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Table 1.1 Child development and the natural environment

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Keys elements developed in natural play (Wilson, 2007, p. 9)

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Keys elements developed in natural play (Wilson, 2007, p. 9)

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Wilson (2007) highlights the importance of children connecting with the natural environment.

Six development areas are considered which are critical in a children's development.

1. Adaptive e.g., different textures such as gravel and sound
2. Aesthetic e.g., beauty of the site
3. Cognitive e.g., comparing the different in size between trees
4. Communication e.g., changes in landscape
5. Sensorimotor e.g. wind and transport sounds
6. Socioemotional e.g. problem solving when playing games with others

My artefact, Lucas Terrace Reserve, would enable children to develop all these areas as considered above.

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References

ACECQA. (2018). THE ENVIRONMENT AS THE 'THIRD TEACHER'. ACECQA. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-04/QA3_TheEnvironmentAsTheThirdTeacher.pdf

Australian Children Education and Care Quality Authoriy. (2009).

BELONGING, BEING & BECOMING. ACECQA. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-02/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf

GarageBand. (2023). GarageBand for PC Windows. GarageBand for PC Windows 10, 11 Free Download [2023]. https://garagebandonpc.com/

Google Maps. (2019). Lucas Terrace Reserve Playground. Lucas Terrace Reserve Playground. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lucas+Terrace+Reserve+Playground/@-37.7209992,144.7500698,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipOcIgrIN-kTmg_Wxc-YvQL7coAtzWO5DysrkhKZ!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipOcIgrIN-kTmg_Wxc-YvQL7coAt

State Library NSW. (n.d.). The earth's environment: animal habitats | State Library of NSW. State Library of NSW. https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/learning/earths-environment-animal-habitats

Unicef Australia. (1989). United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF Australia. https://www.unicef.org.au/united-nations-convention-on-the-rights-of-the-child

The Weather Network. (2019). The science behind the smell of fall. The Weather Network. https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/nature/animals/the-science-behind-the-smell-of-fall-october-november

Wilson, R. (2007). Chapter 1. In Nature and Young Children: Encouraging Creative Play and Learning in Natural Environments (pp. 1-18). Routledge.

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My reflections have influenced my future practice in many ways.  Ultimately, children benefit enormously in all areas of their development if they are connected with the natural environment (Wilson, 2007, p.9).  I believe that I should be providing children with many opportunities to develop an understanding of how to ethically care for our environment, which in turn supports the children’s physical, cognitive and social skills. Additionally, developing appreciation of the aesthetic elements of nature can give children a lifelong love of the beauty and wonder of the world we live in (Carson, 1956, as cited in Wilson, 2007, p. 18).

The promotion of the natural world is not new as we see it as a strong focus in Reggio Emilia and Montessori early childhood models. These models interest me greatly and I will endeavour to learn more about how they use the natural world. The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (2018) outlines the importance of the Reggio Emilia’s Third Teacher and is a good place to start to broaden my knowledge.

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My creative work relates to Wilson’s (2007)  research  by emphasising the importance of our imaginary worlds which so strongly relates to our senses. This develops a curiosity to “explore the environment” and find out more about what we see and hear.  By allowing children this opportunity for exploration it enables them  “to gain valuable insights into themselves and each other” as they discover their own identity (Wilson, 2007, p. 2; EYLF, 2014, p. 25).

Living in regional areas the natural environment is more readily available.  However, in the more built up city centres there are a myriad of natural settings designed for children to play and explore.  The setting of this study is Lucas Terrace Reserve Playground in Taylors Hill (City of Melton, 2023) which consists of a “beautifully landscaped playground with some unique elements” (Melbourne Playgrounds, 2023). Wilson (2007) emphasises the key importance of children developing in a setting which is conducive to creative play. This playground with its special elements such as the climbing walls and bridges can evoke fantasy play and imaginative worlds which so ideally support the healthy development of children (The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989).

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My work (artefact) is a combination of three elements - the natural environment, living creatures and the modern world of transport (GarageBand, 2023).

I created a musical composition using the three instruments to represent each of the elements of my artefact. Each instrument represented the following:

- maraca = bird (living creatures)
- piano = wind (natural environment)
- guitar = car (modern world)

The composition is an infusion of all these sounds and finishes with the original audio of the artefact itself.

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My artefact is about the natural environment connecting with the modern era. The beauty of birdlife and the weather elements of wind and sun connecting with the sounds of transport moving in our fast modern world of the 21st century.

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I immediately thought of a time in my childhood when I observed birds flying and sitting near me as I played outside.  I tried to touch them but never succeeded; I reflected on the beauty and wonder of their ability to move and survive in our world today.

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This video that I have taken contains three elements of nature which are trees, birds and wind. Cars coming back and forth hover in the background.

A landscaped park is highlighted here. It is orderly but still contains lots of natural features such as the native plays and tress.

The borders of the park reveal a modern 21st century street with homes and cars. This street and its inhabitants witness the beauty of nature and its importance in our lives.

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I immediately thought of a time in my childhood when I observed birds flying and sitting near me as I played outside.  I tried to touch them but never succeeded; I reflected on the beauty and wonder of their ability to move and survive in our world today.

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This experience opened my eyes to see the bigger picture which is the connection of the elements identified as nature, living creatures and the modern world. It is clear that in our modern world, it can still support the habitat of birds in their natural environment in our parks and recreation areas (State Library NSW, n.d.).  It created a sense of belonging in our unified world.

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I used all my senses except taste. I saw leaves aging, where the organic compounds begin to break down giving off the familiar sweet musky aroma (The Weather Network, 2018). At this time, new leaves are reborn. The tree branch felt leathery and like an oval shape but in contrast the leaves were smooth and soft to touch. I saw a world of contrasts with an infusion of the sunlight hitting the trees, the modern world of transport and the natural world of the wind making a whooshing sound. This natural element of the wind prepares the next season with the hot temperatures to come from the sun.

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My sound, movement, and drama language  

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My sound, movement, and drama language  

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As I was sitting down, the three elements in the video had different timing. Initially, I heard the bird and then it stopped. Then I noticed the wind, and soon after that I could hear the sounds of the cars moving.

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In this cold area,

my mind started to wonder.

Thinking of the nature surrounding me.

As I feel the wind blowing
I hear the sound of trees swinging back and forth.
Giving me a shivering sound.

Leaves falling off.
As I begin to smell the leaves
The sweet musky aroma smell appeared.

Birds chirping and flying away at a fast speed,
bye bye wonder of nature,
we will meet again soon.