Speaker 1: You're listening to Amma Mia podcast.
Speaker 2: Mama Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
Speaker 2: that this podcast is recorded on. Hello to all our
Speaker 2: little builders and their grown ups. Welcome to How to
Speaker 2: Build a Universe where stories build worlds. I'm Jen you
Speaker 2: are parent educator, author mum to four and my co
Speaker 2: host is me Yep.
Speaker 3: Hello.
Speaker 1: I'm Tom Lyon, executive chief of fun at Mamma Mia And.
Speaker 3: What hi are you? Okay? Tom?
Speaker 1: Sorry? Everyone, I just slipped on a squishy banana and
Speaker 1: still a little bit wobbly. These jungle bananas are way
Speaker 1: more slippery than I expect.
Speaker 3: Well, you'll never believe where I've been.
Speaker 1: I've just got back from the jungle where I saw
Speaker 1: what monkeys are calling the Great Banana Bungle of twenty
Speaker 1: twenty five.
Speaker 2: The Great Banana Bungle. Why do I have a feeling
Speaker 2: this is going to be your most slippery story?
Speaker 3: Yes, invitable.
Speaker 2: You know what can also feel like a jungle sometimes, Tom,
Speaker 2: sibling rivalry. We all want kids that get along, but
Speaker 2: sibling rivalry is a reality for most parents. How can
Speaker 2: we encourage kids to play in a way that's fair
Speaker 2: and doesn't keep us in the middle? Did you know,
Speaker 2: the average siblings fight around eight times an hour, and
Speaker 2: the peak of fighting is between the ages of three
Speaker 2: and eight. So if you are in this, trust me,
Speaker 2: it is so normal. Today's tip is about incorporating multiple kids,
Speaker 2: often at different ages and stages, into the play. The
Speaker 2: idea is we can try to remain really neutral and
Speaker 2: try to think of ourselves as a commentator as our
Speaker 2: kids interact. With today's jungle theme. Just say both kids
Speaker 2: want to play with the monkey. We can say, hmm,
Speaker 2: I can see two kids who both really want the monkey.
Speaker 3: This is tricky.
Speaker 2: I wonder how we can work it out so that
Speaker 2: it's fair. When one child is sitting a little too
Speaker 2: close to another and we notice that isn't working for all,
Speaker 2: we might also narrate I can see you want to
Speaker 2: sit close to your sister, but I'm looking at her
Speaker 2: face and I'm wondering if she needs a little spar
Speaker 2: for this game. Also remembering that kids sometimes need our
Speaker 2: help when things get too much. When kids are snatching, hitting,
Speaker 2: or hurting, we need to step in and stop them
Speaker 2: to keep everybody safe.
Speaker 1: Yes, safety first, for sure, Jen, Now are you ready
Speaker 1: for an absolutely wild adventure?
Speaker 4: I'm ready.
Speaker 3: Everyone grab your binoculars, put on.
Speaker 1: Your explorer hats, and maybe watch out for those stray
Speaker 1: banana pills, because after this, we're heading into the most mysterious, magnificent,
Speaker 1: mouth watering journey you've ever been on.
Speaker 3: Let's go.
Speaker 5: Oh sorry, my little adventurer, I've been sleeping with wolves
Speaker 5: for the last week.
Speaker 3: And I'm feeling a bit strange.
Speaker 1: Anyhow, hello there, Today we're heading into the wild, wonderful jungle.
Speaker 3: Do you know what a jungle is? A jungle is like.
Speaker 1: A big, big forest full of trees, but a little
Speaker 1: bit more tropical. Now, I want you to imagine all
Speaker 1: sorts of wild plants and undergrowth that has a life
Speaker 1: of its own, with vines hanging from the trees. And
Speaker 1: there's also a waterfall nearby, with rushing fresh water flowing
Speaker 1: down the cliff like a river tumbling downstairs made of rock. Now,
Speaker 1: this rainforest or jungle is also home to all sorts
Speaker 1: of animals, tigers, monkeys, and snakes. So to get ready,
Speaker 1: you know what we like to do. We're going to
Speaker 1: take a deep breath in.
Speaker 3: And out. Let's listen to the sounds around us.
Speaker 4: What can you hear?
Speaker 3: Maybe some birds there?
Speaker 1: Yeah, that one sounds like a gorilla, maybe a jaguar.
Speaker 3: Some great kisses. They're well done.
Speaker 1: Now let's take two big steps through these giant green leaves.
Speaker 1: I'll COUNTERSI ready, big step number one and step two.
Speaker 3: Now we are really inside the jungle. Do you hear
Speaker 3: that rainstick? Today?
Speaker 1: You'll need your own rain stick for good luck. You
Speaker 1: can use anything. Is there a toy you like to
Speaker 1: carry around? Although I've just put five Lego duplo blocks
Speaker 1: together to make my rain stick for anything will work.
Speaker 1: The jungle floor is a thick blanket of leaves and dirt.
Speaker 3: You know what dirt feels like under your feet?
Speaker 2: I hope you do.
