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In the previous sessions, I had experienced in-class activities in a studio room, where I could freely move and express myself. I noticed that an ample and spacious space has encouraged me to move. As a result, my learning process and attention have been greatly improved. When I get to move my body to a song or a rhythm, my brain functions very well. Moreover, I acknowledge that outdoor space is essential for children's play and growth. Children are always eager to move their bodies in different ways. They are ready and curious to explore their senses and the world around them. Therefore, they follow the path of curiosity and discover the countless potentials of the environment (Wilson, 2018). When I get to play in an open space, I combine the two elements, which are movement and nature. I played in my garden, which is filled with numerous types of plants and trees. I pretended that I was lost in an alien’s garden with monsters. In my game, the players moved through the space searching for the hidden magic key to escape. They were running, sneaking, and searching for their items. To win the game, I found the key to open the gate. I also had the idea of the Parallaxis that the objects around us are not as ordinary as we always view and portray them. But rather, their potential is limitless (Kilby, 2017).

For my next lesson plan, I came up with a similar idea of moving around to search for mysterious items. It can take place in a park, forest, or garden. When missions and challenges are given, it will encourage children to participate in the activities. I have collected natural resources and hidden them around the space. Children will then go on a hunt to search for all the mysterious objects. This type of play has existed and been implemented by the First Nation peoples as they always embrace nature and move on land and Country. Being active throughout the early years connects strongly to “Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing” (ADGE, 2022, p. 44).

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In week 1, I took part in an activity where I chose my favorite item and gave it a character, personality, and a life. I was impressed by how fun and easy it was to personify an object, and I enjoyed imagining and creating a new story around it. I then shared this story with my peers, which allowed me to express my ideas in a creative way. Through this experience, I realised that drama is not only about performance, but also about exploring ideas through imaginative play, where children can become different characters and express their understanding of the world in meaningful and creative ways.

Personify activity inspired me to come up with the idea of the “Plant Monsters Garden”. After observing the plants and trees, I decided to personify the garden and give it different characteristics. Drama unfolded through the story of the alien garden. In the game, players become explorers in a space filled with plant monsters, guards, and hidden secrets. The hunt for the key gave them roles and a chance to express ideas creatively through imaginative play. By implementing drama in play, I believe that it greatly contributes to children's overall development. According to Wilson (2018, p. 2), “most of what children need to learn during their early childhood years cannot be taught. It’s discovered through play.” Weaving drama into play is also beneficial for children in developing vocabulary, storytelling skills, and imagination. For the First Nation people, I believe the children would play drama and imaginative play everywhere they go. Spending time outdoors and playing with friends would critically enhance social interaction skills, as well as explore discoveries about the world.

Additionally, the concept of Parallaxis proposes that everyday objects should not be viewed as fixed or ordinary, but rather as entities with limitless potential for reinterpretation and creative engagement (Kilby, 2017). Understanding the importance of drama, I have designed my lesson for this temporal art. My drama game shifted from the plant monster garden to an ancient forest filled with dinosaur eggs. Throughout the play, children will become the character that they choose and step into a different world. Then, we become the explorers and walk through the ancient forest. As a result, I can see that this activity is connected to “Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators” (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022, p. 57)

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During the first session of the On Country visit, I went outside and stayed in one place for ten minutes. The point of the activity is to listen to the sounds around me. Throughout the session, I have noticed many noises that I have not identified before. Without that session, I would have barely noticed how frequently the trains and planes pass by. And I can vividly remember there was an ongoing construction with the sounds of children playing layered on top of it. Furthermore, “Listen” by composer R. Murray Schafer emphasises that practicing deep hearing is crucial in our lives, as we immerse ourselves in the environment and embrace the sounds surrounding us. Schafer also accentuated that "when you listen carefully to the soundscape it becomes quite miraculous" (National Film Board of Canada, 2009). This idea also connects with First Nations peoples, who have long practiced deep listening. The idea of Dadirri by Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr has highlighted that we listen with our hearts and minds, and we appreciate nature. I then took this idea and used it in my outdoor activities. The soundscape of the game gave children a playful way to explore sounds. The cues of wind, bird calls, and car engines became signals in the story, teaching children to listen closely and respond with their bodies.

