Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack climbs a huge beanstalk up to the sky and discovers a Giants castle. But when Jack steals the Giants treasures to help his poor mom, the Giant chases him and Jack has to cut down the beanstalk!

About this Episode

Jack climbs a huge beanstalk up to the sky and discovers a Giants castle. But when Jack steals the Giants treasures to help his poor mom, the Giant chases him and Jack has to cut down the beanstalk!

Snoriezzz, a children’s mindful bedtime podcast and part of the GoKidGo universe of shows for kids, is co-created and co-hosted by Academy Award Winning actor Marcia Gay Harden (she/her), and actor and comedian Natalie Peyton (she/her). Building love of self and love of sleep at the same time, the Snory godmothers use affirmations, calming routines, and a beautiful fairy tale to help you make bedtime the peaceful, bonding moment you need!

Snoriezzz Segments:

00:43 MINDFUL TALK

03:25 GROUNDING WITH YOUR SURROUNDINGS

04:50 SNORY JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

20:09 CALM YOUR BODY MEDITATION

You can always revisit the affirmations, Snory, or meditations as your little one needs! We’ve provided the timing for each segment above.

Host Snory godmother: Marcia Gay Harden (she/her)

Host Snory godmother: Natalie Peyton (she/her)

Segment music composition: Nana Simopoulos (she/her)

Story music composition and foley: Sterling Steffen (he/him)

Editing: Sterling Steffen

Cover art: Eulie Scheel (they/them)

Production Manager: Kyle Dempsey (he/him)

Branding/marketing: Julitta Scheel (she/her)

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Get ready for Connect & Learn! Where you and your adult dive deeper into the Snoriezzz episodes you’ve heard at bedtime or naptime!

Deep Dive
Mindful Affirmations
Play + Learn
Science Tips

WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA BUT …WHERE IS AUSTRALIA ANYWAY?

“Jack and the Beanstalk” was written by Joseph Jacobs, an Australian children’s author born in Sydney, New South Wales. We’ll share more about the history of “Jack and the Beanstalk” below, but first, we thought this Connect & Learn would be the perfect opportunity to dive into the fascinating land of Australia!

Australia is a giant country and also happens to be the only country in the world that covers an entire continent! With only 7 continents in the world that is SUPER big. The United States of America is on the North American continent.

If you look closely, the map of Australia is a funny shape. Some people say one side looks like a dog’s head and the other side looks like a cat’s head! Do you see it?

Australia is home to amazing birds and wildlife, lots of beaches, and you can even see kangaroos on the beach there!

Australia is located in what is called the Southern Hemisphere which means it is below the invisible line that divides the earth – known as the equator. This line circles the globe right in the middle, so there is a top and a bottom. Australia is called the “land down under” because if you imagine the globe, Australia is “down under” most of the other countries and continents! It’s far south from places like Europe and North America.

Here’s a map to give you an idea of the distance between London and Australia. Even today that flight would take you 24 hours. That’s one whole day of travel!!!

But first, WHO WAS JACK AND THE BEANSTALK?

The story of Jack and the Beanstalk originated more than 5,000 years ago – which is known as “The Stone Age” – and it was the first time that history started being recorded! Which almost makes the story of Jack and The Beanstalk “pre-historic”! It was based on a story called, “The Boy Who Stole the Ogre’s Treasure. (An ogre is another word for giant!)

Australian Landscape & Climate

Australia is known for its unique wildlife, beautiful beaches, and famous landmarks like the Sydney Opera House and the Great Barrier Reef, where Nemo is from!

Australia is one of the largest countries on Earth! It is a big, beautiful island originally inhabited by Aboriginal people who arrived in Australia about 50,000 years ago. 50,000 years is about 2,500 generations of people! That’s a bit like if you could line up all your grandparents, great grandparents, and so on—all the way back until there were 2,500 people in a row. Wow! Can you even count to two thousand five hundred?!