Speaker 1: I mean it's kind of like sand, but a bit
Speaker 1: softer and thicker. Today we're searching for something very magical.
Speaker 1: It's called the banana bonanza tree. Now what's so magical
Speaker 1: about it? Well, for starters, the bananas.
Speaker 3: Are all sorts of colors. You won't see that in
Speaker 3: your local supermarket.
Speaker 1: Legend has it, this tree can grow bananas of any
Speaker 1: flavor you can imagine.
Speaker 3: Think about that.
Speaker 1: You could eat a chocolate banana, an ice cream flavored banana.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I know, I choose that.
Speaker 1: One late at night when I'm not supposed to, or
Speaker 1: even a strawberry banana.
Speaker 3: Let's take another step.
Speaker 1: Forward, because I think we're getting very close to the
Speaker 1: banana tree, but it's on the other side of that
Speaker 1: river flowing right in front of us.
Speaker 3: Take a listen.
Speaker 1: So first we need to swing across the water with something,
Speaker 1: because that vine up above is a little bit short
Speaker 1: to get across the water. Can you think of something
Speaker 1: we can hold on to to swing across the river? Hmmm?
Speaker 1: Anything around the house like a doggy lead? Are you
Speaker 1: holding onto that toy from before Mum's morning rope to
Speaker 1: swing across this river to get us to the magical
Speaker 1: banana bonanza tree.
Speaker 3: Great, those ideas are very appealing. See what I did there.
Speaker 1: Now let's get across the river on three. We're making
Speaker 1: a big swing over one, two three across wig.
Speaker 5: Ouch.
Speaker 3: Oh wow, look.
Speaker 1: At what we've found, the magical flavor banana tree. And
Speaker 1: it's enormous branches stretching up towards the sky with bananas
Speaker 1: of every color. And I'm in every red one's, purple ones,
Speaker 1: blue ones, gray, gray ones. Oh, might stay clear of those,
Speaker 1: even rainbow striped ones.
Speaker 3: Oh, someone else is here? Do you hear that? Oh wow,
Speaker 3: look at all these bananas.
Speaker 4: I've never seen anything like it.
Speaker 1: Well that's Sammy, everyone, She's a jungle monkey who loves
Speaker 1: adventures almost as much as she loves bananas.
Speaker 4: These are all mine.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna have every single flavor all to myself. Oh dear,
Speaker 1: Sammy's jumping from branch to branch, grabbing as many colorful
Speaker 1: bananas as she can hold. But I can see other
Speaker 1: animals are arriving too, a family of elephants, a slow
Speaker 1: moving slaw, and a toucan called Tito.
Speaker 4: But for my beg banana for my bee.
Speaker 3: He's talking to canto.
Speaker 4: Grassy as a grassy as is Spanish, or thank you.
Speaker 3: That elephant cup wants a blue one. Sammy naha finds keepers.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna taste every flavor all to myself. Oh golly,
Speaker 1: Sammy's climbing up higher and higher, trying to grab every
Speaker 1: single banana before anyone else can. Ah. She's stuffing bananas everywhere.
Speaker 1: Her cheeks look like beechballs. He's even balancing them on
Speaker 1: a tail.
Speaker 3: How can you?
Speaker 4: Oh?
Speaker 1: Oh no, I think the tree is starting to sway.
Speaker 1: Everyone step back. Oh now, the great banana bungle is happening.
Speaker 3: The tree has tilted right over the river.
Speaker 1: All the magical bananas are falling into the water and
Speaker 1: floating down stream towards a big waterfoot.
Speaker 3: My bananas, they're getting warmed.
Speaker 1: Geez, Sammy, feels like you played a role in this.
Speaker 1: If they go over the edge, we'll lose those yummy,
Speaker 1: magical bananas forever and we can't have that.
Speaker 4: That is Spanish for do you need help? Ah?
Speaker 3: Yes, thank you Tito. Will you help too, my little explorer?
Speaker 1: Quickly, everyone, look at those giant banana leaves still attached
Speaker 1: to the tree. I think we can use them to float.
Speaker 1: Let's reach out and pull some down. Carefully, reach your
Speaker 1: hand up like you're grabbing a big banana leaf.
Speaker 3: That's it. Grab a few big leaves.
Speaker 1: Perfect, These giant leaves are strong enough for us to
Speaker 1: float on on the river. Let's make some banana leaf
Speaker 1: boats to rescue those magical bananas.
Speaker 3: Lay it out like we're going to go surfing on it.
Speaker 1: Perfect. But wait, we need to work together on this one.
Speaker 3: Nah, I don't need help. I'll get my bananas myself.
Speaker 1: Samy's keen to get them back, but the river's current
Speaker 1: is far too strong for I heard a manage on
Speaker 1: her own. Oh and there we go. Sammy's grabbed a
Speaker 1: big leaf and jumped onto the river. Oh my, she's
Speaker 1: surfing that leaf downstream. She's spinning round and around. There's
Speaker 1: no way she's going to steer that leaf by herself.