I also acknowledge the importance of music in children’s early years. This unit has informed me that music can be made with any sounds and noises. Everyone is able to become a composer and make their own music. Take this into consideration, I have designed a lesson plan which lets children use and make sounds in order to create music. Engaging in an outdoor setting, children will use natural materials to experiment and make different sounds. They can layer all the sounds, as well as their voice, to compose a song. This activity links to “Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world” (ADGE, 2022, p. 38). I understand that interacting with sounds and music not only stimulates imagination and creativity, but also helps children connect to place and learn about the world around them.

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Step 1: Collect the natural resources, such as seed pods, flowers,… Should collect the items with unique appearance or vibrant colours.

Step 2: Start to hide and put the collected items around the space.

Step 3: Introduce the challenge to the children. Use an item as an example.

Step 4: Set a goal for children to reach. For example, the person have the most items will win.

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Step 1: Set up a space outdoor.

Step 2: Collect natural materials, such as, sticks, stones, seed pods, pine cones, and pebbles.

Step 3: Start making sounds and experiment with the collected materials.

Step 4: Creating sounds at the same time to layer them in order to make a rhythm.

Step 5: Can add voice or singing on the layered sounds.

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Step 1: The activity takes place outdoor.

Step 2: Transform the space to a forest using natural materials, such as pine cones, sticks, twigs, and plants.

Step 3: Introduce the space to children using a story. For example, “welcome everyone to the ancient forest.”

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With the collected materials, the child was having fun experimenting with the sounds that it made. I was expecting him to engage in layering sounds and make a rhythm. However, he was very into testing out the materials and listening to them. Then, when we went outside, he enjoyed listening and spotting where the sounds came from. His interest in making sounds from the materials ended after a short period of time. We ended up spending the rest of the activity outdoors and listening to the nature sounds. I think my activity is not well set up. For improvement, I would have an outdoor space with a wide range of materials that would make sounds. I would also give out examples of layering sounds. In future practice, I would always consider music and sounds in my curriculum. Acknowledging how sounds and music support children’s memory, language, and imagination, I would implement music-related lessons in my plans. Moreover, I believe that excursions and outdoor play would greatly contribute to children’s learning and development. I understand that children prefer outdoor play; therefore, they spend more quality time engaging in the natural world.

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Reflecting on my implementation, I observed that the child has stepped into his character and acted like an explorer finding the dinosaurs. Moreover, he has shown engagement throughout this short activity. However, the play cycle was shorter than I expected. Even though he showed engagement initially, he started hesitating in interacting with the space. As a result, the activity quickly ended. To improve the experience, I would consider setting up the activity in a different space, where the landscape is similar to the forest. I would also design and develop a more insightful story.  This experience has shown me the importance of scaffolding children’s engagement in drama play. Imaginative play can significantly develop children's social skills, self-regulation, language, and vocabulary. I also see the environment as an active partner in learning, shaping activities that encourage children to listen, move, and create in dialogue with nature.

After engaging with this unit, I recognised that drama is everywhere around me. It exists in every object. Using my imagination, I can easily tell a story, have an imaginary friend, or set up a make-believe play. Drama is also a great resource for children to develop their skills, as well as express their ideas and emotions.

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After I hid all the pine cones, the child excitedly ran and looked for the “dinosaur eggs”. He was very passionate about collecting all of them. He quickly found all the items, then proceeded to reverse the role with me. The play cycle is lengthened as he grabs all the cones and hides them in the garden. He signaled that it was my turn to go look for them. He then continued to create different games with the items that we have. Later on, the child set a new rule, which is that one person holds a basket and tries to catch the eggs while the other person throws the items. Even though the game has shifted differently, I think that this activity has worked out as I expected. I was amazed at how the child would simply create his own play and spend quality time with it. For future practice, I would set up a more challenging game with a variety of objects. I believe that it will stimulate children’s curiosity, engagement, and interaction with nature.

Throughout my learning journey, I have always advocated for children’s movement, knowing that movement helps connect the brain and the body. Therefore, it gives children overall development. After this unit, I have gained more insight into movement in early years, including the On Country visit and excursions.