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Lark Wallin, M. (2019, June). The Importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings. Www.communityplaythings.com. 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

Creative Dance for Early Childhood |. (2020, June 7). https://danceteachingideas.com/creative-dance-movement-for-toddlers/

Movement in the Wild: Nature as Dance Partner - The Earthbody Institute. (2017, March 26). https://www.theearthbodyinstitute.com/2017/03/movement-in-the-wild-nature-as-dance-partner/

The Atelier - The school without walls. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. https://youtu.be/vNAKhgATlAo

How singing together changes the brain: Tania de Jong AM at TEDxMelbourne. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. https://youtu.be/I_HOBr8H9EM

Learn how to create Foley art. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://youtu.be/slBnlicFEA4

Wooten, V. (2013, May 29). Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDxGabriolaIsland. YouTube. https://youtu.be/2zvjW9arAZ0

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This drama activity was inspired while I was On Country visit by the rain drops dazzling through the street lamps so I felt like it was asking me to dance. It was a truly magical experience when you're actively observing what was happening around you. So I decided to read a story and let children recreate their feelings through Drama.

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My Movement /Dance activity was inspired by the poem “voice of the rainy night". All the movements such as rain falling, leaves rustling, splashing puddles, twigs breaking,  lights flickering and wind whispering inspired me, so I thought I'd bring these movements to life by creating a yoga activity.

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Materials:

Rain sound movements (online rain music.  https://youtu.be/nHeuZ8EIbSU

Open space for movement activities (outdoor/indoor)

Procedure :

Gather the children and explain that today, they will explore movement and dance inspired by the rain.

Play rain sound recording and invite the children to listen attentively and guide children to do warm up exercises by stretching their hands and neck .

Guide the children in imitating rain-related movements: such as wind, birds, vehicles, streetlights, and puddles. Ask them to imagine how these elements move and sound during a rainstorm.

Guide the children in imitating rain-related movements:

Wind: Children can sway their bodies from side to side, imitating the gentle or strong gusts of wind.

Birds: Children can flap their arms gently like birds flying in the rain.

Vehicles: Children can pretend to be cars or buses moving through the rain by stomping their feet or making zooming sounds.

Streetlights: Children can raise their arms up high, imitating streetlights standing tall in the rain.

Puddles: Children can jump or tiptoe lightly, mimicking the splashing and bouncing movements of raindrops hitting puddles.

Cool-Down and Reflection: Gradually lower the volume of the rain sound recording and guide the children to slow down their movements.

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Title: "rain dance yoga"

This activity is planned for children ages of 3 - 5. children will explore rhythm, body awareness, and creative expression through guided movement exercises. The lesson duration is a maximum of 10 minutes. By participating in Rain Dance Yoga, children will have the opportunity to showcase their understanding of movement while enjoying playful and guided movement exercises.

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Rationale/Justification:

The rationale behind this session is to foster creativity, self-expression, and body awareness among children, while also encouraging them to develop a sense of rhythm and coordination.

Theoretical Perspectives and Interconnection:

The Atelier School without Walls: This perspective emphasises providing children with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities that connect them with their environment. In this lesson plan, the use of rain sound recordings and imitating rain-related movements creates a sensory-rich experience, aligning with the Atelier approach. This activity also aligns with the ideas of Julia Hollander and Murray Schafer on the importance of movement and embodiment in music education (Hollander, 2017) (Schafer, 1994).

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My sound/music activity, "Rainfall symphony" was inspired by the gutter noise from my On Country visit. While I was listening, I lifted the iPad high above then lowered my iPad to catch the variation of sound. This inspired me to recreate the sounds using pots, pans, spoons, colanders and water.

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Start by gathering a variety of pots and pans in different sizes and shapes, along with different types of spoons (e.g. wooden, metal, plastic).

Introduce the materials to the children and ask them if they have ever used pots, pans, spoons and colanders to make rain music before and let children know we are going to create the rain music.

Demonstrate how to create different sounds using the pots, pans, and spoons, such as hitting them softly or loudly, hitting them with different parts of the spoon, or scraping the spoons against the pots and pans.

Provide support and guidance where needed to help children develop their musical skills and creativity.

Engage in play with the children, using open-ended questions to encourage communication and critic

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Title: "Rainfall Symphony"

In this activity, children will explore different sounds and create their own musical composition inspired by the water running through the gutter. They will use various objects and instruments to mimic the sounds of water running down the gutter such as tapping on pots and pans and patting on sticks together. They will then collaborate to create the gutter noise sound using a colander and water by pouring water into the colander.

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Rationale/Justification:

This activity provides an opportunity for children to engage in creative expression and collaborative music-making. By participating in this activity, children can demonstrate their understanding of sound, rhythm, and composition.

Theoretical Perspectives:

This activity aligns with the ideas of Victor Wooten and Julia Hollander on the importance of creative expression and the power of music as a means of communication and connection (Wooten, 2006) ( Hollander, 2017). The use of various instruments and objects connects to the concept of foley art discussed by Victor Zupanc (Zupanc, 2019).

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What went as expected:

The children were highly engaged in the activity and showed enthusiasm in creating their rain sounds. They enjoyed collaborating and layering their sounds to compose the rainfall symphony, specially making rain sounds using the colander. When the educator (me) asked what this noise reminds you of, some of the kids were able to say it sounds like rain. For some children, I had to encourage children to listen carefully, so they could understand and remember the sound.

