Hi-5 (Australian group) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hi-5
Original members, 2006 (L–R: Nathan Foley, Charli Robinson, Kellie Crawford, Kathleen de Leon Jones and Tim Harding)
Background information
Origin	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Children's, edutainment, pop
Years active	1998 (1998)–2019 (2019)
Labels	Sony
Past members	see Members below

Hi-5 was a popular Australian music group for kids. It started in 1998, linked to a TV show with the same name. The show first aired in 1999 on the Nine Network. The group had five performers who used music, dance, and play to teach and entertain young children.

The first members were Kellie Crawford, Kathleen de Leon Jones, Nathan Foley, Tim Harding, and Charli Robinson. Over time, all the original members left by 2008. The group's members changed many times after that. Hi-5 starred in several TV shows, released music albums, and performed concerts around the world. The TV show also featured puppet friends like Chatterbox and Jup Jup, who sometimes joined the live shows.

Hi-5 was one of Australia's most successful entertainment groups. Their albums earned awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Some albums, like It's a Party, sold so well they were certified "double platinum". Others, like Jump and Jive with Hi-5, Boom Boom Beat, and It's a Hi-5 Christmas, went "platinum". Their album Celebrate was certified "gold". Four of their albums even reached the top 10 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The original group also won three Logie Awards for Most Outstanding Children's Program and five ARIA Music Awards for Best Children's Album.

Later versions of Hi-5 were not as famous as the first group. Hi-5 was last nominated for a major award in Australia in 2012. Their last album came out in 2014. In 2012, the Nine Network sold the Hi-5 brand to a company in Malaysia called Asiasons. This company focused on bringing Hi-5 to Southeast Asia. After a short TV show comeback in 2017, the group's main office moved to Singapore. From 2019, they started using temporary performers for their tours.

Music and Learning Fun

Hi-5 was often called "a pop group for kids." Chris Harriott wrote most of their songs, creating thousands of tunes for the group. He worked with lyricists like Chris Phillips, Leone Carey, and Lisa Hoppe. The songs were designed to sound like popular "top 40" music, not just traditional nursery rhymes.

How Hi-5 Helps Kids Learn

Hi-5 combined learning with music and movement. They always kept their music and costumes fresh and modern. The performers acted like older siblings or friends to their audience, not like teachers. The show's creators based their ideas on a learning theory called Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences. This theory suggests that people learn in different ways. Hi-5 made sure each member showed skills in different areas, like moving their bodies (kinesthetic learning) or understanding music (musicality). This way, children could connect with the performer who learned in a similar way to them.

Hi-5's performances were fast-paced, like music videos. They encouraged kids to join in during their live shows with interactive activities. In countries where English was not the main language, the shows included more songs and physical actions to help everyone understand.

The Hi-5 Brand Around the World

The people who created Hi-5, Helena Harris and Posie Graeme-Evans, first owned the brand. Unlike some other groups, the Hi-5 performers were employees, not owners of the brand. In 2008, the Nine Network bought the Hi-5 brand.

In 2012, the Nine Network sold Hi-5 to an Asian company called Asiasons. This company wanted to make Hi-5 popular across Southeast Asia, while still keeping it in Australia. Later, in 2014, the Hi-5 brand became part of Tremendous Entertainment. The Nine Network worked with Hi-5 again in 2016 to make a new TV series in 2017. In 2018, the Australian office closed, and the whole Hi-5 brand moved to Singapore.

Hi-5 also launched different versions of the group in other countries. These groups toured and made their own local TV shows. In 2002, an American Hi-5 group was created. They filmed TV shows, recorded albums, and toured. Later, a UK group started in 2008. After the brand was sold in 2012, more international groups were created. A Latin American group started in 2014, followed by a Filipino version in 2015, and an Indonesian group in 2017.

Hi-5's Success

Hi-5 was very successful. In 2007, they were one of Australia's highest-earning entertainment groups. The original five members received many awards for their albums. Their albums Celebrate went gold, while Jump and Jive with Hi-5, Boom Boom Beat, and It's a Hi-5 Christmas went platinum. It's a Party even achieved double platinum status, meaning it sold a huge number of copies!

Meet the Members

Timeline of Members

Hi-5 Music Albums

Awards and Nominations

Hi-5 won many awards for their music and TV shows. Here are some of the awards they received: