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AT2 Windswept Soundtrack of an Afternoon Forest (Cecilia)

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AT2 Windswept Soundtrack of an Afternoon Forest (Cecilia)

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Please open it and link it back to the picture.

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Experience 1: Forest Explorer Obstacle Course  Duration: 8 minutes Group: 29 children (3–5 yrs).

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Experience 1: Forest Explorer Obstacle Course  Duration: 8 minutes Group: 29 children (3–5 yrs).

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I set up an obstacle course using ropes, the Balance Stepping Stones Set, and bean bags, inspired by the uneven ground(streamside) and rhythmic stepping of my forest walk in AT2. Each prop played an important role in shaping the experience. The ropes outlined the “creek,” giving children a clear boundary and sparking their imagination of flowing water. The Balance Stepping Stones created uneven “rocks,” challenging balance and rhythm as children hopped across. The bean bags became “forest treasures” or markers to carry, toss, or place along the course, extending the play and narrative.

Children imagined crossing a creek, hopping carefully from “stone” to “stone.” Each step became more than movement, it carried sound. They added playful splashes with their voices and body percussion, turning the obstacle course into a rhythm-making game. Some pretended to be explorers on a quest, while others became animals crossing the water. What began as a balance challenge transformed into a collective performance of sound, rhythm, and imagination

This activity reflects the Hundred Languages of children, where expression can take many forms, such as movement, sound, and story (Gandini, 2012). It also offered an aesthetic experience, where knowledge, emotion, and expression connected through rhythm and pretend play (Vecchi, 2012). The children’s improvised splashes showed how they actively used sound to make meaning (Holloway, 2016). Moreover, the experience demonstrates how embodied movement emerges through relational encounters with place (Environmental Physio, 2021).

From an EYLF perspective, this activity supports Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing and Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators (Department of Education, 2022). The props encouraged confidence, coordination, and problem-solving while also enabling imaginative storytelling and collaboration. By combining movement, music, and imagination, the experience offered a holistic, play-based pathway for learning.

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Experience 2: Nurture Music Circle – Nature Sounds with Instruments Duration: 10 minutes  Group: 12 children (4–5 yrs)

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Experience 2: Nurture Music Circle – Nature Sounds with Instruments Duration: 10 minutes  Group: 12 children (4–5 yrs)

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I began by playing my AT2 soundscape video, which features wind through trees, bird calls, planes overhead, car horns, and the sound of a flowing stream. We then went into the garden to listen carefully for our own sounds. The children leaned in to catch rustling leaves, insect buzzes, and footsteps on the sand. Back in the classroom, each child chose an instrument to mimic one outdoor sound and explained why it matched. We extended the activity into movement: children tiptoed around the circle for bird calls, used low, heavy stomp feet to echo footsteps, and swayed a sand shovel at different levels to represent wind and water. One child even used a toy keyboard to copy a horn sound and then “conducted” the group to move whenever the horn motif returned.

This sequence mirrors my AT2 experience, listening deeply to place and translating sound into rhythm and embodied action. It reflects Wilson’s (2007) argument that nature-based creative play heightens sensory awareness and imagination, as children replay what they notice outdoors in their own unique ways. Framing the session as a collaborative circle aligns with Hanna’s (2014) description of a Reggio-inspired music atelier, where children experiment across sound and movement, justify their choices, and co-create patterns. The progression from listening to representation through instruments supports early musical development as a process of meaning-making rather than simple imitation (Hanna, 2017). Importantly, this activity also speaks to Hamm’s (2015) call for reconciliation pedagogies that begin with listening to Country. By treating the garden as a living source of sound stories, the children were making music while engaging in a practice of respect, where land and soundscape are recognised as teachers disrupted by colonisation yet still holding knowledge for future learning.

From an EYLF perspective, this activity supports Outcomes 2 and 5: Children are connected with and contribute to their world, and Children are effective communicators (Department of Education, 2022). Outdoor listening nurtured ecological awareness, while instrumental and body-based play encouraged communication, creativity, and collaboration.

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Experience 3 Drama performance- A little seed's Journey  Duration: 10-15 minutes, Group: 12 children (4–5 yrs)

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Experience 3 Drama performance- A little seed's Journey  Duration: 10-15 minutes, Group: 12 children (4–5 yrs)

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This drama activity was inspired by my AT2 reflections in the forest, where I noticed cycles of growth all around me. I shaped those ideas into a short story and a dramatic performance, titled 'A Little Seed’s Journey'. The children acted as the seed, the sun, the rain, the wind, and finally, the blooming flowers that grew into a tree. With simple lines, movements, and props, they collaborated to bring each stage to life, allowing every child to join in and find a role that suited them.

This experience extended my AT2 learning by moving from listening to nature into telling its story through drama. Vecchi (2012) describes the arts as aesthetic encounters where imagination, knowledge, and emotion are connected. I saw this as children imagined themselves as natural elements and expressed those ideas through their bodies and voices. Wilson (2007) also explains that creative play in natural contexts helps strengthen children’s awareness of ecological cycles. Here, drama became a playful way for them to embody those cycles. In addition, Edwards, Gandini, and Forman (2012) remind us that Reggio-inspired practice values collective meaning-making. This was evident as the children coordinated their actions and supported each other in the performance.

