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I acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation, to whom the Woi Wurrung language group belongs, as the Traditional Custodians of the land where I took my outdoor visit - Yarravile Gardens, Footscray. I pay my respects to their Elders and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who are connected to this land.

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After class on Monday, 01 September, I had an outdoor visit to Yarraville Gardens. The sky was dark with clouds, the wind was quite strong, and the air caried the coolness that always come before the rain. I saw the wide grassy area with a lot of tall trees, some still bare from winter and others with small green leaves showing that spring is coming soon. The fresh smell of cut grass filled the air. I could hear many birds singing like they were talking together, mixed with the sound of dogs playing and even the noise from some constructions and traffic near there. The garden felt both quiet and alive, a place where nature, people and the weather all met together.

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During my visit, I felt calm when the cool wind touched my skin. I saw the grasses swaying in the breeze, like they were playing with the wind. They looked as if they were dancing together, making the whole garden feel alive. In that moment, the grasses and the wind were like close friends in an endless dance.

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The sound of many birds could be heard like a conversation, or maybe they were simply singing. Together they created a beautiful song, with each voice bringing its own beauty and character. At the same time, I watched some birds moving quickly from one branch to another, as if their movements were also part of the music, adding life and energy to the garden.

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After the rain, I observed some types of small flowers and tiny mushrooms growing strongly in the grass. On the green background, the flowers looked like bright colours that decorated the garden, making it more lively and full of life. These small details showed me how nature can always renew itself and bring beauty in different ways.

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For my creative project, I chose movement in the wind as my response. I moved with the wind, using my body to show the gentle and strong rhythms I felt in Yarraville Gardens. I also used a bubble water gun to release many bubbles and watched how the wind carried them across the garden. My daughter joined me, and together we ran, laughed and enjoyed this moment. Dancing and playing in this way helped me feel calmer and more connected to the land and the nature around me, and I could also see the joy in my child’s movement.

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In my creation, I chose to movement in the wind and use many bubbles to show the wind's direction and rhythm. Using movement allowed me to express the rhythms of nature and to experience how the garden was still and alive. Including my daughter showed me how children can naturally explore and imagine through their bodies, finding joy in simple activities like running or chasing bubbles. This response highlights how movement can connect us with nature, and how children in early childhood settings can also use dance and play to develop creativity, imagination and a deeper connection with the world around them (Dance Teaching Ideas, n.d).

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Temporal arts languages

- Music:

+ Birds singing like a conversation (chirp, croak, chorus, call). Each bird has a different call, making the whole garden colorful and vibrant.

+ Wind swishing through the trees (sometimes it swishes, other times it whispers or hums)

+ Rustle of leaves mixed with the noise of the city (from constructions and transports)

- Movement:

+ Grasses swaying and bending.

+ Bubbles floating and bursting.

+ Birds fluttering between braches.

+ Whole parts of my body running and swaying with my daughter in the wind.

- Drama:

+ Dark clouds and the cool air gave a sign that rain was on its way.

+ The repetition of strong winds create a sense of tension, then subside, returning calm to the garden when the breeze returns.

Eight senses

- Sight: green grass, bare trees, spring leaves, various of flowers and mushrooms.

- Hearing: birds chirping, wind, dogs, constructions, traffic around the garden.

- Smell: fresh air (only have in the nature environment), cut grass, damp soil.

- Taste: the cool air.

- Touch: wind on skin and bubbles bursting.

- Vestibular: spinning, swaying, balancing with wind.

- Proprioception: stretching, reaching, running, moving body in open - ended space.

- Interoception: shivering and curling up whenever the strong wind blew through, and then feeling heartbeat rise when running, calm when resting, and a deep awareness of my breathing

=> After this visit, I felt calmer, more connected and playful. It reminded me of childhood moments of running outside with my friends in the wind across wide fields. I could see Yarraville Gardens as a living stage, alive with music, movement and drama.

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Watching the Lake Cowal Bird Dance (Byrne, 2019), I could see how Aboriginal culture uses movement to tell stories and to express their deep connection with nature and the land they have cared for over thousands of years. The bird-like movements conveyed respect for nature and the idea of conservation, especially for species at risk of extinction. Wilson (2018) also reminds us that play is a basic right of children’s development, and that they gain creativity and respect for nature when engaging in natural play.

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As a future educator, I believe that if we slow down and deeply observe how children engage with nature, we can see how they develop both their learning and social skills through play in natural environment (Gano and Krull, 2020). Furthermore, in my future practice, I want to value Indigenous cultural knowledge because through their stories and dance movements, it shows respect and connect to this land and gives children many meaningful ways to learn about and care for nature.

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Byrne, B. (2019). Lake Cowal Bird Dance - Uncle Winnie (Winata Puru) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVDh_Qev-yc&t=22s

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

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

Wilson, R. (2018). Nature and Young Children: Encouraging Creative Play and Learning in Natural Environments (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315148533