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Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority. (2022). Belonging, being & becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia – V2.0. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf

Banerjee, S. (2021, August 18). The environment as a tool for patient-centred care: A bridge between physiotherapy and Dance Movement Therapy. Clinical Practice, Environmental Physiotherapy. https://environmentalphysio.com/2021/08/18/the-environment-as-a-tool-for-patient-centred-care-a-bridge-between-physiotherapy-and-dance-movement-therapy/

Lark Wallin, M. (2019, June). Let's play outside: The importance of pretend play in natural settings. The Playful Learning Network. https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/the-importance-of-pretend-play-in-natural-settings#:~:text=When%20children%20are%20given%20the%20time%20and%20space%20to%20play,to%20cognitive%20and%20linguistic%20growth.

Ungunmerr-Baumann, M. R. (1988). Dadirri: Inner deep listening & quiet still awareness. [PDF]. https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/content/enforced/1816406-ECE2008-1-2023-HWB-151670/Dadirri_Handout%20(1)%20(1).pdf?ou=2253526

Victor Wooten. (2014). Music as a language [TED Talk].https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvjW9arAZ0

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What went as expected? -  Nicki engaged straight away with the dramatic play space, using the materials and environment to guide her story. I expected she would enjoy imaginative play, but she went further by naturally taking the lead in shaping the narrative.

What did not go as expected? - I thought the activity might need more adult scaffolding, but Nicki showed strong independence and creativity. However, I realised I could have provided a wider range of props and fabrics to support more role choices and costume creation.

What might you do different next time? - Next time, I would bring more open-ended props such as different coloured fabrics, crowns, or scarves so that children can have a greater variety of character options.

How might you use this growth in your future practice of early childhood education? - This experience reinforced that children thrive in dramatic play when they are given freedom and agency, supported by rich, open-ended props. In my future practice, I will set up dramatic play invitations where the environment and materials co-create the story with the children. I will also encourage children to take leadership roles in shaping the play, recognising their imagination and competence as drivers of learning.

Overall Reflection - Engaging with the unit has reshaped my perspective of drama from being a structured performance to recognising it as a spontaneous and relational form of play where children explore identity, imagination, and place. Through my dramatic play activity by the ‘river’, I saw how easily a child could embody a role and let the story unfold naturally, showing that drama is not about scripted outcomes but about co-creating meaning with the environment, props, and peers. This experience highlighted the power of open-ended materials and space to inspire children’s creativity, and I now see drama as an essential way for children to experiment with roles, problem-solve, and express themselves in ways that support both their social and emotional development.

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1. Lay out fabric as the “river,” scatter props around.

2. Children imagine real characters who belong by the river (e.g., a bird, fish, tree, or a person resting).

3. Each child chooses a role + prop.

4. Group improvisation: act out daily life by the river.

5. Add prompts: “The water is rising…,” “Birds call a warning…,” “The wind changes direction…” “The river begins to ripple quickly…” “A strong wind blows through the trees…” “The sun sets, and shadows appear…”

6. Reflect together: “How did the river shape our story?”

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Activity 3   daily life on the river   SD 480p

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Blue Fabric to mimic a river

Natural props collected from the creek

River soundscape

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This dramatic play activity was inspired by my cubby house dramatic play from Assessment 2, where I could step back into being a child, take on characters, and let stories unfold naturally. As a child, dramatic play was my favourite way to play. Whether at home, with my friends, or on the playground, I would invent storylines that could carry on for days, and I always felt completely absorbed in the experience. Being in this unit and returning to this kind of play as an adult reminded me how easy it is to lose that sense of freedom and imagination, and how special it is to give children the space to experience it fully.

Research shows that pretend play in natural settings helps children develop creativity, problem-solving, coordination, and social-emotional skills (Wallin, ‘Let’s play outside’,  2019). Using open-ended props like sticks, leaves, and stones encourages children to explore and invent in ways that are unique to them, which reflects the Reggio Emilia philosophy of the environment as the “third teacher” (Edwards, Gandini & Forman, 1998). The EYLF also supports this, highlighting the importance of fostering agency, creativity, and collaboration through play (Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners, Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators).

By setting up a river space with natural props and soundscapes, children can choose roles, respond to prompts, and co-create a story with the environment and materials. My experience with Nicki showed me that when children are given this freedom, they take the lead, engage deeply, and show their creativity in ways adults often underestimate. This activity reinforced for me that dramatic play is not just acting, it’s a powerful way for children to explore their identities, each other, and the world around them.