Aboriginal Australians

Aboriginal Australians traveled to Australia from Asia. 50,000 years is so long ago, you may wonder, how did they get there without a boat?! Well, the earth was structured differently back then, and sea levels were lower, giving the Aboriginals land bridges to walk over (which are now at the bottom of the ocean)! The Aboriginal people were very strong, and they adapted to survive in the challenging environment of the outback (which is how Australians describe the vast desert land in the middle of the country). They knew the land really well, they took care of it, and they had their own special languages, stories, and ways of life.

Later, Dutch explorers were the first Europeans to reach Australia, and soon the British began to build settlements in Australia too. Many of these early settlers were actually prisoners sent to Australia as part of their punishment. They weren’t put in prisons, but were forced to work and do hard labor for the British government to help settle the land. Maybe these prisoners were sent to Australia because it is sooooo far away from their home that part of their punishment was being separated from their families?

At first, the European newcomers and Aboriginal people lived together peacefully, but soon conflicts began over who should own the land. They didn’t ask the Aboriginal people – who were there first – if it was okay to stay there, and they didn’t understand the Aboriginal way of life.

Then when gold was discovered in Australia, thousands of people rushed there in hopes of finding wealth. Everyone wanted to get rich, quick! And that’s how Australia became populated.

Australian Culture

Aussies, the nickname for Australian people, are known for being friendly and saying things like “G’day, mate!.” Remember when we taught you that Australia was colonized by prisoners who got in trouble in Britain? Well another way to say prisoner is “inmate” – so today when Aussies say G’day mate they are really saying G’day “inmate.” Amazing. This is a little known fact!!

Australian culture is a fun mix of traditions from many different places! People in Australia love spending time outdoors, enjoying activities like surfing, barbecues, and sports like cricket and rugby.

Australians enjoy music, dance, and festivals, and they love animals like kangaroos and koalas, which are unique to Australia. It’s a country with many different cultures coming together, making it a colorful and exciting place to live!

Australian Culture

Australia’s landscape is like a giant adventure playground because it’s so varied and unique! There are tropical rainforests up north, with lots of plants, birds, and crocodiles, and deserts in the center of the country, called the Outback, which is hot, dry, and has red, sandy soil.

Along the coast, you’ll find beautiful beaches, clear blue water, and amazing coral reefs, like the famous Great Barrier Reef, which is the largest coral reef in the world! If you take your snorkel and have a little swim, you might even see Nemo! Australia also has snowy mountains in the southeast, where people can even ski in winter! In the south, you’ll see green hills, farmlands, and vineyards.

The country is also home to incredible rock formations like Uluru, a giant red rock in the middle of the desert that is sacred to Aboriginal people. This natural rock formation is 1,100 feet tall and it is the largest rock in the world! To try and understand how tall that is, ask your adult how tall they are. They probably stand between 5 ft and 6 ft. tall. So imagine there were 200 adults standing on top of each other and that’s how tall Uluru is! Australia’s landscape has something for everyone—from beaches to mountains to deserts—and each part is full of amazing animals and plants found only there, like kangaroos, koalas, and eucalyptus trees.

Nature & Wildlife in Australia

Animals

Australia is home to some of the coolest and most unique animals in the world. There are so many different species in Australia because it’s such a remote country, that means far away! But if you ever visit Australia, be careful around the native animals, reptiles, birds and insects, because Australia is home to many of the most venomous and deadliest creatures on the planet! Scary! There are at least 36 different species of poisonous funnel-web spiders that live in eastern Australia alone – and you don’t even want to know about the other kinds of poisonous spiders!

Many venomous snakes also reside in Australia. One is called the “Inland Tapien”. Its venom is so poisonous, that it can kill 250,000 mice with a single bite! Their critters are not to be messed with!

Now let’s talk about the friendlier animals! We bet you’re familiar with some of Australia’s most popular critters: kangaroos, koalas and platypuses!

Have you seen a platypus before? It looks like it has the body of an otter, the tail of a beaver, and a duck bill for its mouth. And would you believe it lays eggs? What a weird, cool little animal!

Australia is home to many marsupials. Say it with us: Mar-soo-pee-uhls. Marsupials are mammals that carry their young in their mother’s pouch. Can you think of any animals that live in Australia that carry their young in a pouch?

