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On my recent country visit, I was inspired by the sound of horses running. The rhythm of their hooves made me to share this experience with children.

To bringing the experience of sound to life, I gave children a pair of wooden sticks. I gathered children and asked them to close their eyes for a moment. asked to imagine that we were in a big, greenery field with horses running around us. Tap sticks together to make the sound of the horses footstep sounds.

Victor Wooten's philosophy on music going well with horse footsteps sounds. As Wooten says learning music naturally, like a encouraging experimentation and play, rather than focusing on correct technique.

Wooten sees music as a form of expressions. Like children communicate the idea of horses running by tapping sticks to make sound. That allowed children to create the rhythms.

Wooten acknowledge to do mistakes as part of the learning process. I supported children to experiment freely with the rhythms, connecting rhythm to a real-world scenario.

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When I gave to children wooden sticks, they were very excited to hear the story. As soon as they got the sticks, they started tapping them together.

I asked them to listen to my imaginary story, that highlighted the value of storytelling in many Indigenous cultures, where tales can serve as a means of knowledge and creating links with the community and nature.

As I told the story about horses coming, I tapped the sticks, and children followed along. Some of them even rolled the sticks around. It seemed like they didn’t fully understand why we were tapping the sticks, and they were more interested in the tapping than the story itself. One child says “neigh, neigh,” that gave life into. Our story.

Next time, I plan to use shoes on the table to create the sound of horses running. I believe this will help the children feel more connected to the story and allow them to tap the sticks at the right moments. It was a fun experience, and I learned how important it is to engage the children in different ways.

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The concept of promoting storytelling with natural materials and sounds is consistent with Watershed's artistic methods, where artists frequently take inspiration from their environment and tradition.
This is similar to how children can interact with their surroundings and cultural tales through storytelling. The artists at Watershed apply clay to create sculptures that reflect their experiences and the world around them, much like children who tapped sticks to interact with the story. (Lynch, 2021)

Children enjoy connecting sounds with storytelling because it brings a sense of excitement and enjoyment to the story. Sounds increase with word learning and improve their ability to visualise the story. They also experience a stronger emotional bond with the characters. Using noises allows children to participate and share with their friends, enhancing the storytelling experience!

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Future practice of early childhood education:

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Future practice of early childhood education:

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1.    Taking children for nature walk and letting children to connect with nature and discover natural sounds like water flowing, different birds sounds, leaves rustling.

2.    Sound recordings in classroom natural sounds,  as rain, wind, and waves. Play these noises when children are doing something or during quiet time. This can help children relax and concentrate.

3.    Create a "nature corner" in the classroom using natural materials like stones, plants, pinecone and water features. Children will be encouraged to investigate these materials and the sounds it create.

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As I walked to the field, the wind was strong and playful. It pushed against me and made the trees sway side to side. I was inspired by how those trees moved, so I decided to create a fun moment for the children.

I took some sticks and tied colourful ribbons on them. The children were excited to hold the sticks and wave the ribbons. I explained them how was that on windy day, the trees swing back and forth.

As I told children this story, the children waved their ribbons in the air and moved their bodies and hands like the trees. Together, we danced with the wind, laughing and enjoying the moment. It was a fun way to connect with nature.

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The moment I handed out the ribbon wands to the children, their eyes lit up with excitement! They all wanted to hold the ribbons and wave them high in the air, creating a beautiful dance of colours with ribbon. But as they twirled and swayed, the ribbons began to slip off the sticks, and I found myself retying them again and again taking long time.

At mid of the fun, I realized there are not enough ribbons for all the children to wave. Some were left watching, eager to join in the colourful celebration. I asked the children to hold the ribbons without the sticks, letting them feel the freedom of the ribbons fluttering in the wind.

As I explained how trees sway side to side in the breeze, I could see most of the children mimicking the movements, their bodies flowing along with the ribbons gain and gain. It was a joyful sight!

As I express the way trees sway in the wind and share ideas about appreciating nature that come from Indigenous cultures. Children benefit from this by learning to value and appreciate the beauty of the natural environment.

Next time, I’ll be sure to have enough ribbons for everyone and think ahead to meet their interests. This experience taught me the importance of preparation and flexibility, turning a small challenge into a delightful dance and moment connection!

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Moments are important for children's development because they foster relationships, learning, emotional development, awareness, and the creation of memories that last.

Dance teaching ideas. Creative Dance for Early Childhood says the moments that repeat are important. They assist children in feeling confident and knowledgeable about what they are performing. Children can make connections between new experiences and prior knowledge by repeating tasks. It inspires children to experiment and discover, which is crucial for learning. (Creative Dance for Early Childhood |, 2020)

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Future practice of early childhood education:

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Future practice of early childhood education:

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1.    Create Engaging Spaces
Providing open-ended materials in the classroom promotes creativity and curiosity. Children are able to play in meaningful ways.

