' and cut the wedding cake.
Thu, Apr 1, 1982
Warren plays the Play School song on the piano with Noni and John singing. John shakes maracas and they sing 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' with actions. John bangs the cymbals with 'Hickory, Dickory Dock'. Noni bashes pot lids together as cymbals and then makes a paper trumpet. John plays the paper and comb and Noni bangs a drum made from a biscuit tin covered with paper. They march and sing. The story is 'Mr Magnolia'. Noni sings 'I Jump Out of Bed in the Morning' with actions. John and Noni then mime putting on their clothes. After the calendar, Noni sings the Song of the Week. John has a present for Noni wrapped in layers and layers of paper. Inside is a paper Jack in the Box in a match box. They sing 'Jack is Quiet'. The film shows shoes being repaired. John sings 'Cobbler, Cobbler Mend My Shoe' then Noni puts on tap shoes and tap dances. John joins her by the piano and they sing 'Walking in the City'.
Tue, Nov 24, 1981
aka ep175.2 OUTSIDE BROADCAST. Noni and Don are out in a garden today. Don makes a garden for a Play School house made from twigs and grass. He plays his guitar and sings, 'Mary, Mary Quite Contrary'. Noni walks past pushing a lawn mower. Noni helps take in the family's washing. She matches up socks in pairs and mimes being a clothes-line. Don sings as he digs in the garden. Then Noni puts in some cabbage plants. She sings, 'Do You Plant Your Cabbages' then makes a mud pie for Don. Don finishes a bird table in the garden and puts meat, seeds and bread on it. Noni and 3-year-old Phillipa feed Daisy, the dog. Don picks some oranges and puts an orange peel face on a flower pot for the story. Noni hides presents for a treasure hunt for some children who are coming to visit the garden. The children arrive, they sing 'Humpty Dumpty' with a balloon Humpty Dumpty. The flower pot and vegetable puppets are used to tell a story roughly based on 'Little Miss Muffet'. They all sing 'Clap, clap, clap if you feel you want to', then 'Row, row, row your boat'. Noni takes the children off on the treasure hunt around the garden while Don says goodbye.
Wed, Nov 25, 1981
aka ep175.3 Noni and Don look at garden worms. Noni shows us how to make our hands into wriggly worms singing 'How does a caterpillar go?'. Egg cartons, feathers, and cotton wool are used to make a bird. Egg cartons and cotton wool are also used as pots for mustard seeds. Little mustard plants make it a 'hairy caterpillar'. They sing 'I'm not afraid'. Through the windows we see kookaburras being fed. Don invites flying participation and sings, 'Can You'. The story is 'Are You My Mother?'. After story, a finger play 'I have made a pretty nest'. Noni then makes a nest from lettuce leaves on brown bread branches and adds hard boiled eggs. Through the windows we see a garden and pets being fed. Noni sings, 'Listen' as she recalls the sounds heard in the garden. The miniature garden made for Mary, Mary on Monday is watered. Before goodbyes they eat the food nest.
Thu, Nov 26, 1981
aka ep175.4 Noni and Peter check the plants in the miniature garden. A cork and paddle pop sticks make a see-saw for Mary, Mary Quite Contrary and he dog. Noni invites action with 'See-Saw Marjorie Daw'. Then Peter makes a swing for the toys using a cardboard box, string and a broom handle. He swings Humpty singing 'Swinging'. The story is 'Sally's Secret'. This is followed by actions of some creatures found in the garden. Diddle has a tea party for the toys in a cubby-house built with a shower curtain and clothes rack. It's disturbed by lawn mowing. Peter then plays a sound guessing game - sounds heard in the garden. Through the windows we see a mother and children in the garden in the rain. Participation is stomping, singing 'It's Raining, It's Pouring'. Both make rain sounds using pebbles in a cardboard box lid and thunder with a sheet of cardboard. Hand and feet actions are added for 'I Hear Thunder'.
Fri, Nov 27, 1981
aka ep175.5 Jan and Colin are planting radish seeds in a box. In other boxes are radishes at various stages of growth. Colin sings, 'I take my shovel and I dig dig dig'. Jan shows the miniature garden made on Monday. After the story, 'The Garden', Colin pretends to be a seed and Jan tries to make him grow as was done in the story. Jan has some household vegetables sprouting - a sweet potato, a carrot top, an onion and a potato. She then makes a 'Potato Toad'. Colin jumps around like a toad. Jan has a 'Carrot Mouse' who plays hiding 'Potato Toad'. Colin hides Little Ted from Jan and they both play chasing and run, singing 'I can run as fast as you'. The film shows care and maintenance of the Botanic Gardens in Sydney and ends with ducks on the pond. Jan waddles like a duck, and Colin makes a duck from a piece of apple with a pea-pod beak.