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In this activity, we formed a circle and we closed our eyes to listen carefully to the surrounding space. First is a piano sound, then focused on everyday sounds like humming, breathing and tapping. Next time, me and my friends together gathered loose parts to make music and added our own layers. This became a small “personal orchestra” where I experimented with rhythm, beat, and texture. Through the experience, we learned how even the simplest environmental sounds can become part of a musical dialogue.

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Lesson 1: Music - “Soundscapes of the Wattle” 

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Lesson 1: Music - “Soundscapes of the Wattle” 

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Materials:

Natural sound clips (wind, bees, birds)

Small percussion instruments (shakers, sticks, drums)

Steps:

1.      Guide children to listen attentively to the surrounding natural sounds: wind, birds, rustling leaves.

2.      Using body percussion, simple instruments, or natural objects (sticks, leaves), children create layered soundscapes that mimic or complement these environmental sounds.

EYLF Links: Outcome 5.4: “Children begin to understand how symbol and pattern systems work”

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What went as expected

Many confidently volunteered during play and actively contributed their ideas, which supported peer connection and collaborative meaning-making.

This reflects Victor Wooten’s (2013) view of music as a “first language,” where rhythm and movement become natural ways for children to communicate and interact.

What did not go as expected

This limited opportunities for children to deepen their connection to Country through story, sound, and movement.

What I might do differently next time

Incorporate Aboriginal stories, songs, and movement traditions to provide cultural grounding and enrich the experience.

Use simple props or visual prompts to strengthen the drama component and encourage children to extend their imaginative play.

How this supports my professional growth

Encourages me to use music, drama, and movement not only for engagement but also as pathways to cultural understanding and respect.

Moving forward, I will intentionally design activities where sound, movement, and drama invite children to connect with Country and community, fostering both creativity and cultural awareness.

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Short summary 2: Dance/ movement activity

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Short summary 2: Dance/ movement activity

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During the lesson, we faced the corner of the wall and danced to Michael Jackson’s “Don’t stop ‘til you get enough” (Jackson, 2009), allowing the music to guide and shape our movements. Facing a wall encouraged me to focus more intently on my body and the space immediately around me. I explored how my body could move in response to place. I experimented with flowing, grounded, and expressive gestures, paying attention to rhythm and space. The main idea was to imagine how natural elements around us might move, and then embody those qualities through our own movement. This helped me recognise how dance as a language for expressing both self and environment.

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Lesson 2: Movement - "Swaying with the breeze"

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Lesson 2: Movement - "Swaying with the breeze"

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Materials:

Music track with flowing rhythm (soft instrumental, nature-inspired)

Steps:

1. Ask children to imagine they are a wattle tree in the wind.

2. Model swaying movements (arms as branches, fingers as blossoms).

3. Play music and invite them to move like the tree.

4. Add variations: tiny seed bouncing, bees buzzing around.

EYLF Links: Outcome 3.1: “Children became strong in their social, emotional and mental wellbeing”

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What went as expected

Their playful responses showed that movement supported joyful engagement and imaginative connection with place.

What did not go as expected

Some children were shy at first and hesitant to join in the larger movements.

What I might do differently next time

Begin with smaller, simpler gestures to help children feel comfortable.

Gradually build up to larger, more expressive movements as their confidence grows.

In future practice, I will:

Reinforces the importance of scaffolding movement experiences so all children can participate at their own pace.

Connects to the Dance Atelier approach from the unit, which emphasises building expression step by step.

Reminds me that laughter and joy are key indicators of engagement, and movement can be a safe entry point for creative risk-taking.

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In the drama session, I practiced using my imagination and role-play to connect with place through various playful exercises. One activity involved sharing three dramatic facts where we’re telling two true and one false, creating engaging interactions between participants. We also placed loose parts like a piece of fabric, a tunnel, a paper bag on our hands and used them as puppets, transforming simple objects into characters with stories. These activities demonstrated how drama draws story, character, and play to bring new perspectives to ordinary spaces, showing that any environment can become a stage for creative exploration.

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Materials:

Excerpt from Assessment 2 voiceover (optional playback)

Steps:

1. Gather children in a circle and say: “Today, we are all wattles!”

2. Model speaking as the wattle: “I am strong and tall. Birds rest on me. The wind makes me dance.”

3. Invite each child to speak a short line as the wattle.

4. Encourage adding simple movements (stretch, sway, blossom).

5. Together, create a short “Wattle Play” combining voices and movements.

EYLF Links: Outcome 5.3: “Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media”

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What went as expected

Role-play was powerful, with children speaking confidently as wattles.

They showed imagination and engagement by stepping into the perspective of the plant.

What did not go as expected

A few children repeated the same lines, which limited the variety of dramatic expression.

What I might do differently next time

Provide prompt cards with varied ideas (e.g., “I give shade,” “Birds sit on me”) to spark new responses and support children who need more guidance.

In my future practice, I will:

Reinforces that drama helps children build confidence and creativity through voice and character.

Connects to the unit idea that life is drama, where children learn through experimenting with roles, perspectives, and language.

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These three sessions are directly inspired by my creative response in Assessment 2, where I imagined myself as a wattle acacia and invited passengers to dance with me and listen to nature. In this work, I discovered how music, movement, and drama are powerful temporal languages that help children engage with place through the expressive arts. By embodying and responding to the wattle, children can build meaningful connections to nature, while also developing creativity and confidence through sound, movement, and role-play. As the Early Years Learning Framework (ELYF) highlights, “Children are connected with and contribute to their world” (outcome 2) and “Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media” (outcome 5). The session also reflects theoretical perspectives that view creativity as central to learning and not just an additional skill. As Edwards, Gandini, and Forman (2011) reminds us “Creativity should not be considered a spate mental faculty but a characteristic of our way of thinking, knowing, and making choices.” (p.51). Music in particular is a rich entry point, as Hanna notes that “musical play also facilitates physical development, gross and fine motor control and eye-hand coordination” (Nyland et al., 2011). Likewise, drama and role-play allow children to explore identity and possibility, since Niland explains, “When children play, they commonly imitate the behaviour of others and then use their own ideas to develop their play further” (2009). Taken together, these perspectives justify why embedding music, movement, and drama into children’s engagement with place is both pedagogically meaningful and developmentally supportive.

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Engaging with music, movement, and drama has shifted my perspective from seeing them as merely entertainment to recognizing them as core ways children make meaning of place and identity. Through required tasks and in-class activities, I now view expressive arts as languages of connection to the environment and vital in early childhood education. Each activity helped children connect to place by experiencing the wattle not just as an object, but as a living presence expressed through rhythm, flow, and narrative. This growth will shape my future practice by encouraging me to design learning that uses music, dance, and drama as languages of connection rather than extras.

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Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. (Eds.). (2011). The hundred languages of children : The reggio emilia experience in transformation. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?c=UERG&docID=820317&ppg=70

Hanna, W. (2014). A Reggio-Inspired Music Atelier: Opening the Door between Visual Arts and Music. Early Childhood Education Journal, 42(4), 287–294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-013-0610-9

Jackson, M. (2009, April 10). Michael Jackson - Don't stop 'til you get enough [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yURRmWtbTbo

Niland, A. (2009). The Power of Musical Play: The Value of Play-Based, Child-Centered Curriculum in Early Childhood Music Education. General Music Today, 23(1), 17–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/1048371309335625

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While I was walking in the forest, I came across a stick that looked like a conductor’s baton, and as I played with it, music came into my head

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I saw the shadow of a tree dancing on the window, and it inspired me to move

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An old artefact from a previous class echoed with the powerful voice of a living dragon, which inspired me to create a drama activity