We’re more than halfway through the first iteration of Noongar Nursery Rhymes, a new language and arts program designed especially for pre-school aged children and their caregivers.

Workshop sessions have seen children and caregivers from Pingelly Koorlangka Waabiny Playgroup and Quairading Moorditj Nyoongar Playgroup learning Noongar vocabulary and songs with Noongar language facilitators and musicians Kobi Arthur Morrison and Cyndy Moody (Pingelly), and Noongar Elder Marilyn Reidy (Quairading).

This new project feels strongly connected to its forerunner, Noongar Lullabies, with children and caregivers learning Kaya, written by Cyndy in an early edition of Noongar Lullabies, and Moorditj Kulungar, created by participants in last year’s Lullabies Kwinana project, led by Kobi and Cyndy.

Like the Noongar Lullabies projects, Noongar Nursery Rhymes Quairading and Pingelly has a creative component, and participants are working with facilitators to write their own lullaby. After discussing possible themes for their song the two communities have chosen to base the song around a yongka (kangaroo) moort (family), because the yongka is an animal that is important to the mobs in both towns.

With its trademark method of locomotion, the yongka offers plenty of opportunities for pairing language acquisition with actions! Stay tuned to hear the song – performed by Kobi, Cyndy and project participants – later in the year. The song will be accompanied by an illustrated book, so that children and their families can sing along.