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I would like to acknowledge the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation, the First Peoples of the land where I live, who are the speakers of the Boonwurrung language. It is now Biderap (the dry season) when it is hot and so many of the animals are resting. I acknowledge their Elders past, present and emerging, and their connection to this land, these rivers and the stories from this land.

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While reading Nature and Young Children by Ruth Wilson (2018), I started to recall my youth growing up in the Philippines, and how, for the most part, we spent our time outside playing.

I remember making up games out of whatever we had around us...... using a few coconut shell halves to mimic the sounds of hooves like horses, or pretending like a bamboo stick was a mic and singing with friends. We didn't really have toys, but we had nature, things found in our environment, and the creative play all around us.

Wilson made the point that children do not need adults directing them when they are playing, and I really connected with my recollection. We were children trusted by adults to make up what seemed to be fun from everything around us. And we were resourceful and creative.

This connects rash as a perfect example of experiential knowledge we describe as temporal arts. We experienced sound as music in the sound of our clapping hands and the rain on our metal roof. The movement happened while we rolled or chased a kite or ran barefoot across the grass. The drama happened while we created a story pretending to be fishermen, vendors, or fictitious characters from local stories.

Wilson reminds me that these were not only play, they were experiential learning by the arts, by sound, and by movement transfer. As an educator now, I see the same opportunities have enormous value for today's children to find in nature, where ever they may be.

Reference: Wilson, R. A (2018). Victoria University Login Service - Loading Session Information. Openathens.net. 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

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On Country Visit Voice Recording Script

Here is my reflection of my On-Country visit. Today I visited the pond that I have been living near in Williams Landing. I reflected on being situated in the land of the Bunurong people of the Kulin nation, specifically the Yalukit-willam clan, or "people of the river."

As I sat beside the water, I started to notice different sounds I could hear the ducks quacking, birds calling, wind running through the leaves, and even the sounds of everyday life like cars driving by and people communicating nearby. I even heard the crunch of the concrete path underneath my slippers. With all these sounds, it was comforting to layer everything together at that moment, that nature and community is always intertwined.

I could smell the fresh water of the pond and the wet soil beneath my feet. The ground had interesting textures - muddy and soft in some ways; rocky in others. It was just nice to be, to listen and to notice all that was around me.

I was reminded of my childhood in the Philippines. My friends and I used to play outside - with rice field, rivers and ducks. Seeing the ducks reminded me of when I used to chase ducks with my cousins, waddling like them and playing little games. That memory inspired my creative response, my duck hunt song.

I was also reflecting on children's play while I sat there, and being in this natural space I realised that play can be so open-ended, imaginative and creative. Play isn't narrow. Children can take whatever they find in their own environment and engage with it however... explore, make stories, create games.

This visit made me feel calm, curious, and happy. It reminded me of the importance of providing children opportunities in nature, and time and space to explore with their senses and where their imagination takes them.

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"We’re Going On a Duck Hunt"

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While visiting the pond and river that are close to my side of Williams Landing, I reflected on being on the land the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation and the Yalukit-willam clan (the “People of the River”). Sitting by the water, I listened to the quacking of the ducks, the calling of the birds, and the rushing sound of the wind through the leaves. I even tuned into the commonplace sounds of life; the sounds of cars, the chatter of people and the crunching of the concrete path under my slippers. These layered sounds reminded me that nature and community are always intertwined.

This experience called me back to my Filipino childhood where my play often occurred outdoors near rice paddies, near rivers, or near farm animals. I easily recall the moments with ducks as the earliest play with cousins, if it was chasing them, or learning how fun it was to waddle behind them and imitate them. This memory inspired my creative response, a simple Duck Hunt song. I was able to link and bring together music (the beat and laughable call), movement (waddle, splash, tiptoe), and drama (the suspense of what the “duck” can be).

Wilson, R. A (2018) illuminated why those moments were significant. She explained that natural environment are more than just places to play in; they are teachers to foster problem-finding, imagination, and emotional connection. I recall the influences of playing in a pond, or a river as a child, and how the children's creativity and imagination were sparked, when the environment encouraged exploration.

Wallin, M. L. (2019, June) elaborates by explaining that natural materials such as sticks, leaves, or rocks, can offer more 'affordance' than imposed structured play environments. In considering the pond, even the sounds of leaves rustling, or water rippling could be incorporated into children's pretend play, resulting in more complex stories and cooperative narratives. This work has initiated questions of what a stage for collaboration children could have created in this space.

Baltagi, I. (2019) reminded me of the ground they laid with music, rhythm, and child development. as noises such as quacks, splashes, and wind at the pond already carried a musical quality and again offered an open space for collaborative imagination with the their environment. children can expand those soundscapes into songs or chants. Baltagi also highlights music natures empathy and social connection, which works perfectly with outdoor play spaces that provide children opportunities to co-create.

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This Analytical Reflection has made me realized that outdoor play can be more than free play time it can provide an opportunity to learn, create, and imagine. My Duck Hunt song indicated the natural relationship of music, movement, and drama to engage children. I would like to support children in ways that will purposefully develop outdoor experiences for children to explore, create, and express themselves through sound, movement, and storytelling as an educator. This type of playful teaching facilitates the development of children's social skills, confidence, and relationship to the environment, which can create meaningful play for children.

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Baltagi, I. (2019). How music affects your baby’s brain: Mini parenting master class. Www.unicef.org. https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/how-music-affects-your-babys-brain-class

The Kiboomers - Topic. (2018). We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (Instrumental). Youtu.be. https://youtu.be/BFqyIQUXSSE?si=2wNUZxucHkTreRGZ

Wallin, M. L. (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

Wilson, R. A (2018). Victoria University Login Service - Loading Session Information. Openathens.net. 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