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The Symphony of the Wind

In this brief music experience, children will interact with the natural environment by constructing their own "orchestra" from discovered things such as leaves, sticks, and stones. They will experiment with these materials to simulate natural sounds, like wind whistling, raindrops tapping, and leaves rustling. As discussed in Reggio-Inspired Music Atelier (Wendell, 2014), where children might act out characters or events by using instruments like drums for stomping dinosaurs or woodblocks for trotting ponies, Children in this activity will use natural elements to imitate the sounds of wind, rain, trees, and other elements of nature. This not only fosters creativity but also helps children perceive music as an expression of their surroundings, promoting a comprehensive approach to learning through play.

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Inspired by my On-Country visit to Flagstaff Garden in Assessment 2, I led three short teaching activities—music, movement, and drama during After-school care. Although permission concerns prevented me from including pictures, the children were thrilled about the events, and the area manager was made aware of the schedule. During the sessions, I actively engaged with the children; some even joined in out of curiosity, which was amazing.

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Wind Dancers

Wind Dancers allows children to immerse themselves in nature's rhythm by imitating the beautiful sway of trees, the fluttering motion of leaves, the gradual drift of clouds, and the lively movements of birds. This activity enables children to physically express themselves as components of nature, inspired by my sensory investigation at Flagstaff Garden, where the wind and trees produced a sense of flow and elegance.

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Nature's Storytellers

In "Nature's Storytellers," children visit a realm where they take on the roles of natural story characters. Inspired by the dynamic interaction of wind, trees, and birds at Flagstaff Garden, this craft encourages children to act out scenarios in their imagination. They will use expressive gestures and sounds to take on the roles of various parts of nature, such a playful wind, a swinging tree, or an inquisitive bird, for a duration of five to ten minutes.

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Arianaca. (2017, April 10). Movement in the Wild: Nature as dance partner - The Earthbody Institute. The Earthbody Institute. https://www.theearthbodyinstitute.com/2017/03/movement-in-the-wild-nature-as-dance-partner/

B. Meyers, A., & E. Berk, L. (2014). The SAGE Handbook of Play and Learning in Early Childhood. SAGE Publications Ltd. https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/content/enforced/1816406-ECE2008-1-2023-HWB-151670/the-sage-handbook-of-play-and-learning-in-early-childhood%20(1)%20(1).pdf?ou=2040456

Creative Dance for early Childhood |. (2022, April 4). | Creative Dance Teaching Ideas and Resources. https://danceteachingideas.com/creative-dance-movement-for-toddlers/

Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. (Eds.). (2011). The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (3rd ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing USA. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=820317

Wendell, H. (2014). A Reggio-Inspired Music Atelier: Opening the Door between Visual Arts and Music. Early Childhood Education Journal, 42(4), 8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-013-0610-9\

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The faint but colourful sounds of nature, like the rustle of leaves and the far-off voices of birds, really stuck with me throughout my visit to Flagstaff Garden. The music task designed for this assessment was greatly impacted by these sensory insights from Assessment 2.

Using natural items like leaves, sticks, and stones, children make their own "orchestra" in this activity to mimic the sounds they hear in the natural world. The Reggio Emilia philosophy (Edwards et al., 2011, p.150), which values young children as powerful, active, competent protagonists in their growth, aligns with this activity, as it fosters children's curiosity and engagement with their surroundings.

The activity's promotion of creativity and sensory exploration is consistent with best practices in early childhood education. Letting children play with sound and rhythm, helps them develop their auditory discrimination skills and awareness of the natural world. Learning becomes more immersive and meaningful when using this hands-on approach, which also enhances their connection to the natural world and develops their musical skills.

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The "Wind Dancers" activity is intended to assist children in establishing a connection with their senses and natural movement. It was inspired by my sensory experience in Flagstaff Garden, where I observed the exquisite interaction of wind, trees, and leaves. Seeing how the wind affected the trees and leaves, I noticed a lovely analogy for how children may use movement to interact with their surroundings.

