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Carson, R. (2017). The sense of wonder: A celebration of nature for parents and children. https://vu.ereserve.vu.edu.au/app/manage/resources/access?item_id=193729&session_public_key=c5b0534d7a5b4ccf9b28184d381b82a6

Kilby, J. (2017). The Parallaxis: A game of walking between worlds. (pp.1-200). RMIT University. https://vu.ereserve.vu.edu.au/app/manage/resources/access?item_id=193730&session_public_key=c5b0534d7a5b4ccf9b28184d381b82a6

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S., & Kocher, L. (2014). Thinking with materials.https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/mono/10.4324/9781003322559-1/thinking-materials-veronica-pacini-ketchabaw-sylvia-kind-laurie-kocher?context=ubx&refId=47d195c3-b6d3-4ff5-8ba9-e90e2ff025d9

Victoria University. (n.d.). Mini Maddern Pop-Up Playground. (video.ECE2004, Week 2, Session 4).

Wilson, R. (2008). Children, creative play, and the natural environment. In Nature and young children: Encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments (pp. 1–18). Routledge.https://vu.ereserve.vu.edu.au/app/manage/resources/access?item_id=193732&session_public_key=c5b0534d7a5b4ccf9b28184d381b82a6

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Playground with bench and swing - Ninja Concept

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Playground with bench and swing - Ninja Concept

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At the playground with a bench and swing, I observed how simple structures invite creative, imaginative, and social play. The swing offered rhythm and momentum, while the bench became a stage, meeting point, or observation spot.

Interestingly, parents often adopted a “ninja” approach (VU Collaborate, n.d.), quietly observing their children’s play from a distance without interrupting. This reminded me of my Pop-Up placement, where educators used loose parts and allowed children to explore freely while maintaining a careful, unobtrusive presence. Watching without intervening created space for children to engage in independent problem-solving, negotiation, and imagination.

The playground was alive with the creak of swings, laughter, rustling leaves, and distant chatter. Ambient sounds punctuated movement, creating dynamic rhythm and a natural “soundtrack” for play. The quiet presence of parents added to the calm observation space, allowing children’s sounds of discovery to emerge organically.

This reflection reinforces the importance of creating space for independent exploration. In future practice, I will allow children freedom to interact with playground equipment and loose parts without immediate intervention, observing quietly to understand their creativity and problem-solving. Otherwise I can use pedagogical narration to record moments of transformation, interaction, and imaginative play.

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While walking along the footpath during school pick-up time, I catched the moment when mothers collecting their children. This everyday scene hightlighted how routine insersactions can offer rich opportunities for reflection and connection with the environment.

I saw the happiness with ryhthmic movement of children running towards their caregivers, skipping along the path. Observing these movements underscored the importance of physical activity in children's development and the role of natural spaces in facilitating such movement. The intersaction between children and caregivers unfold like a silent narrative. A child's joyful leap into a mother's arms, or a shared glance, illustrating the power of simple moments in storytelling

Carson (2017) discusses the significance of natural environments in early childhood education, emphasising how such settings can foster creativity, indepedence, and a sense of belonging. In further education, I will design learning environments that incorporate natural elements, such as gardens, trees and open spaces to encourage exploration and creativity. Moreover, I will foster partnershipswith families and communities to create shared outdoor spaces that support children's learning and development. These practices align with the principles outlined in the Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009), which emphasizes the importance of responsive and inclusive learning environments that support children's agency and connection to the world around them.

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Exploring the large yard near my house, I was immediately struck by the openness and flexibility of the space. It allowed me to move freely, run, skip and create my own playfull rhythm. The yard became a stage for stories. Trees transformed into secret hideouts or magical portals, patches of sunlight became scenes in my narrative, and the open grass became an arena for imaginary adventures. The combination of movement, sound, and drama created a fully immersive experience, echoing childhood play where ordinary spaces are transformed by imagination.

I felt the warmth of the sun, the gentle breeze on my skin, the scent of grass and earth, and the texture of soil beneath my feet. Emotionally, I felt freedom, joy, and a sense of creative flow. The experience reminded me that children can explore complex stories and games even in simple, open spaces.

Wilson (2018) mentions that natural environments encourage engagement, experimentation, and imaginative play. The yard's tree, sunlight and open spaces acted as prompts for exploration, physical activity, and narrative invention. Therefore, it shows how educatior can recognise the pedagogical potential of simple, everyday outdoor spaces.

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Dancing with my shadow : play, presence, and imagination

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Dancing with my shadow : play, presence, and imagination

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When I stood in the park and noticed my shadow, I became aware of the way everyday environments invite imaginative play. The sun stretched my shadow across the ground. Although my shadow was silent, the soundscape around me carried meaning. I heard children laughing in the distance, leaves rustling in the wind, and the faint bounce of a tennis ball. These background sounds gave life to the image of the shadow.

My body’s movement gave the shadow its choreography. Each movement like choreographed. Like children, movement with shadows to chase, jump, or transform them into characters.

In my imagination, it became a horse, a monster, a friend. I became aware of how moving my position changed my perspective , a kind of parallax. By stepping to the side, leaning forward, or stretching my arms, the shadow transformed, offering multiple imaginative possibilities. From one angle, it could become a horse; from another, a monster; from yet another, a friend. Children, too, often explore shadows this way, discovering that a single shape can become many things depending on where they stand. (Kilby, J, n.d).

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The Power of Play and Imagination in Everyday Spaces

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Pacini-Ketchabaw, Kind, and Kocher (2014) also mention of pedagogical narration as a way of noticing children’s multiple ways of knowing. Observing this tennis play, I realise how important it is for educators to pause and see beyond the surface. The game is not only physical exercise, but a performance of relationships, creativity, and agency. The laughter, the dramatic movements, and even the bouncing rhythm of the ball are languages children use to narrate their world.

For my future practice, this moment challenges me to consider how outdoor spaces can be opened to imagination. Similarly, early childhood environments keep “sport” separate from “imaginative play.” Yet children show us that these can operate together, tennis can be theatre, running can be dance, a ball can be a meteor. My role as an educator is to create conditions where these transformations are celebrated.

In this way, the tennis court is more than a fenced space. It is an artefact of play, a reminder that sound, movement, and drama live in every child’s game, if only we take the time to notice.