That’s right, kangaroos! Kangaroos are marsupials, as mommy kangaroos carry their youngsters, called joeys, in the pouch on the front of their tummies. How cool would it be if your adult could carry you around in a tummy pocket?! Kangaroos have tall ears, long tails, two tiny arms and two really big, strong legs. Their legs are big and strong so they can move really fast. Would you believe that kangaroos get around only by hopping on their two legs? And they can move up to 40 miles an hour! That’s really, really fast!

Birds

Australia is also home to the widest populations of birds you have ever seen! Birds that are short and tall, big and small, flightless and flight-ful – there are so many to see.

One bird Australia is well-known for is the emu. An emu is very similar in size and appearance to an ostrich. Ostriches are the largest bird on earth, and Emu’s are the second largest! Adult emus measure just under 6 feet tall, weigh about 120 pounds, but their wings are only 7 inches long! Their wings are tiiiiny compared to the rest of their body, so that’s why they stay low to the ground.

To make up for not being able to fly, emus can run over 30 miles an hour! That’s just a little faster than the fastest man on Earth, Usain Bolt, who can run 27 miles an hour!

Another bird we’d love to teach you about is the Rainbow Lorikeet! A Rainbow Lorikeet is a colorful parrot from Australia that looks like a little flying rainbow! It has bright feathers in colors like blue, green, orange, yellow, and red. They’re about the size of your adult’s hand, and they have a curved beak that’s perfect for eating their favorite foods, like sweet fruits and flowers.

Rainbow Lorikeets are very playful and love to fly around quickly, making loud, chirping sounds. They’re often seen in big groups, and they are very friendly, especially if you have food!

Australian Traditions

Australia has lots of fun traditions! Here are some of their favorites:

Australia Day

Every year on January 26, Australians celebrate their country with a special day called Australia Day. Families and friends gather for picnics, barbecues, beach parties, and fireworks. It’s a bit like a giant birthday party for Australia!

Barbecue (or “Barbie”)

Australians love to cook outside on a “barbie,” which is what they call a barbecue. They often cook sausages, burgers, and seafood. It’s a fun way for families and friends to spend time together, especially on sunny days!

ANZAC Day

ANZAC day stands for: Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. This is a special day in April to remember the brave soldiers who fought in World War 2 from Australia and New Zealand. Many people attend a ceremony early in the morning, called a dawn service, and kids often bake “ANZAC biscuits,” a kind of cookie that soldiers used to eat. The red poppy flower is often used to represent ANZAC Day because it is a symbol of remembrance and hope for a peaceful future, and it is used to honor those who died or suffered in war:

Footy (Australian Rules Football)

Australians love sports, and footy is one of their favorites! It’s a bit like a mix between soccer and rugby, and people cheer very loudly for their favorite teams. Kids play footy in schoolyards, and families often go to matches together.

Christmas in Summer

In Australia, Christmas comes in the summertime. This is because of Australia being in the Southern Hemisphere (below the imaginary line called the equator), causing all the seasons of Australia to be at the opposite time of all the places above the equator! Many people celebrate with beach picnics, surfing, and swimming. Santa sometimes even shows up in shorts or on a surfboard! And they don’t make Snowmen, they make “Sandmen”.

Horse Racing and Fancy Outfits

Australians love to go to the horse races, especially at a famous track called Randwick. People get dressed up in very fancy clothes for the races – men wear smart suits, and women often wear colorful dresses and big hats! It’s a bit like a fashion show, and everyone enjoys cheering for their favorite horses. Some even bring their own picnic baskets and have fun all day with their friends and family. Here’s a picture of Snory Godmother Natalie (in the middle) at the Royal Randwick Horse Races in Sydney, Australia in 2010!

Australian Food

Vegemite

Vegemite – This is a salty, spreadable paste that Australians put on toast. It’s brown and tastes really strong, but lots of Australians love it!

Meat Pies

Meat Pies – Australians enjoy small, warm pies filled with beef or chicken, kind of like a snack-size pot pie. They’re easy to eat on the go!

