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What worked?

Children learned seasonal changes by noticing signs of nature, including weather, flowers, leaves and trees.

They learned day and night by observing the movement of the sun and moon.

What needed to improve?

I did not use puppets and were replaced by images.

My narrative was not fluent and engaging. I need to improve my speaking skill.

My facial expression was emotionless due to lack of confidence. So, this is what I need to improve in my future teaching practices.

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What worked?

Children engaged in both fine and gross motor activities. They walked on the grass field, picked up natural objects and explored various types of flowers.

The weather was warm enough with a slight sunshine.

Children engaged in collaboration effectively.

Possible Problems and solutions in future pedagogical practices

Bad weather: Before walking to the park, I will check the weather forecast.

Thorny pine cones and tree branches: Removing all thorny pine cones on the ground before starting the activity.

Insects: I will not let children come close to flower gardens to avoid bees and remind them to not roll or walk with bare feet on grass fields.

Careless behaviors: For instances, throwing pine cones to others. Strict supervision is compulsory.

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babegift (2022, May 28). Woven bag for kids. [Photograph]. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/369928556913019541/

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babegift (2022, May 28). Woven bag for kids. [Photograph]. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/369928556913019541/

Hall A. (2025, April 24). The Signficance of Traditional Indigenous Fibre Crafts. Yarn. https://www.yarn.com.au/blogs/yarn-in-the-community/the-significance-of-traditional-indigenous-fibre-crafts?srsltid=AfmBOoqBH5j0WRxrmX_MAS8z8VOHKW7UTfUYrtTkT-zaNx6iwTwCFBgM

Miriam, Ungunmerr R., & Baumann (2015). Dadirri: Inner Deep Listening and Quiet Still Awareness. Dadirri Disability Services. https://www.dadirri.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dadirri-Inner-Deep-Listening-M-R-Ungunmerr-Bauman-Refl1.pdf

Wallin L. M. (2019). Let's Play Outside: The Importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings. Community Playthings. https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/the-importance-of-pretend-play-in-natural-settings#:~:text=When%20children%20are%20given%20the%20time%20and%20space%20to%20play,to%20cognitive%20and%20linguistic%20growth

Wilson, R. A. (2018). Nature and young children: Encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/vu.edu.au?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.taylorfrancis.com%2Fbooks%2Fmono%2F10.4324%2F9781315148533%2Fnature-young-children-ruth-wilson

Wooten V. (2013, May). Music as a Language [Video]. TEDxGabriolaIsland. https://youtu.be/2zvjW9arAZ0?si=We8nxMjRy71dJ2aC

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"Come sit with me and wait for the squirrels! Let's make a song to call them." "First we need to get more acorns. They won't want to come to our house if we don't have dinner ready for them." "You're right. Let's fill the whole bag up, then we can cook and wait for them at the tree in our house."
These are the sounds of children at work and at play. Collaboration, creativity, imagination, inventiveness, problem-solving, coordination, physical strength-when children are given the space and time to freely play outdoors, truly the whole child is able to grow.

Even outside of the school setting, open, natural outdoor space is a treasured and limited commodity, especially in urban areas. Of course, there is a range of environments that can be referred to as "natural," from untamed forests and grasslands to nature preserves to designed and constructed public parks. Many children only have access to more structured outdoor areas, such as playgrounds, ball courts, and running tracks, which are less flexible spaces for imaginative play.

Studies have shown play is crucial for many areas of children's development-from physical strength to cognitive and linguistic growth. One 2008 study found that play contributes greatly to physical health-using more calories than comparable organized physical activities (Mackett & Paskins, 2008).

There is a growing amount of research showing that children who participate in complex, collaborative, pretend play are better able to regulate their emotions and implement creative problem-solving (Hoffman & Russ, 2012). High-level, complex pretend play can significantly facilitate children's capacities for perspective taking, which can facilitate abstract thought (Bergen, 2002). According to a study done in early 2016, the more complex and detailed a young child's pretend play is, the more advanced their cognitive processing needs to be-as their play stretches and grows, so do their brains (Li, Hestenes & Wang, 2016). The same goes for social skills-when preschool-aged children participate in pretend play that requires more complicated interactions with their peers (cooperation, collaboration, sharing, negotiating) they are practicing and strengthening their abilities to connect to other people in healthy, productive ways.

Setting the Stage for Play

Just as we deeply consider what materials we make available to our children in the classroom (open-ended, inclusive, differentiated), we ought to also be thoughtful about the space and supplies we provide for our students in their outdoor play and learning experiences. When looking at what children play with outside, think about the materials in natural settings: pine cones, sticks, leaves, trees, and rocks-as opposed to more fixed materials like slides, chin-up bars, and swings. These objects, like open-ended materials in the classroom (fabric scraps, blank paper, blocks) have more affordance. Affordance refers to the different functions each material can serve, or, afford (Fjørtoft, 2001).

