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This panel documents three short teaching activities inspired by my On Country experience, using music, movement, and drama to engage children with their environment.

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Objective:
Children will engage in deep listening to natural sounds, like wind, birds, and footsteps, inspired by Dadirri (deep listening). Using instruments like shakers and sticks, they will imitate these sounds and create a group soundscape, fostering creativity and auditory awareness.

Connection to EYLF:

This activity aligns with EYLF Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners, as children explore sound, express creativity, and collaborate to create a shared soundscape. It also supports Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity, encouraging reflection on their surroundings and connection to the world through listening and creation.

Reference from Unit:

The activity is inspired by Wooten (2013), who highlights how music is learned through immersion, and Ungunmerr-Baumann (1993), who emphasizes deep listening to foster mindfulness and connection to Country.

Materials Needed:

Simple instruments (shakers, sticks, clapping hands)

Recording device (to capture the soundscape)

Large open space for listening and creating the soundscape

Lesson Steps:

1. Set up: Gather the child in a circle outdoors or near a window.

2. Introduction: Explain Dadirri (deep listening) and the activity. Ask the child to focus on natural sounds (wind, birds, footsteps). Discuss how natural sounds can help us connect to the land, just as Indigenous people do.

3. Deep Listening: Listen quietly for 30 seconds and share what they hear.

4. Sound Replication: Use instruments to mimic the natural sounds.

5. Create Soundscape: Combine sounds to recreate the environment.

6. End: Thank the child and encourage them to notice natural sounds during the day.

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Music/Sound - Children will engage in deep listening to the natural sounds around them, such as wind, birds, and footsteps, inspired by Dadirri (deep listening). Using simple instruments like shakers and sticks, they will imitate these sounds and create a group soundscape, fostering auditory awareness and creativity.

Movement/Dance - Children will explore movement by responding to elements in the playground. They will balance like logs, sway like grass, spiral like the slide, and fly like birds on the rocks. Through these movements, children will develop motor skills, express creativity, and connect with their surroundings.

Drama - Children will transform playground features (logs, rocks, birds) into story elements through role-play. They will collaborate to create imaginative stories, fostering symbolic thinking, creativity, and cooperative play.

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In this video, children sit with their eyes closed to listen carefully to natural sounds around them. They then use instruments to recreate and explore these sounds, developing creativity, focus, and auditory awareness.

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What went as expected:
The child enjoyed the deep listening exercise and engaged well with the instruments.

What did not go as expected:
The child struggled to stay quiet during the listening part and needed extra support to focus.

What might you do differently next time:
Use a soft bell to signal the start and end of the listening time and incorporate structured listening games like “freeze” to help maintain focus.

How might this growth help in your future practice:
I will use these strategies in future sessions to create a calm and engaging environment, helping children stay focused in similar activities.

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Objective - Children will transform playground features (logs, rocks, birds) into story elements through role-play. They will collaborate to create imaginative stories, fostering symbolic thinking, creativity, and cooperative play.

Connection to EYLF:
This activity supports EYLF Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators, as children express themselves through role-play. It also aligns with Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world, helping children create stories inspired by their surroundings.

Reference from Unit:
Inspired by Edwards, Gandini, & Forman (2012), who emphasize symbolic play in child development, and Vygotsky (1978), who underscores the cognitive benefits of role-play.

Materials Needed:

Logs, rocks, or natural elements

Optional costumes (scarves, hats)

Large open space

Lesson Steps:

1. Set up:

Arrange natural elements (logs, rocks) in an open space to create the "stage."

2. Introduction:

Explain that the child will turn these elements into characters (e.g., logs as bridges, birds as companions).

3. Role-play:

Ask the child to pick an element and act out a story. Guide with questions like, “What is this log protecting?”

4. Story Development:

Encourage the child to build the story using the elements and their imagination.

5. Reflection:

Ask the child which role they liked the most and how the environment helped create the story.

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In this video, children engage in drama by imagining themselves as birds. They act out flying, flapping their wings, and jumping, using their bodies to explore movement, creativity, and imaginative storytelling.