Barbecue (or “Barbie”)

Barbecue (or “Barbie”) – Australians love cooking outside. They grill sausages (called “snags”), burgers, and sometimes even seafood, like shrimp.

Lamingtons

Lamingtons – These are little sponge cakes covered in chocolate and coconut. They’re very sweet and tasty!

Tim Tams

Tim Tams – Tim Tams are popular chocolate-covered biscuits sometimes referred to as “Australians’ favorite chocolate biscuit.” Some people like to bite off the ends and use them as a straw for milk!

Pavlova

Pavlova – This is a light and fluffy dessert made with meringue, topped with whipped cream and fresh fruits like raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and kiwis. It’s an Australian favorite for special occasions.

Australian Art

Australian art is as diverse and colorful as the country itself! It goes back tens of thousands of years with Aboriginal art, one of the oldest art traditions in the world. Aboriginal people used rock paintings, carvings, and dot paintings to tell stories about their land, animals, dreams, and their creation stories. These artworks weren’t just for decoration; they were ways to pass down important history and cultural beliefs. Aboriginals began using dot art to communicate with each other because the Europeans couldn’t understand it. They created their own secret language through art!

When European settlers arrived, they brought new styles of art, like landscapes and portraits, showing Australia’s unique scenery and wildlife. Artists painted the outback, beaches, and bushlands, often in bright colors that capture the feel of Australia’s sun and open spaces.

Today, Australian art blends these old and new styles. Contemporary Aboriginal artists still use traditional methods, but some also experiment with new techniques. Meanwhile, modern artists create everything from street art in big cities to sculptures in parks. Art festivals are popular too, like the famous Vivid Sydney, where light and music transform the city into a giant artwork.

Australian art tells many stories—like ancient “Dreamtime,” which is the story of creation in the Aboriginal Culture. It helps people celebrate their history, nature, and the diversity of Australian life

Australian Castles

There are a handful of castles around Australia that many people don’t know about! In this deep dive we will be highlighting two for you!

Thorngrove Manor Castle: Thorngrove Manor in Australia is a magical, fairy-tale-like castle with towers, turrets, and beautiful gardens, located near Adelaide in South Australia. If you ever visit, be sure to enjoy “High Tea” in the King’s Chambers!

Paronella Park: José Paronella, a pastry chef from Catalonia, Spain, moved to Australia in 1913 seeking a better life. After working in the sugarcane industry, he saved up to build Paronella Park as a dream garden for his wife, Margarita. This park, which he started in 1929, features a castle, gardens, and even North Queensland’s first hydroelectric plant. For more on Paronella Park’s history, visit Paronella Park’s website.

Australia Invention

Now that we’ve taught you all about Australia and about Jack from our Snory “Jack and The Beanstalk,” we’d like to teach you about beanstalks before you head off to enjoy the Play & Learns for this episode,

So…What’s a beanstalk anyway?!

One of the reasons Jack sold his family’s cow, Milky White, for the magical beans was because they were hungry and needed food to eat. At one point in Australian history there was something called a famine, which means people were hungry because crops and food wouldn’t grow! So Jack traded his cow for the magical beans in hopes of growing food for himself and his mother.

A beanstalk is a tall plant that grows from a small bean seed. As the seed sprouts, the beanstalk grows tall with strong stems and lots of green leaves. In “Jack and the Beanstalk,” Jack’s beanstalk grew so tall it reached the clouds!

In real life, magic beans can’t make your garden grow, but hard work and smart thinking can! Even though Australians faced lack of rain and were hungry from the famine, they had some pretty clever people who helped the crops start to grow again. There are the Aussie brothers Richard and Clarence Smith who invented the “Stump Jump” plow which helped farmers save time because they didn’t have to remove all the rocks from the ground when farming, because the plow could go right over them!

The other man we want to teach you about is James Ruse. James was a former convict/prisoner from England but after he served his sentence, which means punishment, he was the first person to successfully harvest wheat in the Australian state of New South Wales!

