We are looking for references to children's songs (text and chords) used in
playgroups and kindergartens across Australia for kids 1-5 years old.

Hi songseeker,

I've found some sites for you, with lyrics and chords. I've included
other sites with lyrics only, with the tune being audible on the page,
some with lyrics for sale, and some with song only.


Australian Children?s Foundation offers a list of  18  free children?s
songs, with text and chords, including ?Dig, Dig, Dig, like a wombat?
and  ? Kookaburra?:
http://www.acmf.com.au/downloads.asp
The music is in Adobe format, and you?ll need the free Adobe reader
installed on your computer. You can download the reader for free here:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

This interesting MusicaViva site has lyrics and chords. Simply click
on the .pdf document to get the text and chords. Click on the note to
hear the tune.
http://www.musicaviva.com/fsmd/frame.tpl?adress=http://home01.wxs.nl/~samenspelen/&category=children&sitecode=playing-together

This children?s song site does not offer the chords, but with each
page of text, there is a sound recording.
http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/sotw.html

This MySheetMusic site has free and premium sheet music for download.
http://www.mysheetmusic.com/TitleDisplay.asp?SelectedGenre=0000000012
Sign up for membership here:
http://www.mysheetmusic.com/login.asp
You?ll need to install their program called ?Scorch? before you can download.
http://www.sibelius.com/cgi-bin/download/get.pl?com=sh&prod=scorch


This UpToTen Kids site is a bit busy, but it has songs with music and
graphics. (No text or chords, just fun to watch)
Look for : ?Up-to-Ten Kids ---2 options?, in the left hand column
Click:  ?Play online in the Up-to-Ten Kids safe window à> Play Now?
http://www.uptoten.com/home.phtml


Free downloadable sheet music for kids, but not necessarily pertaining
to Australia. You?ll need to agree to install their free MusicNotes
Viewer applet.
http://www.musicnotes.com/styles/children.asp?whatsearch=ArtistTitle&all=&only=E

This NEIHS site has lots of children?s songs, free to download. The
songs have lyrics, but not chords. You can hear each one however:
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/music.htm

DavidJack has free downloadable songs. This page lets you order the
sheet music for just one song, but his e-mail address is handy, on the
left hand column. Perhaps could drop him a note and see if more than
one song could be available now.
http://www.davidjack.com/hear.html
DavidJack
http://www.davidjack.com/

MamaLisa?s World, Australian children?s songs, lyrics only
http://www.mamalisa.com/world/aussi.html#waltzing

Over 125 Disney songs, with lyrics, but no chords. Each song plays the
tune when you click it.
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/7840/select.htm


Additional Music:

There are over 200 children?s songs (No lyrics, no chords) you can
download for free, in MP3 format, from Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/468818/104-5758728-4845545


A children?s operetta, Animals of the Zodiac
http://www.hinesmusic.com/Zodiac_Operetta.html 

Free downloadable children?s songs. No lyrics, no chords, only songs.
http://freekidsmusic.com/music.html


Happy singing to you and the children! If any part of this answer is
unclear, please request an Answer Clarification before rating.

Sincerely
crabcakes

Search Terms
Free sheet music children Australia
children's sheet music Australia
Australian children's songs

well done! it is exactly what we were after. thanks a lot for your help.

Here are a few more places to find Aussie children's songs:

http://www.mareesalbumlyrics.com/Songlist-ChildrensSongs.html
There are lyrics for dozens of songs here, all with info about
original album and singer, etc.  You can listen to some of them by
looking for the artist websites - e.g. www.petercombe.com.au and
www.misterwhiskers.com

http://www.gigglepotz.com/f_songs1.htm
Gigglepotz is a resource centre for primary school teachers.  The site
has the lyrics for 12 Australian songs.

http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Songs/Kookaburra.html
KiddyHouse have a couple of Australian songs, such as the one linked
above.  This page has lyrics as well as the tune playing (in MIDI
format).  There are links to the score, activities, lesson plans, and
even a picture to colour - sadly not all these links still work.

If you know the names of some songs, try the Digital Tradition Folk
Song Database at mudcat.org
Here's their version of the Kookaburra song, and it too has a MIDI file available:
http://www.mudcat.org/kids/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=3441

Good luck!
Larus