Through an EYLF lens, the activity supports Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world and Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners (Department of Education, 2022). Acting out the seed’s transformation encouraged environmental connection while also building confidence, imagination, and collaboration.

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Experience 1 – Obstacle course

The children were fully engaged in the obstacle course and enjoyed the movement challenge of hopping from “stone” to “stone.” Their energy and excitement made the activity lively. Because they were so focused on balancing and moving, many children paid less attention to the background sounds. The sound element of the activity became secondary. Next time, I would add a short narrative voice-over to guide the game, so the children feel as if they are in the forest crossing a real creek. I would also ask questions during the activity to draw their attention back to the sounds or story, helping them connect movement with the imaginative soundscape.
How this growth helps future practice: I realised that children’s physical focus can sometimes overshadow other elements. By blending storytelling into movement and prompting reflection during play, I can create richer feedback and keep the activity closely connected to the theme.

Experience 2 – Nurture Music Circle
The children were really drawn to the garden sounds and could quickly link instruments to what they heard outside. Their reasons were often simple but thoughtful, showing how closely they had been listening. A few had trouble waiting for their turn and wanted to play over the top of others, which made it tricky to hear individual sounds. I also noticed that some jumped straight to the instruments without spending enough time exploring with their own voices or bodies. Next time, I’d give them more space to copy sounds themselves first—chirping, buzzing, tapping—before reaching for an instrument. I’d also try smaller groups so it’s easier for everyone to be heard, and so the focus stays on what they actually discovered outside rather than just the “noise” of the instruments. This reminded me that listening is just as important as performing. I need to build quiet pauses into my planning, where children can notice, reflect, and then respond. I also want to design activities that start with children’s discoveries in nature, and only then bring in materials, so their ideas lead the learning rather than the tools I provide.

Experiences 3 - Drama-"A little seed's Journey"

Because the stories are short and closely connected to children's daily lives, they can easily understand the narratives and storylines. The children showed great enthusiasm for the drama show. Every child wanted a role and participated with energy, which made the story come alive. Their eagerness to perform was a highlight.

What did not go as expected: Because of the limited time I had to complete the task, there wasn’t enough opportunity to rehearse properly. As a result, I needed to step in during the performance to remind children of their positions and lines. In the future, I would allow more rehearsal time and keep the staging simpler so children can remember it more easily. I could also use repeated practice of key phrases to help the children feel more confident and less reliant on adult prompts. I learned that children’s enthusiasm is a powerful resource, but it needs time and structure to flourish. Building in rehearsal time and simplifying directions will support both creativity and independence in drama activities.

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These three activities changed how I see music, movement, and drama in early childhood. At first, I treated them as separate areas, but now I understand how easily they come together. A hop on a “stone” can be exercise, rhythm, and a piece of story all at once.

Working with 4–5 year olds reminded me that their creativity is strong but often needs gentle guidance. Some children became so focused on movement that they forgot about sound, while others were so eager to perform that I had to step in with reminders. These moments taught me the value of balancing freedom with structure—using simple prompts, more rehearsal, or moments of listening to deepen the learning.

Listening to Country also shaped how I designed these experiences. The rhythms of wind, water, and bird calls in my AT2 reminded me that Country holds knowledge and stories that guide how children learn through sound and movement. At the same time, I cannot ignore that colonisation has disrupted these soundscapes, replacing them with traffic noise and litter. As Hamm (2015) explains, reconciliation pedagogies ask us to pay attention to these layered histories of place and to teach in ways that are both respectful and responsive. As future educators, I have a responsibility to acknowledge this history and teach with care, so children grow up seeing Country as a living teacher rather than just a backdrop for play (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 2012).

Overall, I now see music, movement, and drama as central to children’s expression and connection with the world. They are not add-ons, but powerful ways for children to imagine, communicate, and learn together.

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Gandini, L. (2012). The hundred languages of children. In C. Edwards, L. Gandini, & G. Forman (Eds.), The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation (3rd ed., pp. 1–26).

Vecchi, V. (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).

Hanna, W. L. (2017). The children’s music studio: A Reggio-inspired approach. Oxford University Press.

reconciliation pedagogies in early childhood education. Canadian Children, 40(2), 56–66.

Environmental Physio. (2021, August 18). The environment as a tool for patient-centred care: A bridge between physiotherapy and dance movement therapy. https://environmentalphysio.com/2021/08/18/the-environment-as-a-tool-for-patient-centred-care-a-bridge-between-physiotherapy-and-dance-movement-therapy/

Department of Education. (2022). Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia(Version 2.0). Australian Government Department of Education.

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. 1–19). Routledge.

Hamm, C. (2015). Walking with place: Storying reconciliation pedagogies in early childhood education. Canadian Children, 40(2), 56–66.

Hanna, W. L. (2014). A Reggio-inspired music atelier: Opening the door between visual arts and music. Early Childhood Education Journal, 42(4), 287–294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-013-0610-8

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