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I recorded the video below in the car park of Victoria University. In the middle of this usually busy and practical space, there was a large flowering bush that immediately caught my attention. The flowers were small and delicate, with a soft green-blue hue that stood out gently against the concrete surroundings. Even though I was in a car park, surrounded by signs of the built environment, this small patch of nature felt surprisingly alive and rich with detail.

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Lam Khanh Vu s8065102 - Assessment 2 ECE2008 1 IMG 3326

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This soundscape captures a beautiful, almost magical moment I experienced in the car park at Victoria University. I was sitting beside a bush of soft green-blue flowers, with cars passing nearby and birds calling from somewhere in the distance. I closed my eyes and just listened. The sounds slowly started to layer themselves , leaves rustling in the breeze, bees buzzing close by, and the soft hum of traffic coming and going. What I first thought was just background noise turned into something more , a kind of natural soundtrack that made the space feel alive. Gano and Krull (2020) talk about nature as the ultimate sensory classroom, where even simple acts like listening can help children slow down and connect more deeply with the world around them. This idea really stayed with me. It also echoes the Reggio Emilia idea that imagination, perception, and emotion are all part of how children make meaning (Gandini, 2012).

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Lam Khanh Vu s8065102 - ASM2 ECE2008 Creative Response

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During my On Country experience, I really started to notice the sounds around me. There were birds singing from the trees, the soft hum of cars going past, and bees buzzing gently from flower to flower. These sounds mixed together and created a kind of music made by nature and the city together. It reminded me of what Gano and Krull (2020) call auditory sensory learning, where listening to outdoor sounds helps children focus, understand space, and connect more deeply with their environment.

As I sat quietly, I started to imagine that the birds and bees weren’t just making sounds , they were talking to each other in their own way. It felt like they were working together to look after this tiny green space.

UNICEF (2019) talks about how music helps young children’s brains develop, and even supports emotional bonding. That made me think: maybe sound in early learning isn’t something we always need to teach directly , sometimes, we just need to give children space to listen, respond, and be present.

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As I watched the flower bush gently sway in the breeze and bees weaving through the air,,seemed to move together in a quiet, unplanned dance. This reminded me of creative dance-play, where children learn through movement , building motor skills, focus, and imagination (Dance Teaching Ideas, n.d.). When children move freely outside, it’s not just exercise , it’s also a way of understanding the world around them.

Gano and Krull (2020) talk about how outdoor play supports children’s vestibular and proprioceptive senses, helping them understand balance, space, and their own bodies. Watching the bees move and feeling the wind on my skin made me think about how children naturally respond to these kinds of cues with their bodies — twirling, reaching, pausing. Vecchi (in Gandini, 2012) explains that movement and sensory experience are deeply tied to how children learn, not separate from it.This experience has made me think differently about early learning spaces. Instead of sticking to rigid, indoor routines, I want to create environments that encourage children to move, explore, and connect with nature through their whole body.

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As I sat quietly beside the flower bush, I started to imagine the bees and birds as little guardians, each playing their part to care for this small green space. I began to picture the bees and birds as characters in their own little world, caretakers and storytellers working together to watch over this small patch of green. The bush became more than just a plant, it became the heart of a secret garden. In my mind, this space came alive with gentle roles and invisible stories, created by the movement and sounds around me.

Wilson (2007) describes this kind of imaginative play as essential for children’s development, helping them make sense of the world in their own way. In Reggio Emilia thinking, imagination is not separate from learning — it’s one of the many “languages” children use to explore and express (Gandini, 2012). As an educator, I hope to create environments where children feel safe to imagine and tell their own stories, where a patch of grass or a tree can become anything they need it to be.

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Dance Teaching Ideas. (n.d.). Creative Dance-Play for Early Childhood. https://danceteachingideas.com/creative-dance-movement-for-toddlers/

Gano, D., & Krull, S. (2020, July). Natural Sensory Learning. Community Playthings. https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/natural-sensory-learning

Gandini, L. (2012). The atelier: A conversation with Vea Vecchi. In C. Edwards, L. Gandini, & G. Forman (Eds.), The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (3rd ed., pp. 303–316). ABC-CLIO.

UNICEF. (2019, June 13). Is your baby getting enough music? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIwhGbnY_uI

Wilson, R. (2007). Children, creative play, and the natural environment. In R. Wilson (Ed.), Nature and young children: Encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments (pp. 1–18). Routledge.