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Activity 3 (Drama) - Daily life on the River

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Activity 3 (Drama) - Daily life on the River

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Short Summary - In this activity, Nicki engaged in dramatic play by a “river” environment created with fabric and natural props, taking on the role of a duck (completely self-directed). Collaboratively, she improvised daily life river scenarios, responding to prompts like changes in water, wind, or sunlight, which encouraged creativity, problem-solving, and social interaction/engagement. The activity highlighted how children can lead and shape stories when given open-ended materials, reflecting the importance of imaginative play in supporting identity, agency, and connection to the environment.

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What went as expected? - Tom engaged enthusiastically with the shadow wall, exploring how his body could create shapes and movements. He responded well to the prompts and enjoyed experimenting with mirroring, which helped him feel confident in expressing himself.

What did not go as expected? - Tom was a little nervous at the start and very in his head about how to move, needing some encouragement to relax into the activity.

What might you do differently next time? - I would include more warm-up movement prompts to help children like Tom feel confident from the start. Adding more lightweight props to create grander and more exaggerated figures to spark more engagement in the activity.

How might you use this growth in your future practice of early childhood education? - This experience showed me how pairing children with an educator or peer in movement can support creativity, confidence, and social interaction. I will design shadow and movement activities that gradually build engagement and allow for shared exploration.

Overall reflection - This shadow movement activity highlighted how movement and music can be explored as a creative, expressive language. I noticed how participating together in the mirroring exercises helped Tom feel more confident and relaxed, supporting his engagement and imagination. The activity also reinforced that movement experiences can be adapted to suit different abilities, for children with lower mobility, props like scarves or fabrics can be moved with hands, arms, or even feet while seated, and shadows can be created using smaller body parts or objects. Music and soundscapes can guide timing and rhythm, allowing all children to participate meaningfully. This experience has deepened my understanding of movement as inclusive, sensory, and relational, and I will continue to design activities that allow all children to express themselves creatively, regardless of physical ability.

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1. Darken the space and shine a torch onto a sheet to create a shadow wall.

2. Invite one child at a time to move and see how their body makes shadows.

3. Playing a river soundscape (and other music too) encourages children to move like reeds swaying, water rippling, or birds flapping.

4. Pair children to mirror and improvise movements in shadow.

5. Gather and reflect on experience

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White Bed sheet

soundscapes and music

Torch

Scarves/fabric

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I have always believed that movement and dance are fundamental to human expression, not just in childhood but across our lifespan. Movement allows us to release emotions, connect with our bodies, and communicate beyond words. During this unit, I noticed how challenging it can be to embrace movement in a group setting. I thought of myself to be confident to have a boogie and move around with others but during this unit, when put in that very position, I found myself feeling self conscious, and I realised that many of my peers felt the same. When we turned away from the group, allowing ourselves privacy, confidence returned, highlighting how movement is deeply personal and often requires a safe space to flourish. This activity reminded me of the importance of creating environments where children feel free to explore movement without judgment. I want to foster that confidence in the early years, encouraging children to move, experiment, and express themselves freely.

The Shadow Movement activity resonates with principles of Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) and environmental engagement as explored by Banerjee (2021). DMT emphasises that movement is a form of expression that connects the body, mind, and environment, using metaphors drawn from nature to guide motion. For example, moving like a river encourages sustained, gentle movements that enhance postural control, while imagining waves allows larger, more expressive gestures (Banerjee, 2021). This approach aligns with my observation that movement can be both structured and improvisational, responding to sensory cues from the environment, like a river soundscape. Engaging with this unit also reinforced the importance of creating psychologically safe spaces for movement, Carl Jung’s notion of humans being deeply connected with nature as a source of emotional and creative energy (Banerjee, 2021). By integrating natural metaphors and encouraging imaginative movement, children can explore self-expression, develop body awareness, and cultivate confidence in their abilities.

This activity, combined with my personal reflections and theoretical grounding, has deepened my understanding of movement as an inclusive, relational, and expressive tool in early childhood education.

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Short Summary - In this activity, children can explore how their bodies create shadows on a wall or sheet while moving to a river soundscape and other music play in the background. Using scarves or fabric, they can experiment with shapes, and through teamwork mirror each other’s movements, and make improvised motions inspired by the river's surroundings. The activity encouraged creativity, self-expression, and body awareness.

