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This is about my On Country visit to Bendigo, Melbourne, and how it inspired my creative response using sound, music, and drama. Being in nature gave me time to slow down and really notice what was around me. It helped me imagine like a child . My response links to the Reggio Emilia approach, especially the idea of the atelier that Vea Vecchi talks about in Gandini (2012). In this approach, creativity and play are seen as important ways for children to learn and express themselves.

During my visit to Bendigo, I went for a walk in a park near a lake. I walked slowly and looked carefully at everything around me. I also heard some sounds, such as birds singing in the trees, and the wind was blowing the leaves. As I walked, I heard the dry leaves crunching under my feet. Far away, I heard children laughing and playing at the playground. The sound that stayed in my mind the most was the lake. The water was shining in the sunlight, and ducks were swimming and playing in it.

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Being there made me feel calm. I kept walking and started to imagine I was a child . I felt curious and full of ideas. I thought of a game in my mind. I was an explorer looking for a magic treasure under the tallest tree in the park. To get there, I had to jump over lava — which was really just grass. I found a special leaf that looked like a magic key. I had to sneak past the ducks, who were guarding the treasure. The game came to me easily. It made me think about how children often turn simple outdoor places into big adventures.

My creative response strongly reflects the ideas discussed by Gandini (2012), who explains how the atelier in the Reggio Emilia approach encourages children to express themselves through many different “languages” — such as sound, movement, storytelling, and play. In my case, nature became my atelier. I used natural sounds and imaginative thinking to create a story, just as a child might when playing outdoors with open-ended materials.

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Wilson (2007) also highlights how being in nature supports more than just learning — it encourages creativity, emotional development, and a deeper connection to the world. I found this to be true in my own experience. The outdoor setting helped me feel free, focused, and playful. It reminded me that children don’t always need structured toys or activities to be imaginative — nature offers endless possibilities on its own.

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https://youtube.com/shorts/qe7ILjdBodY?feature=share

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https://youtube.com/shorts/6cb8a5gsuPY?feature=share

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This experience showed me how important outdoor play is for young children. Nature gives children many chances to move, listen, imagine, and be creative. When we use sound and drama outside, we help children talk, share stories, and show how they feel.

For example, some children might play in the garden and pretend to be animals. One child might flap their arms like a bird. Another might growl like a monster. They could use leaves and rocks to build a house. Then, they make up a story about helping a lost animal. In this kind of play, children use sounds, actions, and their imagination to tell a story, even if they don’t have all the words yet.

The music&movement help children share their thoughts in different ways. When they play outside, they can do even more. As a future early childhood teacher, I want to make spaces where children feel free to explore and create. I want them to feel confident and happy, and to tell their own stories through movement, sound, and play — just like I did during my visit.

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Wilson, R. (2007). Children, creative play, and the natural environment. In R. Wilson (Ed.), Nature and young children: Encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments (pp. 1–18).

Gandini, L. (2012). The atelier: A conversation with Vea Vecchi. In C. Edwards, L. Gandini, & G. Forman (Eds.), The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (3rd ed., pp. 303–316).