Oliver and Lucas YouTube Channel, Diamond Creek East Primary School: Best kids’ videos in lockdown
Whether it is school music videos, making slime or teaching magic tricks, children across Melbourne have been keeping busy online during the coronavirus lockdown, with hundreds tuning in to watch. Check out some of the most popular videos.
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From podcasts to YouTube videos, children have got creative online during Melbourne’s coronavirus lockdown.
Stunning musical performances, magic tricks and even slime feature among the many online hits, some put together by school students.
Check out our list of budding young stars.
THE OLIVER AND LUCAS YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Gardenvale mum Genwa Rafeh said her sons Oliver, 7, and Lucas, 3, with special guest star pet cavoodle Mr Snickers, had been sharing their adventures in lockdown on their own YouTube channel.
“Because of COVID, my husband is stuck overseas and we were doing the stage 4 lockdown and we were really depressed and I thought how can I make it better for them,” Ms Rafeh said.
She said her sons loved watching videos on YouTube, especially the unboxing of toys, so they decided to start making their own videos.
“We started doing fun things like science experiments, making slime, going on walks and I thought why don’t we document it?”
“We started filming with my iPhone and I edited all the videos and uploaded them.
“The boys love it, and they love the fact Mum lets them make a mess in the kitchen.”
The videos have attracted viewers from all over the world including Panama, Brazil, Canada and the US.
Ms Rafeh said starting the YouTube channel had turned their lockdown experience from a negative into a positive.
“I just thought this is an opportunity, it doesn’t have to be miserable,” she said.
“It’s redefined how I spend time with my kids now.
“Fun doesn’t have to be going somewhere or doing something, fun can be at home.”
TALES FROM THE TOP BUNK
Preston magician and children’s author Nicholas J. Johnson started a podcast, Tales from the Top Bunk with his daughter Bea, 6, during lockdown.
“Bea and I started a podcast because we just like to chat and make up stories so we started recording our stories and putting them up for our friends and then it got a few other people interested,” he said.
Johnson, who has released a new children’s book called Tricky Nick, has also been teaching magic tricks in YouTube videos with Bea.
“Bea loves performing magic herself so she decided she wanted to make YouTube tutorials
because she’s six and that’s what you do when you’re six you make YouTube tutorials,” he said.
Johnson has also been performing magic shows on Zoom during lockdown.
He encouraged parents and carers to try and create little moments of wonder for their children to help them get through the final weeks of lockdown.
“As a magician you try to create these moments of wonder … young kids are desperate for those at the moment, just little out of the ordinary things.
“My kids turned the entire lounge room into an ocean and put on swimmers and went swimming in the pillows.
“Just simple ways of giving them these little moments of wonder, they don’t need to fill every day, but every couple of days have something extraordinary and small happen and it can give them the energy to keep going.”
THE HERO PROJECT
The Hero Project, a heartwarming musical tribute to frontline workers from Thomastown Secondary College students, has now had more than 26,000 views on YouTube.
After the school’s performing arts production was cancelled this year due to coronavirus, students and teachers decided to create a video to express their gratitude to frontline workers called
Their performance of Wind Beneath My Wings generated an overwhelming response from the community.
LETTERS TO PARAMEDICS
Grade 2 students at Doncaster Primary School wrote letters to Ambulance Victoria paramedics to thank them for working so hard during COVID-19.
The school received a Facebook clip of the paramedics opening up the letters and reading them on video.
Teacher Carly Epskamp said the students were over the moon when they watched the video.
Student Zoey said: “I was really happy when they read my letter, it made me feel special, I hope they liked it.”
Elijah said: “I felt so surprised and happy to hear them reading out my letter. I felt good seeing all of the nice comments on Facebook about our letters. I liked the way the ambulance officer showed my picture, because I’m really good at drawing cats.”
DIAMOND CREEK EAST PRIMARY SCHOOL PARODY
Former and current staff at Diamond Creek East Primary School, together with students, put together a special parody of Four Tops’ classic hit Reach Out I’ll Be There.
The video, filmed on iPhones from inside the homes of its contributors, was mixed together by the school’s music team and has racked up almost more than 6000 hits on YouTube.
VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE OF A SEA SHANTY
Budding musicians at Middle Park Primary School teamed up for a virtual performance of an old classic — with a global pandemic twist.
Parents and staff also joined in the mass singalong for What Shall We Do With A Global Virus, a modern remix of sea shanty Drunken Sailor.
Principal Tim Newton said the project took about a week from start to finish, with students singing and playing along on violin, trombone and ukulele.
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