For example, a stick can have a large affordance, and be used in pretend play as a wand, a ladle, or a cane. It can also be used in more game-based play as a baseball bat, or an obstacle in a course. When allowed more flexibility with materials in spaces with more affordance (i.e in natural outdoor spaces), children tend to engage in more complex pretend play. It is worth considering that the play that occurs in greener, more "natural" spaces can be different, and possibly more complex and developmentally beneficial for young children. When natural, outdoor play areas are not available to you and your students, consider bringing some open-ended, natural materials to the children in the space you do have (fabric scraps, rocks, seashells, ribbon, leaves, tote bags). You will be amazed by how different their play can become with these organic and/or undefined props.

According to the philosophy of Reggio Emilia, the learning environment is the "third teacher" in early childhood education, after the two classroom teachers (Edwards, Gandini & Forman, 1998). This environment should include not only the indoor early childhood classroom, but also the outdoor environment. The environments where children play have an effect on them and the quality of their play.

A study of a Forest School, a school facilitated completely outdoors in England's Mersey Forest, found that it helped children connect with and learn not only about their natural environment, but also grow in "social skill development, confidence when interacting with the natural world, understanding, interest, motor skills, and leadership skills," (Ridger, Knowles & Sayers, 2012).

Having taught for many years at an urban preschool with very close access to nature (Prospect Park in Brooklyn), I was able to see firsthand the social-emotional, physical, and cognitive benefits of unstructured play in a natural setting for the children I worked with. When taken to the more open, natural setting in the park, the children's pretend play was dramatically more complex and sustained than when they were taken to the nearby playground. Children's conversations were richer, the groups of children playing together were larger, play scenarios were more sophisticated and were sustained over multiple days. The children collaborated, negotiated, and created complex scenarios and characters together.

In New York City, many early childhood centers rely on contained yards or nearby constructed playgrounds for outdoor physical activity, if they are provided the regular opportunity to be outdoors at all. Very few NY public school students have access to actual natural settings (i.e., uncontained spaces with trees, grass, or wildlife). In some schools, children may go days or weeks without spending any time outdoors at all, much less within natural elements. Disparate access to nature while in school is just another example of broader inequalities in our education system and our society at large. However, with the right resources, all children in urban areas can have opportunities to interact with nature (taking field trips to forest preserves, large parks, or similar sites)-investments that will shape the future of our city and the promise of its youngest citizens.

Pretend play is a sacred part of childhood. Furthermore, it has been proven to aid in children's development in many areas. Outdoor play, a scarce opportunity for many children living in urban areas, can provide even more benefits for children's development-physically, socially, and emotionally. With all that hangs in tenuous balance in our country, we as educators, caregivers, and parents must be even more vigilant about every child's human right to play in the great outdoors.

References

Bergen, D. (2002). "The role of pretend play in children's cognitive development." Early Childhood Research & Practice, 4(1). Retrieved: http://files.eric.ed.gov.ez-proxy.brooklyn.cuny.edu:2048/fulltext/ED464763.pdf

Edwards, C., Gandini, L., Forman, G. (1998). The hundred languages of children. Westport, CT: Ablex Publishing.

Fjørtoft, I. (2001). "The natural environment as a playground for children: The impact of outdoor play activities in pre-primary school children." Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(2) 111-117.

Hoffman, J., Russ, S. (2012). "Pretend play, creativity, and emotion regulation in children." Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Art, 6(2) 175-184.

Li, J., Hestenes L.L., Wang, Y.C. (2016). "Links between preschool children's social skills and observed pretend play in outdoor childcare environments." Early Childhood Education Journal, 44, 61-68.

Mackett, R.L., Paskins, J. (2008). "Children's physical activity: The contribution of playing and walking." Children and Society, 22, 345-357.

Ridgers, N.D., Knowles, Z.R., Sayers, J. (2012). "Encouraging play in the natural environment: A child-focused case study of Forest School." Children's Geographies, 10 (1) 49-65.

Copyright © Exchange Press. Reprinted with permission from Exchange magazine. All rights reserved. Visit us at www.ChildCareExchange.com or call (800) 221-2864.

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The Importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings

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"Come sit with me and wait for the squirrels! Let's make a song to call them." "First we need to get more acorns. They won't want to come to our house if we don't have dinner ready for them." "You're right.

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What worked?

The child engaged confidently in singing and dancing on music with a tree branch.

What did not go as expected?

Ensuring that all children will participate: Some of them prefer to work individually because they are introverted and need longer time to adapt.

Bad weather: Sometimes, the sessions need to be indoor due to bad weather or seasonal changes.

Limited outdoor opportunity: According to Wallin (2019), there is no outdoor play space in urban areas. Therefore, bringing loose parts and natural materials into class offer children to engage in natural play indoors.

Future Pedagogical Practices

Integrating more music sessions to give children opportunities to improve their skill and confidence.

Encouraging children to help their shy peers by modelling supportive and motivative actions when each team is performing. This promotes inclusivity and compassion.

