In my Country visit, I visited “Le Page Homestead Plenty Gorge Park.” It has a beautiful view of plenty river and wooded areas with fantastic picnic spots. As I walked on the lush green grass, I noticed lovely white flower beds scattered throughout the grass. It reminded me the white hail drop during heavy rain. I kept walking, and I felt the heavy winds brushing on the trees. The heavy wind gusts made it seem like trees were dancing. The sounds of the heavy winds resembled a dinosaur roar in my ear, and I could feel its strong breeze on my body and face.

Walking on the beautiful valley path, Listening to the birds chirping and singing continuously calming me down. The birds were flying around everywhere.I was connected to nature and the land and mesmerised by the views of the area. The picnic area looks incredibly dynamic with its big lush green trees, leafless trees and flowers full of trees, which I found to symbolise life and emotion in season.

 I enjoyed walking alongside the river trail, and suddenly a sharp quacking sound caught my ear. I looked at the river, and I found mother ducks calling to her children and baby ducks responding to her and they reunited in the place. From the duck movement, a beautiful water wave is created in the river, which mesmerises me.

Giving us oxygen and beautiful greenery.

 Branches swishing through the wind

 Sounds like a roaring Dino playing behind.

Birds open up both wings and fly

Small trees, big trees, in the sky.

Tiny flower bed in big plush green

Seems like hail through the stormy rain.

Quack quack quack mother duck call

Baby duck swimming following all.

Looking at my video and photo collection amazed me with the natural element. Those elements connected me with the place. The way the strong wind gust was brushing the tree branches, I felt like trees are dancing. Dance in early childhood is fun. With dance and movement, children use their body movements to express what they hear from sounds or music. Children have relaxed through the dance and movement since their earlier days. Dance supports the development of children’s body muscles, balance, and eye focus. It also encourages children to use their imagination and be creative in their play. Through the dance activity, children begin to understand the symbolism. Dance in nature offers children the opportunity to learn through touch, feel and through all other senses.

During my country visit, Sounds from the wind fascinated me, giving the dinosaurs roar sounds, which excited me. I was thinking of playing like a child, stomping and making dinosaur sounds. The bird chirping also reminds me of lullabies. Dr. Ibrahim H. Baltagi mentioned in his masterclass that music supports children’s brain development during pregnancy to school readiness. Music can calm babies and help them settle their emotions. At the same time, learning musical instruments can enhance children’s mathematical learning.

I observe several dramatic metaphors in my country’s visit to nature. I saw beautiful small white flower beds scatter within lush green grass, which reminded me of hail during heavy rain. This brought back my childhood memories of collecting hail balls with my friends and playing with it in our neighbourhood group.   I also discovered a mother duck in the river making quacking sounds and calling her babies, and young ducks responded to her calls, assuring with their own sounds that they were returning to their families. It was a beautiful and dramatic moment of a family reunion.

An outdoor area filled with natural elements featuring various kind of temporal arts. We observe the movement of the tree and hear the sounds of the wind and feel. The scenery and the shape of nature which all connect me with the land. The natural world offers the calmness that refreshes us effortlessly. We connect with nature through all our senses and feel the language of the temporal arts created by nature.

“…Let your senses and body stretch out like a welcomed season onto the meadows and shores and hills…Greet yourself in your thousand other forms…”  ~ Hafiz

Outdoor play takes a very important part in young children’s lives. When children participate in complex collaborative pretend play, they can able to regulate their emotions better and gain problem-solving skills. Preschool-age children participate in pretend play, which enhances their interaction with their peers, strengthening their ability to connect with others in a healthier way. Young children are fascinated by nature and associated with the natural environment deeply, such as animals, trees, flowers, sand, water, dirt, and many more. Children discover around them in a unique way than adults. R. Willison emphasises play in a natural environment provides more opportunities for children to use their imagination, be creative in their play and connect with nature through all senses. It also promotes holistic development in children through creative play. Walking on grass, sand, water, and tree roots supports children's balancing and sensory skills. Playing with flowers, wind, leaves, and birds noticing colours, and shapes of clouds, and trees supports children’s cognitive development. Playing with the natural environment unfolds children’s hidden fear of nature and builds an environmental ethic that fosters children to learn through nature.

Early childhood is a crucial period for developing self-regulation skills. According to Vygotsky’s theory, children learn to adapt their self-regulation skills by waiting for their turn in their desired play and toys, willingly helping adults or peers in tasks and engaging in imaginative play. Self-regulation flourishes in early childhood days, allowing children to learn and grow through their imaginative play experience.

https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/content/enforced/1816406-ECE2008-1-2023-HWB-151670/the-sage-handbook-of-play-and-learning-in-early-childhood%

Ariana Candell,  April 2013, Movement in the Wild: Nature as Dance Partner, The Early Childhood Institute Programs

https://www.theearthbodyinstitute.com/2017/03/movement-in-the-wild-nature-as-dance-partner/

Dr. Ibrahim H. Baltagi, 13 Jun 2019,

Is your baby getting enough music? | UNICEF

https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/how-music-affects-your-babys-brain-class#:~:text=Music%20at%20early%20ages%20helps,these%20wo

DanceTeachingIdeas,2024,

https://danceteachingideas.com/creative-dance-movement-for-toddlers/

Marisa Lark Wallin, June 2019, Let's Play Outside:The Importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings, https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/the-importance-of-pretend-play-in-natural-settings#:~:text=When%20children%20are%20given%20the

Wilson, R, 2007, Children, creative play, and the natural environment

https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/content/enforced/1816406-ECE2008-1-2023-HWB-151670/Nature_and_Young_Children_Encouraging_Creative_Pla..._--