The Seasonal activities:
 

​1.  Biderap (Dry Season) Marngrook Play

​​

•  About Biderap:
  Roughly January–February (mid–late Summer).
  Marked by hot, dry weather, grasslands stretching wide, and gatherings under the open sky. A season of activity, energy, and community connection.

• Season themes: Hottest, driest part of the year, grasslands open, activity under the sun.

• Activity: Playing Marngrook with a soft possum-skin style ball. The children will take part in a lively game of Marngrook, the traditional ball game of the Kulin peoples. Using a soft possum-skin style ball, the play is full of running, jumping, and catching — open to everyone, with no winners or losers. Through this joyful activity, children learn about fairness, inclusivity, and the deep cultural roots of games that bring people together.

​

2. Iuk (Eel Season) Eel Traps & River Journey

•  About Iuk: 
  Roughly March (Autumn).
  Marked by the migration of eels along swollen rivers and wetlands. A season of waterways flowing, harvesting, and balance with nature.
   

• Season themes: Rivers swell, eels migrate, harvesting while caring for balance.

​

• Activity: Children play along a fabric “river” with an eel trap, and felt eels learning about traditional inventions and sustainable harvesting - big ones caught, little ones let free.
  
  As the rivers swell with life, children gather around a flowing “river” of blue fabric to explore the age-old practice of setting woven eel traps. With stones to anchor the trap and soft felt eels to guide through the maze, the educator demonstrates how only the larger eels are harvested while the small ones are released — teaching respect for nature and the importance of sustainability. Accompanied by the gentle sounds of creeks and bushland, children learn about the deep connection between waterways, food sources, and caring for Country.

​

3. Waring (Wombat Season) Didgeridoo Dreaming

• About Waring:
  Roughly April to July (Autumn/Early Winter)
  Marked by the cold weather and wombats emerging to forage during the day while much of Country rests.

• Season themes: Coldest time, wombats sheltering, quiet reflection

• Activity: A calm and mindful journey through sound and story.
  Children listen to and share didgeridoo story sessions, reflecting the stillness and slowing-down of this season. In Waring — the coldest time of the year, wombats emerge to forage during the day while much of Country rests. This is a season for slowing down, keeping warm, and listening deeply.
  
  In this gentle program, children are invited to lie quietly, as if curled up in winter, and listen to the sounds of animals outside. The didgeridoo player brings these creatures to life, making animal calls through the instrument, creating a living soundscape of Country in Waring. Towards the end the children are invited to describe what they heard, saw and  experienced while huddled in the 'forest'.
  
  Through stillness, breathing, and story, children experience the hush of winter air and the importance of rest and reflection in nature’s cycle. This mindful session helps little ones connect with the land and discover how First Nations seasonal knowledge guides us to live in harmony with Country.

​

4. Guling (Orchid Season)  Didgeridoo & Bees

• About Guling:
  Roughly August (early Spring).
  Marked by golden wattle blossoms, orchids blooming, bees buzzing, and an abundance of flowers returning.
  A time of renewal, pollination, and activity in nature.

• Season themes: Orchids and wattle blooming, bees buzzing, renewal of life.

• Activity: A buzzing, musical journey for little learners!
  The didgeridoo’s buzzing drone connects to the hum of bees pollinating flowers. Children explore rhythms that echo the energy of springtime activity.
  
  In this interactive program, children explore the sounds of the didgeridoo alongside the hum and buzz of bees, connecting music with nature and the Kulin seasonal calendar. Based on Guling — orchid season, children discover how bees busily collect pollen and help new life bloom.
  
  Through movement, rhythm, and storytelling, little ones will buzz, dance, and create soundscapes together — celebrating the return of flowers, warmth, and activity in nature. Fun & immersive, this session nurtures creativity, builds listening skills, and fosters respect for Country and First Nations knowledge of the seasons.
  ​

  5. Poorneet (Tadpole Season) Tadpole Necklace Craft
 

• About Poorneet:
  Roughly Roughly September–October (spring).
  Marked by tadpoles growing in ponds and wetlands, signalling warmth and longer days.
  A time of transformation, growth, and change as waterholes come alive with movement.

• Season themes: Rainfall, ponds filling, tadpoles appearing, playful energy.

• Activity: A creative celebration of growth and transformation.
  In Poorneet — the Tadpole Season, ponds and waterways come alive as tadpoles grow, signalling longer days and the warmth of summer approaching. This is a time of change, movement, and new life. 
  
  Children create their own tadpole necklaces, threading black, grey, and brown beads to reflect the colours of tadpoles in the water. At the centre, a special bead with eyes and a tail becomes the “tadpole,” reminding children of the creatures they see wriggling and swimming during this season. Optionally, a green frog bead can be used in the centre. 
  
  As they thread, children listen to playful didgeridoo sounds that mimic frogs and water, and hear simple stories of how tadpoles transform. This hands-on activity connects children to the rhythms of Poorneet, helping them explore the cycles of growth, change, and the importance of healthy waterways in nature.

​ 

6.  Buath Gurru (Grass Flowering Season) Boomerang Painting

• About Buath Gurru:
  Roughly November–December (Late Spring/early Summer).
  Marked by hot winds, flowering grasses, and the vast openness of Country under the sun—Buath Gurru is a time of expressive creativity and connection.
   

• Season themes:  Hot winds, grasses flowering, bats flying at dusk, expansive heat.

• Activity: Art as Language, Colour as Voice
  Children paint boomerangs with seasonal imagery — grass flowers, suns, wind lines, bats.
  
  In this season of energy and expression, children dive into the art of storytelling through boomerang painting. Drawing inspiration from First Nations knowledge traditions—where symbols serve as visual language in the absence of a written script—they explore Aboriginal symbols and the ways they carry story and meaning.
  
  Each child receives a wooden boomerang, along with brushes, acrylic ochre-coloured paints, and symbol stamps. Supported by demonstrations on how traditional paint is made, they then craft their own story-driven design to paint on their boomerang; a creative keepsake to take home.
  
  This hands-on activity supports:

  • Connection to Country through cultural storytelling

  • Fine motor skill development via painting and stamping

  • Cultural literacy through learning symbol meanings and narratives
     

The experience is practical and immersive: children learn to express ideas, memories, and reaction to Country through their handcrafted designs—just as First Nations ancestors did using art as voice.

​

7.  Garrawang (Kangaroo Apple Season) Ngargee First Nations Celebration

• About Garrawang:
  Roughly December. (Summer)
  Marked by fruits ripening - time of abundance, sharing, and community gathering.

• Season themes: Fruits ripen, food abundance, community gatherings.

• Activity: A joyful gathering of stories, music, and dance.
  Shared music, dance, and storytelling to celebrate abundance and togetherness. Children join in group activities symbolising harvest and sharing.
  In Garrawang — the season of the Kangaroo Apple, fruits ripen and Country is abundant. It is a time of sharing, gathering, and coming together as a community.
  
  This whole-centre celebration brings everyone into the circle with a Welcome to Country, storytelling, the rhythms of the didgeridoo, and high-energy dancing. Children, educators, and families join in movement and song, experiencing the joy of connection and the richness of First Nations culture.
  
  Just as the land provides plenty in Garrawang, this program celebrates abundance in spirit — where stories, sounds, and community are shared freely. It is a time to come together, celebrate diversity, and strengthen respect for Country and culture, the abundance of the season and to add the final stamp to the possum skin.