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What went as expected:

Children engaged well in role-play, using natural elements to create a story.

What did not go as expected:
Children was initially hesitant to explore different roles but became more confident as the activity progressed.

What might you do differently next time:
Provide more prompts and model role-play to encourage the child to try different characters.

How might this growth help in your future practice:
In future sessions, I’ll offer clear prompts and examples to help children feel confident and explore their creativity in role-play.

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Objective: Children will explore movement by imitating elements in the playground, balancing like logs, swaying like grass, spiraling like slides, and flying like birds. These movements promote motor skills, creativity, and connection to their surroundings.

Connection to EYLF:
This activity aligns with EYLF Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing, promoting physical development and creativity. It also supports Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners, encouraging children to express themselves through movement.

Reference from Unit:
Inspired by Wilson (2007), who emphasizes how natural environments support both physical and imaginative play, and Gardner (1999), who highlights the importance of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence in child development.

Lesson Steps:

1.     Set up: Prepare a safe, open space for movement.

2.     Introduction: Explain and demonstrate the movements (balancing, swaying, spiraling).

3.     Movement Exploration:

o   Balance on a line or imaginary log.

o   Sway like grass and spiral like a slide.

4.     Group Dance: Encourage the child to incorporate all the movements in a group dance.

5.     End: Reflect on the favorite movement and encourage creativity in daily play.

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Children balancing on the logs pretending the logs are a bridge 

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What went as expected:
Children enjoyed imitating the movements like balancing on a log, showing creativity and enthusiasm.

What did not go as expected:
Children struggled with balance movements initially but was able to adapt after a few tries.

What might you do differently next time:
Provide more step-by-step instructions for balance and simplify the movements if necessary.

How might this growth help in your future practice:
In future lessons, I’ll give more focused guidance for movements that involve balance and offer support to help the child build confidence.

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The activities are inspired by my On Country experience at the Cranbourne East playground, where I connected with the environment through sound, movement, and drama. The Sound/Music Activity mirrors my deep listening experience, inspired by Dadirri (Ungunmerr-Baumann, 1993), where children use instruments to replicate natural sounds, fostering creativity and auditory awareness. The Movement/Dance Activity reflects my physical engagement with the playground, like balancing on logs and spiraling like a slide, promoting motor skills and creativity (Wilson, 2007). The Drama Activity draws from my role-play with natural elements, encouraging children to use the playground as a stage to create stories, connected to Reggio Emilia's focus on symbolic play and Vygotsky's role-play theory (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 2012; Vygotsky, 1978).

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Carved stone birds at the playground, which inspired my role-play as a bird. This element of the playground will be used in the drama activity, where children will act out stories and transform these birds into characters for imaginative play.

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A video of me balancing on logs, reflecting the movements that will be used in the movement/dance activity. These actions help children connect their bodies with nature, promoting both physical coordination and creativity.

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Audio clip from the playground, capturing the natural sounds that inspired the sound/music activity. Children will listen to and mimic these sounds, creating their own soundscape using instruments like shakers and sticks.

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Engaging with the unit content has deepened my understanding of how music, movement, and drama can be integrated to create holistic learning experiences in early childhood education. These activities help children explore their identity, connect with their environment, and develop socially and emotionally. The most significant growth came from Edwards, Gandini, & Forman (2012), which emphasized how symbolic play and creative expression build narratives and cognitive skills. This unit expanded my appreciation for Reggio Emilia's philosophy, encouraging children to use their bodies, voices, and imaginations to engage with the world.

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1. Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. (Eds.). (2012). The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (3rd ed.). Praeger.

2. Ungunmerr-Baumann, M. R. (1993). Dadirri: Inner deep listening and quiet still awareness. https://www.dadirri.org.au/

3. 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.

4. Wooten, V. (2013, May 29). Music as a language: Victor Wooten at TEDx Talks [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/2zvjW9arAZ0

5. Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). (2022). Belonging, being & becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (Version 2.0). https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf

6. Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. Basic Books.

7. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.