What did not go as expected:

Some children were not ready to play with pots and pans. They wanted to make rainy sounds using the colander but I didn’t have many colanders so I had to encourage children to take turns. One of the educators wanted me to have the children make rain sounds by tapping their thumb nails together and their two fingers together and etc. This was a very sudden request but I took on the feedback.

What might you do differently next time:

I might find some more colanders and set up a rainy day sound making activity to address the coordination challenges. I would also bring a tape recorder and record the sounds that children were making so I can introduce that as our new sleep music (write this on our floor book/quality improvement plan). I'll also ask for feedback from other educators about the plan before I start the activity.

Also, I would like to Encourage children to experiment with different materials and techniques to create their own unique sounds and rhythms.

How might you use this growth in your future practice of early childhood education:

This experience highlights the importance of providing opportunities for children to engage in creative expression and collaborative music-making. I would incorporate more folly art to create music activities into my future practice to foster children's creativity, communication skills, and appreciation for the natural world.

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What went as expected?

The warming up using rain sound recordings effectively created a calm and immersive atmosphere, setting the tone for the voices of the rain inspired movement exploration. The children actively engaged in imitating rain related movements and expressed their creativity through various gestures and sounds. The cool down and reflection phase provided an opportunity for children to calm their senses .

What did not go as expected?

The short duration of the lesson (maximum 10 minutes) have limited the time available for children to fully explore and express their creativity. Some children needed more time to embody and experiment with the movements. Also, some children needed more guidance and support during the movement activity.

What might you do differently next time?

Next time, adding props for children to choose would be beneficial to be more creative through their movements. I would allocate a longer duration for the lesson to allow for a more immersive experience. Additionally, I would provide individualised support and guidance to children who need it during the movement activity.

How might you use this growth in your future practice of early childhood education?

In my future practice of early childhood education, I will create sensory-rich environments, allocate more time for exploration, provide individualised support, and incorporate props to enhance creativity and engagement in movement activities like Rain Dance Yoga.

In my future practice of early childhood education, I will utilise the lessons learned from this experience. I will allocate a longer duration for movement activities, ensuring that children have ample time to explore and express themselves. Additionally, I will provide individualised support and guidance to children who require it, fostering their participation and understanding. By incorporating these adjustments, I aim to create more enriching and engaging movement experiences  in my setting.

Overall reflection:

Implementing Rain Dance Yoga was positive, with active engagement and creative expression. The short duration limited exploration, and some children needed more guidance. Lessons learned will inform longer sessions, individualised support, and the inclusion of props to foster creativity in future early childhood education practices.

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Materials:

"Ellie and the Rainy Day" storybook

Props and costumes related to the story (e.g., raincoats, umbrellas, rain boots, etc.)

Open space for dramatic play

Procedure:

Gather children in a circle and introduce the story "Ellie and the Rainy Day."

Discuss the concept of rainy days and how they make us feel.

Read the story "Ellie and the Rainy Day" aloud to the children, using expressive voices and gestures.

Ask open-ended questions to stimulate their imagination and critical thinking.

Provide the children with props and costumes related to the story.

Guide the children to act out a short scene from the story .

Support and prompt them as needed to help them develop their acting skills

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Title: “Dancing in the rain’

This drama activity aims to engage children aged 3-5 in Dramatic play, develop their communication and language skills, and promote creativity and social interaction. This activity goes on for a maximum of 10 minutes. The lesson uses the story "Ellie and the Rainy Day" as a basis for dramatic play, where children can explore the concept of rainy days and express their emotions and ideas through storytelling.

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Rationale/Justification:

Drama engages children in imaginative play, fostering cognitive and social-emotional development. It promotes communication skills through verbal expression and storytelling. Props and costumes stimulate creativity, allowing children to invent new scenes. Drama activities encourage social interaction, cooperation, and negotiation. The story's theme connects to real-life experiences, supporting children's connection to their world. By incorporating drama, children actively engage, develop language and social skills, and explore rainy days in a fun and meaningful way.

The theoretical perspective :

The article "Let's Play Outside emphasises the importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings" (Wallin, 2019) supports the use of dramatic play in natural settings, like the rainy day lesson with Ellie. It highlights the benefits of pretend play in fostering children's creativity, problem-solving skills, and connection to the natural world.

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What went as expected?

The children were highly engaged, by sharing their thoughts, one child said that “a rainbow comes when it’s rainy and sunny at the same time” children used facial expressions and gestures to bring the story to life. Props enhanced imaginative play, and the storytelling segment encouraged active participation and sharing of experiences.

What did not go as expected?

Limited time hindered fully exploring the dramatic play experience.I didn’t have many umbrellas  and rain boots sufficient for all the children.

What might you do differently next time?

Extend the duration for children to freely express their imaginations and be more prepared with props. Provide opportunities for individual exploration and expression by setting up a station with the Ellie and the rainy day book and a basket of props.

How might you use this growth in your future practice?

Engaging with the unit content shifted my perspective on the importance of music, movement, and drama. I now prioritise incorporating these in early childhood education, promoting language development, social interaction, and imaginative thinking. I will extend lesson duration, integrate activities, and encourage individual creativity.

Overall reflection on music, movement, and drama:

Engaging with the unit content changed my perspective, recognizing their significance in early childhood education. Props, costumes, and open-ended questions enhance engagement and learning. I value their role in promoting language, social skills, and imaginative thinking. I will integrate them intentionally and effectively, creating more meaningful experiences for young learners.