Speaker 1: Let's show Sammy our teamwork makes things easier. We're gonna
Speaker 1: sit on this leaf and paddle it like a rowboat.
Speaker 1: Can you pretend to paddle with me? Just reach your
Speaker 1: hands out and then pull them back to your chest
Speaker 1: like we're rowing a boat. Now, let's hop on that river.
Speaker 3: Let's count our strokes together to stay in rhythm. One two,
Speaker 3: one two.
Speaker 1: Look the elephant family is working together, the little ones
Speaker 1: in the middle, and the guanops paddling.
Speaker 3: On either side, and the two cans lying above calling
Speaker 3: out directions.
Speaker 1: Yes, now that's pretty good teamwork. We're getting into the waterfall,
Speaker 1: but it's.
Speaker 3: A big drop. Time to paddle faster.
Speaker 1: Can you help really put those strong arms into it.
Speaker 1: One two, we're almost caught up to Sammy. She's still
Speaker 1: spinning around on her leaf. She can't get any of
Speaker 1: herbanots ha ha.
Speaker 3: Hell my arm's a dede dimy I can't do this
Speaker 3: by myself.
Speaker 1: Oh, the elephants reaching a trunk out to pull Sammy
Speaker 1: close to us.
Speaker 3: Come on, Sammy and teetoe. The two cans helping out.
Speaker 4: Too climb aboard when one can't, two can has a
Speaker 4: two can job.
Speaker 3: Oh, Sammy's jumping on board. Haha. Now Sammy, we can
Speaker 3: work as a team. All that waterfalls getting close row
Speaker 3: road down the stream. We make a perfect paddling team.
Speaker 4: Teamwork makes that dream work.
Speaker 1: We paddle fast, we paddle strong. This is our team
Speaker 1: banana song.
Speaker 3: Good enough, We did it.
Speaker 1: We rescued all the magical bananas and steered away from
Speaker 1: the waterfall just in time.
Speaker 4: It's wonderful jomp.
Speaker 1: Everyone, look at our collection of colorful, magical bananas.
Speaker 3: Red ones, it might taste like strawberries. Hmmm.
Speaker 1: The blue ones taste like blueberry ice cream.
Speaker 2: I'm sorry.
Speaker 3: I tried to keep all the bananas for myself.
Speaker 1: I was so excited by the yumminess of it all
Speaker 1: I forgot about sharing.
Speaker 3: It's okay, Sammy, we all feel like that sometimes. You
Speaker 3: know what, I think all these bananas will taste even
Speaker 3: better if we try them all together.
Speaker 1: Nice one, Sammy, Well that was quite an adventure, wasn't it.
Speaker 1: I'm just looking over at all our animal friends there
Speaker 1: are sitting around in a circle sharing the magical flavored bananas.
Speaker 4: You, bigie, looks like a banana.
Speaker 1: Yes, Jen, I've actually brought back some delicious banana cake
Speaker 1: for you to try.
Speaker 3: I'm hoping you'll like it. Will you have some? I
Speaker 3: would love some. It tastes beautiful.
Speaker 1: I was tempted to keep the whole cake to myself,
Speaker 1: just like how Sammy and this story wanted to keep
Speaker 1: all the bananas to herself. But then I thought, you
Speaker 1: know what, some things are actually more fun when we
Speaker 1: share them together. So want to help me make this
Speaker 1: cake disappear?
Speaker 3: Oh yum?
Speaker 2: Now that's what I call jungle justice. Play when done
Speaker 2: with siblings, can be a bit more of a jungle
Speaker 2: in terms of managing things, but a beautiful way to
Speaker 2: create shared experiences, foster that sibling bond, and teach kids
Speaker 2: the skills they need for the world, like conflict and
Speaker 2: negotiation skills. It makes sense for group play to be chaotic,
Speaker 2: and you are not getting it wrong. If things have
Speaker 2: the odd bump, your little monkeys will one day get
Speaker 2: along with ease. I promise you.
Speaker 1: Time to say bye bye to our banana, because next
Speaker 1: week we're blusting off into a world where superheroes fly
Speaker 1: and save the day.
Speaker 3: Better start practicing.
Speaker 1: Your superhero poses because we're heading to a world where
Speaker 1: ordinary kids discover they have extraordinary superpowers.
Speaker 2: Going to work on my superhero poses right now. Until then,
Speaker 2: remember us stories build universes.
Speaker 3: And your imagination is always ready for an adventure. See
Speaker 3: you next time. Builders by.
Speaker 1: The executive producer of How to Build a Universe is
Speaker 1: Courtney Amenhauser. Sammy was voiced by Tarlie Blackman and Tito
Speaker 1: the Tucan was by Tiana and Isaac's Daddy, with story
Speaker 1: writing and sound designed by me Tom Lyon. Thanks for
Speaker 1: listening to today's episode of How to Build a Universe.
Speaker 3: We'd love to know what you thought of it.
Speaker 1: You can fill out our survey and go in the
Speaker 1: running to win one thousand dollars.
Speaker 3: There's a link in the show notes.