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What went as expected? - Nicki (the ‘child’ participant) was able to listen closely to the river environment and identify different sounds, such as birds and wind, then recreate them using natural and recycled materials. She engaged thoughtfully with the task and explained what each sound represented, which showed her understanding and creativity.

What did not go as expected? - With only one ‘child’, the activity felt limited. The idea of layering sounds into an “soundscape” was harder to achieve without multiple participants, so the full effect of the group soundscape couldn’t be realised.

What might you do differently next time? - Next time, I would involve a larger group of children so that each child could represent a different sound simultaneously, creating a fuller and more dynamic soundscape.

How might you use this growth in your future practice of early childhood education? -  This experience reminded me of the importance of group collaboration in sound and music activities. In the future, I will design experiences that encourage children to listen deeply, use both natural and recycled materials creatively, and work together to build shared soundscapes. This approach supports not only musical exploration but also social connection, imagination, and respect for place.

Overall reflection - Engaging with the unit has shifted my perspective of music from being about songs and rhythm to understanding it as a language of listening, expression, and connection. My on-country experience by the Maribyrnong River showed me how natural soundscapes, like birds, wind, and water, can become the foundation for creative play. Through the “river orchestra” activity, I saw how children can use instruments to interpret and represent the sounds they hear, turning listening into a creative and relational act. I also realised that this type of experience can be highly inclusive for children who are hard of hearing or blind. By exploring vibrations and physical sensations produced by instruments, children can feel the music even without hearing it, and those with heightened senses, like children who are blind, can engage deeply with rhythm, texture, and sound in a meaningful way. This experience highlighted that music is not separate from place but co-created with it, and as a teacher, I will encourage children to engage in deep listening and sensory exploration before creating sound, so their music-making reflects both their imagination and their connection to the environment.

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1. Invite children to sit together in a circle beside the river.

2. Ask children what they can see, smell, and touch.

3. For 30 seconds, we are going to close our eyes and quietly listen to the river's soundscape.

4. Ask: “What do you hear? Birds? Wind? Water? What do they sound like?” - allow time to discuss.

5. Introduce instruments to the children in the middle of the circle and invite children to imitate one of the sounds they noticed.

6. Gradually layer the sounds together, creating a group “river orchestra.”

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Reusable items to create percussion, buckets, cans, sticks

Natural materials that we will collect from the creek, rocks, sticks, leaves

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Music has always been a part of my life, growing up with a musician for a dad and spending countless hours at his gigs. I loved being around music, but I never felt like I could truly join in. Learning an instrument never came naturally to me, and I often felt frustrated watching others, like my younger brother, pick it up so effortlessly. I assumed that to engage in music, you needed talent and structure. Because the standard had been set so high throughout my life, being mediocre never really felt like an option. For a long time, this made me feel like music wasn’t for me.

My experience at the Maribyrnong River during Assessment 2 completely shifted this perspective. Sitting quietly by the water, listening to the rustle of leaves, birdsong, and the gentle flow of the river, I began to notice music was everywhere! Not in notes or instruments, but in the sounds of nature itself. Creating riverbank castles and later using sounds to inspire play helped me realise that music is about listening, feeling, and connecting with the environment around you. I drew on Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr’s (1988) concept of Dadirri, which emphasises deep listening and being present, allowing creativity and imagination to emerge naturally.

Victor Wooten’s (2014) TED Talk really resonated with me. He compares learning music to learning a language as a child, doing so freely, without judgment, and through active participation. He says, “Just by playing music from the early years, we can pick up on it…you remain free with how you talk; no one ever made you feel bad when learning your language” (0:49–1:07). This made me realise that music doesn’t have to be about skill or perfection. It’s simply about exploring the vibrations around and how you can express yourself with it.

The river orchestra activity brought this idea to life. Nicki was able to listen, interpret, and recreate sounds through instruments, showing that music is accessible for everyone and can be a deeply creative and personal experience. This has changed the way I will approach music in my future teaching. I now see it as a language of expression, something all children can engage with freely, in ways that reflect their imagination, experiences, and environment.

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Short Summary - Myself and Nicki (child) sat alongside Elsternwick Creek on Boonwurrung country and listened deeply to its soundscape, identifying birds, wind, and water. Using natural and recycled instruments, we recreated these sounds and layered them together to form a group “creek soundscape,” exploring music as a language of listening, creativity, and connection to place.