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One evening, I went to a beachside walk, the weather was so beautiful, and I could hear wind and ocean waves. the path with light poles on one side made me feel like I am going on a secret path to find something. I was feeling very relaxed. When I looked at the sky it was so mystical, shimmering different shades of light adding drama to my imagination. On the other side of the beach, there was a beautiful view of light shadows dancing on water from the cliffside which pulled me into a space that wasn’t real.

The aural elements inspired me to create a soundscape that build tension and wonder like ocean waves, wooden creaks, growing wind and hooting owl and pounding heart. These sounds were creating drama to my story and helped me in creating an adventurous theme. These sounds were magic of a child’s journey.

The sounds of footsteps as I was walking, the illusion of glow dance by light bulbs, water monsters approaching us created a language of movement into this story.

The language of drama was the core of this creative work. It was like two or more children are going together to find an unknown island through a secret path where very element was speaking something mysteriously interesting like giant rainbow, shiny and reflecting monsters, secret code and an element of fear seeing a boat waiting for us.

This creative project reflects Wilson’s (2007) idea that the natural spaces provoke creative thinking among children. They don’t need expensive toys to play – just natural environment and freedom to explore with sensory engagements sparks imaginative play. As Guss, Baker & MacKinnon (2017) suggest, children re-create the world and interpret in different meaningful ways through drama.

Through this creative piece of imagination, I tried to express an authentic connection to place using storytelling, sound and embodied imagination.

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How might this influence my future ECE practice?

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How might this influence my future ECE practice?

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As an educator, this project reminds me that outdoor spaces are theatres of learning for children. They just don’t observe the outdoor world with a different perspective- they transform it into a new world by engaging with nature, through movement, sound and drama.

This not only nurture creativity but also confidence, empathy, and connection. Gandini (2012) explains that children express themselves through a hundred different "languages"—a concept that values diverse forms of expression beyond just words. I would add more outdoor experiences for children into my daily practice to help their holistic development.

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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). ABC-CLIO, LLC. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/vu/reader.action?docID=820317&ppg=330

Lillard, A. S. (n.d.). The importance of pretend play in natural settings. Community Playthings. https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/the-importance-of-pretend-play-in-natural-settings

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). Routledge.

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Secret Path to an Unknown Island