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Making beats by using Pine Cones for percussion sticks 

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Making beats by using Pine Cones for percussion sticks 

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Step 1: Play Space

For Indoors: Bringing loose parts, such as pine cones and tree branches, and putting them on a table.

For Outdoors: Taking children to a park and visiting the area, where natural materials fall the most. It is usually under the propagation of pine trees.

Step 2: Materials Introduction

For warming up, asking children to share their own ideas about the affordance of each material. For instance, a stick can be a microphone, a magic wand, or even a broom.

Step 3: Activity Explanation

Explaining instructions and rules of the activity. Although this is an open-ended play, certain compulsory rules for ensuring safety and inclusivity.

Diving children into small groups of 3-4 or pairs, which allows more effective supervision.

Then, each group will take turns to collect loose parts for music instruments.

Step 4: Discuss Time

Giving children about 15 minutes to discuss ideas and practice.

Step 5: Performance:

Children take turns to sing or share their music instruments.

After every performance, encouraging children to praise each team by clapping.

Step 6: Sharing Experience and Cleaning Up

Children share their feelings about the experience.

Returning the materials back to the original space (The table or Under the trees).

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Reasons and Summary

The experience of making a natural drum inspired me immediately to integrate the activity into my teaching practices. The purpose of this activity is not only to foster children's imagination and creativity, but also to promote a strong connection between children and the country.

Freedom is the best part of approaching music. Wooten (2013) demonstrated that children play music because it feels good, not for right or wrong notes. Unlike adults, children engage in playing music without fear of making mistakes, and I want to maintain their confidence in my teaching practices.

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From the experiences in Assessment 2, I realised that we are a part of nature and the Country. I acknowledge that the Indigenous people have a profound and spiritual connection to the Country. They also have a deep respect for nature because it is crucial for their well-being, spiritual identity and economic development. Therefore, I want to maintain this spirit and transferring it to the next generations through my future pedagogical practices.

Classification:

Red: Summary and Reasons

Blue: Reference List

Green: Evidence

White: Reflection

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The argument between birds - Learning by listening and observing

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The argument between birds - Learning by listening and observing

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Mr. Wombat saw a flower field while eating grass

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Mr. Wombat saw a flower field while eating grass

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Step 1: Preparing materials

A wombat puppet.

A big blanket for seats.

Loose parts: dried leaves, firewood, flowers and stones.

Printable Puppets: Sun, moon, weather and food.

Choosing about 3 - 4 children to keep food.

Step 2: Introducing the wombat to children

Children get to know Mr. Wombat

Sharing its routines, food, and some characteristics.

Using the first voice to make it sounds like a dialogue.

Step 3: Storytelling - A Wombat’s Diary

Moving the wombat puppet and using printable puppets to represent the weather/seasons/necessities.

Asking critical questions to encourage children to learn.

Letting the wombat come and interact with children. Integrating real reaction and emotions to make the experience more vivid.

Then, ending the story by moving the wombat back to sleep.

Step 4: Reflection

Children shared what they learned: Seasonal changes, native animals, and compassion.

Highlighting that the Indigenous people learned by giving awareness and listening.

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Step 1: Dividing children into small groups of 3-4 or pairs.

Step 2: Giving each group a woven basket bag.

Step 3:

Giving children 10-15 minutes to go around the park and collect natural materials.

Supervising strictly to ensure safety.

Step 4:

Calling children to come back, and I will check the number of items in each team's basket.

The team with the most natural materials will gain a present.

Step 5: Teaching children the Indigenous culture through the activity, especially weaving and hunting.

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Summary

Children will go around the park with woven basket bags and collect natural materials such as pine cones, leaves, and stones.

Reasons

Promoting holistic development of children: When visiting the Fitzroy Garden, I recognized that outdoor environments allow children to engage in various motor activities, promoting both mental and physical health. Moreover, Wilson (2018) stated that a natural environment is ideal for children to engage in various imaginative and creative play. Therefore, I decided to plan this "natural hunting" play.

Allowing children to experience and explore aspects of how Indigenous people lived in the past: Hunting and gathering were crucial with the Indigenous people as they provided essential resources such as food, clothing, and shelter. Similarly, weaving is a cultural craft practice, which was used by Indigenous women to create everyday tools, ceremonial objects, and spiritual items (Hall, 2025).

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Summary

In this activity, children listen to a storytelling session about Mr. Wombat, a native Australian animal. The play space includes loose parts and critical questions.

Reason

By participating in the variations of birds' chirping, I learned their language through pitch and rhymes. Wooten (2013) stated that “whenever you could hear is when you probably started learning”. Similarly, Mirriam et al. (2015) highlighted that Indigenous people learned not only by asking critical questions, but also through listening and observing. Informed by these perspectives, I decided to integrate storytelling into my pedagogical practices.

I also explored various Australian bird species, which inspired me to introduce children to native Australian animals.