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Experience 1:     Birdy Beads Band (Music)

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Experience 1:     Birdy Beads Band (Music)

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Set up a “Birdy Beads Band” music station outdoor where children can explore the different rhythms and sounds of shakers. Use recorded bird sounds as background. Demonstrate basic shaking techniques and encourage children to imitate.

I will need:

-Loose Parts (Recycled cardboard rolls, bottles, glass)

-Natural Sensory Materials (Rice, Pebbles, sand and water)

-Scissor, Tape

-Speaker for music

-Age Group: 1-2 years

Preparation Time: 5-10 mins approximately

Setting up time: Less then2-3 mins

Location: Early childhood setting (outdoor)

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My experience in assessment 2 was listening to the melodies of bird’s early morning that made me think of how I can create this experience for children. Firstly, I choose outdoor natural space outdoor and created shakes out of loose parts and natural and sustainable materials. To have an age-appropriate experience I choose small and soft materials that children can hold and move their hands to shake them. I modelled them and gave them the freedom to explore the different rhythms of the sounds of shakes. When children were expressing themselves freely with music, telling their own stories and conveying emotions through language of music that reminded me the theory of Victor Wooten’s music as a language (Wooten, 2013). Wooten’s theory came alive as children discovered the power of music to connect and communicate, transcending verbal language barriers.

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Children excitedly came to grab the shakes. Children followed their own instinct to create the music. Children were engaged for a long time.  Some young children put the shakes in mouth. They always need active supervision. It was a great experience for me to create an experience for children to have the similar experience I felt in my A2. In future I will reflect on each session to refine activities and ensure they are engaging, safe, and beneficial for toddlers' development. This reminds me of Dr. Ibrahim H. Baltagi's approach (UNICEF, 2019) that emphasizes creativity, interactive learning, and the development of musical skills from an early age. He highlights music’s impact on cognitive skills and brain development.

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Reference List: Wooten, V. (2013). Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0

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UNICEF. (2019, June 12). Is your baby getting enough music? | UNICEF. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIwhGbnY_uI&t=8s

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Photo: My own children Location: Outdoor

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Experience 2: (Movement)             “The Bird Trackers

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Experience 2: (Movement)             “The Bird Trackers

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Take children outdoor natural space where they and play “The Bird Tracker” game. They can use DIY binoculars made from cardboard tubes or simply use their hands as pretend binoculars. They can find different birds around them in the team or solitary. Encourage them to use these binoculars to observe birds in trees, bushes, or flying overhead.

I will Need:

Cardboard rolls

Outdoor natural space

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In my imagination I become a detective and start to explore the natural world around me with my imaginative binoculars. To create the same experience for children I think of “The Bird Tracker” activity for children to be imaginative and curious in natural world. When children were being detective and being quit and moving their bodies and tip toeing to find the bird. They were trying to communicate through body expressions that reminds the video of Ashley Bowan (Movement, Sound, Play | Artifact Dance Project | TEDxTucson, n.d.) a teacher and choreographer who defines the interconnectedness of movement, music and acting. I was amazed how they are using their body to express to connect with others and understand their prospectives.

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I explained my children that we are playing a game called “The Bird Trackers” and they can use pretend or cardboard binoculars to tack the birds. I gave them freedom to lead. According to their age they understand the instructions and followed well. They were using their previous knowledge and ideas into the game. They become curious and start to look for birds and one child said the bird was very fast to flew away. They started counting how many birds they saw. In the beginning one child was struggling to find the bird but eventually both children teamed up to find the birds together. In early childhood setting I will ensure the outdoor space is well-prepared and safe, with clear guidelines on exploration boundaries and safety measures. This experience I did with my own children outdoor, and I had the opportunity to explore the area around me. As an educator, I will incorporate nature related games into my teaching practice. But in early childhood settings we are having limited outdoor space to explore but incorporating nature related experiences into practice we can provide different opportunities for children to explore and be imaginative.

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Reference List: Movement, Sound, Play | Artifact Dance Project | TEDxTucson. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrgpeuPbp-I

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Experience 3: Drama                            The Bird Flight School

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Experience 3: Drama                            The Bird Flight School

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Take children outdoor in natural space where they can see different birds. Encourage children to pretend like different birds and pretend fly.

I will need:

Natural Outdoor Space

Role modelling to pretend like birds

Open ended questions to encourage children

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In my imagination, when baby bird was sad and with sudden flash of light they flew away. The freedom of birds and interaction with other materials around that made me think of let’s pretend to be a bird and fly. Acting out flying movements engages gross motor skills, coordination, and balance. It encourages children to use their bodies in different ways, promoting physical development. When I see my children took small branches and said my feathers and they started to run and mimic sounds birds as well. Suddenly they saw a duck and then pretend to be a duck and quack like a duck. That movement and drama reminds of Bangarra The mutton Bird where artist pretend to be a bird and used their body movements to express their feeling and emotions. Also, when children enjoyed flying, I explained flight represents freedom and connection to land, echoing the experiences of Aboriginal peoples.

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Children enthusiastically pretended to be birds outdoors, flapping their "wings" and exploring. They enjoyed watching different birds, sparking curiosity and discussions about nature while improving coordination through pretend flying. It started raining when we go outside to play. We took umbrellas but children start to enjoy the rain and weather. I will introduce more activities like bird identification cards or storytelling about bird behaviours to maintain focus and enrich learning. When children are interacting in nature and animals they are learning about their history. I will talk about indigenous birds and their indigenous names to incorporate Aboriginal prospectives in my teaching.

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Reference List: Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-PV98Oshkc

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My prospective have changed a lot after learning from this unit and watching videos. I work with young children and now realize how important music is for their growth. Victor Wooten's idea that music is like a language really made sense to me. Music is everywhere and helps us communicate in many ways.

I found body percussion fascinating because it shows how we can make music with our bodies, even without instruments. Foley art, which uses everyday objects to create sound effects, also amazed me and made me think about music differently.

I now understand how drama and movement are crucial for children. They learn important skills like creativity and imagination by playing and exploring nature. In my teaching, I want to focus more on activities that spark children's imagination, like pretending, storytelling, and acting out roles in natural settings. I will create an inclusive environment for children with or without body limitations. I understand how music encourages children, and everyone can enjoy it.

There are a lot of new concepts I have learnt throughout the unit, and I will implement those in my teaching and always learn new ways to incorporate by understanding the meaning behind it rather than just doing things.

Encouraging children to use their imagination in nature helps them connect with the land and learn about their history. It teaches them to respect nature and appreciate different cultures. Including indigenous perspectives means honoring and learning from traditional knowledge and practices, which enriches our outdoor activities with cultural understanding and respect.