The notion that children are nature's means of expression is embodied in the activity. Children can explore their physical coordination and inventiveness while being a part of the natural rhythm by mimicking the soft swing of trees and the flutter of leaves.

This activity promotes a strong connection to nature while supporting the development of motor skills and spatial awareness, all following best practices in early childhood education. "Dance-play activities encourage young children to practice balance and motor skills while stretching the imagination," according to early childhood paedagogy (Creative Dance for Early Childhood, 2022). With "Wind Dancers," children dance with the natural world, giving them a creative and imaginative way to express themselves and bond with their environment (Arianaca, 2017).

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The dynamic interplay between the wind, trees, and birds during my On-Country visit to Flagstaff Garden greatly inspired this dramatic activity. By engaging in “Nature’s Storytellers”, children are invited to embody different elements of nature and create their own imaginative stories. This approach allows children to explore their emotions and ideas by taking on roles such as a curious bird, a swaying tree, or a calm breeze.

This activity aligns with the reading, "In make-believe play, children relive anxiety-provoking experiences (parental discipline, a dental visit) but reverse roles (the child becomes the doctor rather than the patient)" (Freud, 1961). Similarly, in “Nature’s Storytellers,” children transform their roles from passive observers of nature to active participants who become nature itself. This role reversal enhances their connection to the natural world, allowing them to explore and express their understanding of it in a deeply personal way.

The drama activity fosters children's emotional intelligence and storytelling abilities, which further promotes best practices in early childhood education. Children are inspired to explore their creativity and develop a lively, engaging grasp of the world around them via the integration of storytelling with natural components.

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The children were enthusiastic and engaged, creating their “orchestra” from natural materials, dancing like elements of nature, and acting out stories. The highlight was teaching the children to fold a leaf and blow on it softly to make a sound like wind rustling—something I learned as a child myself. In the movement session, the children excitedly imitated the gentle sway of trees and fluttering of leaves, with some even spinning around like leaves caught in the wind. The drama activity was particularly fun; the children took on roles like birds and trees, and one child humorously made a dog noise, explaining he was chasing the bird. Each activity allowed them to engage with nature creatively and joyfully.

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During the music lesson, a few children struggled with figuring out how to make natural sounds with the resources. Although the activities' scheduling was generally well-managed, some children needed additional assistance to participate fully in the sound-making process. Despite this, they did a fantastic job at simulating natural sounds, which made the session more enjoyable.

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What might you do differently next time?

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What might you do differently next time?

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The next time, I would concentrate on making my instructions more understandable and providing more practical direction while the exercises were underway. For the music activity, I would plan a detailed explanation so that every child knows exactly how to use the natural elements. I would also budget a little bit more time to help anyone who might want more assistance. By doing this, I can ensure that every child participates completely in the activity and enhance everyone's enjoyment and sense of accomplishment.

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How might you use this growth in your future practice of early childhood education?

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How might you use this growth in your future practice of early childhood education?

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Though I couldn't implement these activities in formal early childhood settings, they proved to be quite effective with the younger children in after-school care. The level of engagement and excitement they displayed during the activities was encouraging.

Going forward, I would undoubtedly include more creative and sensory-rich activities in my class plans, particularly for early children settings. As we did with these workshops, I would concentrate on providing chances for children to express their creativity and establish connections with the natural world. To guarantee that each child can engage completely and have fun, I would also make sure to give more precise instructions and practical assistance. I want to create an atmosphere where children may grow and forge stronger connections to the world around them by combining imaginative play with sensory play.

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On a personal level, these experiences had a profound impact on my teaching style and philosophy. I now recognise the value of including imaginative and sensory learning opportunities in early childhood education. This method meaningfully improves children's overall development while also fostering deeper levels of engagement with them. Creating participatory, hands-on activities that meet children's developmental requirements and innate curiosity has become more important to me.

In future practice, I will focus on including more sensory-rich and imaginative activities in my lesson planning, ensuring that each experience supports children’s holistic development and fosters a stronger connection to their surroundings. This development has made me see how important it is to combine creativity with academic goals to enhance children's educational experiences.