Successfully growing and harvesting wheat helped his community a lot! To thank him, the Australian government rewarded James with what is called a land grant. That means he didn’t have to pay for the land, it was gifted to him! James Ruse was the first man to receive free land from the Australian government.

This history lesson teaches us that even if someone makes a mistake, they can always do better next time. And in this case James Ruse helped his community by growing wheat and they didn’t have to feel hungry anymore. Have you ever been forgiven for a mistake you made?

Thank you for joining us! Next, visit our Play & Learns on Snoriezzz.com to learn how to grow your own beanstalk and more!

The Magic Bed: Mindful Affirmations

Embrace the Power of Affirmations!

Imagine a world where your child starts and ends each day with positivity and confidence! By weaving affirmations into their daily routines, children can boost their self-esteem, build resilience, and cultivate a growth mindset. These skills empower them to face life’s challenges with courage and optimism.

Bedtime Bliss and Breakfast Boost:

Why not make affirmations a delightful part of your family’s routine? Enjoy these uplifting phrases together before bed, creating a peaceful atmosphere for sweet dreams. Then, share them again at breakfast to set a positive tone for the day ahead.

You can inspire our little ones to shine bright and embrace every opportunity that comes their way! 🌟

Play & Learn

Download Play & Learn PDFs
	Grow Your Beanstalk	Download Now
	Australian Outdoor Activities	Download Now
	Jack Handing His Mother a Sack of Gold Coins Coloring Page	Download Now
	Climbing Up Beanstalk Coloring Page	Download Now
	Pin the Tail on the Kangaroo	Download Now
	Milky White Coloring Page	Download Now
	Word And Picture Matching Activity	Download Now
	White Bean Soup Recipe	Download Now

Snoriezzz Science Tip

Sleep for Motor Skills

Sleep offers countless benefits that help us grow stronger and learn amazing new things.

What you may not know is that sleep also helps our bodies and brains remember how to perform new physical skills, and sleep actually helps us improve our abilities to perform these skills the next day! You might score better in a game after a good nights sleep!

We sometimes call these skills motor skills. Motor skills are our muscle movement skills, they are what we use for playing sports, jumping, practicing musical instruments, and even doing everyday tasks, like writing or using scissors.

Studies show that the amount and quality of sleep we get directly influences our ability to focus, to concentrate, and to hold our attention long enough so we can learn new skills. Basically, people who sleep better, perform better!

Sleep is also important for helping us remember things. The brain is working hard at night! Through sleep, it turns short term memories we have during the day – like how to spell or write something – into long-term memories we can remember for months and years after. Sleep also helps our brains and bodies improve and sharpen new motor skills that we are learning, like typing, playing the piano or drums, or coloring and drawing. Sleep helps improve our overall coordination!

When you get plenty of sleep, your body grows stronger and gets smarter too! With plenty of sleep, you have the power to do anything you set your mind to.

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Jack and the Beanstalk

About this Episode

Share with a Friend

Get ready for Connect & Learn! Where you and your adult dive deeper into the Snoriezzz episodes you’ve heard at bedtime or naptime!

WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA BUT …WHERE IS AUSTRALIA ANYWAY?

But first, WHO WAS JACK AND THE BEANSTALK?

Australian Landscape & Climate

Aboriginal Australians

Australian Culture

Australian Culture

Nature & Wildlife in Australia

Animals

Birds

Australian Traditions

Australia Day

Barbecue (or “Barbie”)

ANZAC Day

Footy (Australian Rules Football)

Christmas in Summer

Horse Racing and Fancy Outfits

Australian Food

Vegemite

Meat Pies

Barbecue (or “Barbie”)

Lamingtons

Tim Tams

Pavlova

Australian Art

Australian Castles

Australia Invention

So…What’s a beanstalk anyway?!

Thank you for joining us! Next, visit our Play & Learns on Snoriezzz.com to learn how to grow your own beanstalk and more!

The Magic Bed: Mindful Affirmations

Play & Learn

Snoriezzz Science Tip

Sleep for Motor Skills

Discover More Podcasts

Little Bo Peep

The Selfish Giant

Three Little Pigs

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