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Wyndham Park in the west of Melbourne is a beautiful place that reminds me of the land’s Indigenous past. I would like to pay my respects to the Wurundjeri people past, present, and emerging who have cared for this land and allow us to live, study, and play here.

I often visit Wyndham Park with my family, especially my little son. This park gives us so many opportunities to play, walk, run, relax, and enjoy the beauty of nature. The sound of the river, the rustling leaves, and the singing birds make this place feel calm and special.

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When I walk through this place, I hear the whispers of the land and imagine myself in an open-sky concert, where nature performs its own symphony, the crunch of dry leaves, birds singing, tree branches swaying side by side, and the river flowing. Every sound and movement around me showcase the dance of life. In this moment, I feel I am a part of its melody, and I sense connected to nature

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During my visit to the place, I deeply engaged with the sounds, sights, and sensations of nature. I smelled the fresh air, touched the soft leaves, hear sound natures, and saw the beautiful landscape.

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I allowed the sounds to shape my imagination, and I sensed a deep connection to nature. The crunch of leaves under my feet reminded me of the changing seasons and life cycle. The singing birds created a natural symphony in the open sky, and I felt I was a part of its melody. The flowing river reminded us, the voices of Indigenous people from the past, to take care of the land.
This experience aligns with Listen (Schafer, 2009), which highlights the importance of deeply
listening to the sounds of nature and how these sounds affect our feelings, learning, and connection.
This experience encourages me to integrate more sensory exploration into my early childhood education practice. As an educator, I plan to offer more activities based on listening to nature’s sounds, exploring the textures of natural elements, and encouraging children’s critical thinking. I believe that activities such as excursions through nature, deep listening, and feeling natural elements help children develop holistic skills and learn to respect nature.

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During my visit to nature, the wind made the leaves dance, their shadow movements creating a group of dancers on the ground. In that moment, I noticed my own shadow among them, and I suddenly felt like I was part of this group of dancers. I started to dance, moving around nature. It reminded me of my childhood when I would immediately respond to music, dancing freely.

This connects with Wallin's (2019) article, Let’s Play Outside, which highlights how natural environments bring out imaginative and pretend play. In my practice, I plan to integrate activities based on storytelling outdoors and encourage children to pretend to be the characters in the stories, allowing them to create their own stories and play.

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Movement played a crucial role in my experience as I walked through nature. The branches of the trees danced side by side, the birds showcased their performance in the blue sky, and the sunlight moved and reflected on the river, creating beautiful pictures. This made me feel calm and happy. It encouraged me to think critically about the environment and reflect on how children can learn from nature and improve their well-being.

Dancing and singing are usually group activities in the centre that children enjoy. This aligns with article Creative Dance- Play for Early Childhood (Dance Teaching Ideas, n.d.), which highlights how movement and dance help children improve physical, emotional, and social skills. Excursions in nature require more preparation and responsibility compared to activities like dancing. Understanding this, I plan integrate excursions outside the centre into my future early childhood education practice. These outdoor experiences also foster respect for the environment and Indigenous peoples too.

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1. Dance Teaching Ideas. (n.d.). Creative dance-play for early childhood. Retrieved from https://danceteachingideas.com

2.  New, D. (Director). (2009). Listen [Film]. National Film Board of Canada. https://www.nfb.ca/film/listen/

3. Wallin, M.L. (2019, June). Let's play outside: The importance of pretend play in natural settings. Exchange Press.
Retrieved from https://exchangepress.com/article/lets-play-outside-the-importance-of-pretend-play-in-natural-settings/5024392/?utm_source=chatgpt.com