2.    Promote Interactive Exploration
Offer children the opportunity to investigate nature through practical exercises. Allow them to engage in sensory experiences, feel the texture of tree bark, and examine plants and animals. Through direct connection, children ask questions and learn about their surroundings, that stimulate their curiosity and critical thinking.

3.    Promoting Cooperation
Children can learn from one another when teamwork is encouraged. They improve social skills when they collaborate, exchanging ideas and finding solutions to issues.

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I brought up here for drama, my imaginary story in the farm, how horses act when they knew there is a rain coming. I wanted to show in here how is the environment change before rain and horses communication.

There were children sitting, some children were holding ribbon to show how trees swinging with the wind and some children tapped sticks as footsteps, some of them holding bottles to blow in to make sound of wind.

To incorporate Aboriginal perspectives, I could share a dreamtime story that reflects the relationship between animals, nature, and weather.

I have given them props and started to tell the story. I gave instruction to children when they have to use those props in each moment in step by steps. I asked one child to come and show how horses run. Then there were few children come up to act like horse while we were using the props.

I gathered the children in a circle and says "Today, we're going on an adventure to the farm in stormy afternoon!".

I handed out props: ribbons to sway like trees, sticks to tap out horse hooves, and bottles to blow wind sounds. The children eagerly grabbed those, ready to bring the story to life.

"It's a sunny day on the farm," I began. I invited one child to run in the middle of the circle like a horse.

Suddenly, I raised my hand. "The trees are moving! Can you feel the wind?" The children with ribbons waved them back and forth, creating a gentle rustling sound. "The horses perk up their ears, sensing something different."

More children joined in, tapping their sticks to mimic hooves while the bottle players blew soft wind sounds. "The wind is getting stronger," the horses start to neigh!" said.

As the drama continued, I says, "The first drops of rain begin to fall!" The children blew into their bottles as my instructions with the wind sounds.

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I noticed that most of the children were more interested in the ribbons and other props than in acting like horses.

To continue the drama I brought a wooden rocking horse from our centre. The moment they saw it, their eyes lit up with happiness. and they eagerly wanted to take turns riding it.

I decided to restart the drama, allowing each child a chance to ride the horse while the others used their props to create sounds and movements of the farm.

As the children took turns on the rocking horse, our story came to life. Everyone joined in with excitement. This experience showed me how important it is to be flexible and pay attention to what children enjoy. Adding the rocking horse was a simple change, but it made a big difference in keeping them interested and involved in the story.

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Benefits of Pretend Play in Natural Settings 

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Benefits of Pretend Play in Natural Settings 

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1.    Children may imagine more freely when they play pretend, which leads to more complex scenarios and deeper pretend play.

2. Natural environments encourage meaningful relationships and support in the improvement of communication abilities.

3. Making pretend in natural environments gives children a secure space to express and manage their emotions, which improves their general wellbeing. Lark Wallin (2019)

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Future practice of early childhood education:

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Future practice of early childhood education:

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1. Include Dramatic Play in the curriculum
Provide opportunities for children to role-play situations to include dramatic play into everyday activities. create spaces, like a post office, salon, grocery store or doctor's office, where children may pretend to be different characters and interact with other children. Play like this promotes language development, creativity, and social abilities.

2.    Use storytelling as foundation dramatic activities. Encourage children to act out stories, expressing the emotions and personalities of the characters with their voices and bodies.

3.    Offer a Variety of Props and Materials
Provide a range of accessories and resources to encourage creative play. Props like costumes, puppets, and commonplace items can add to the theatrical experience and inspire children to tell stories of their own. Children can express themselves in a variety of ways and are encouraged to be creative with this hands-on approach.

4.    Create a Welcoming Environment
Encourage a welcoming and safe environment where children can express themselves without fear. Promote taking chances in their performances and give them respect for their work, as this will boost their self-esteem and confidence.

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Creative Dance for Early Childhood |. (2020, June 7). Dance Teaching Ideas. https://danceteachingideas.com/creative-dance-movement-for-toddlers/

Lark Wallin, M. (2019, June). The Importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings. Www.communityplaythings.com. 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

Lynch, C. (2021, April 21). Watershed. Arts House. https://www.artshouse.com.au/watershed-audio-experience/

Movement in the Wild: Nature as Dance Partner - The Earthbody Institute. (2017, March 26). The Earthbody Institute . https://www.theearthbodyinstitute.com/2017/03/movement-in-the-wild-nature-as-dance-partner/