Here I am, walking into the woods.

One foot forward, then the next.

I listen, I feel, and I begin to move.

The wind whispers gently through the trees.

Feels on my skin like a fresh cooling breeze.

I opened my arms, stretching, swaying, and flying with Kookaburras, laughing along.

That sound of ducks waddling filled my ears with the gentle music.

The tree whispers, the river flows, the magpies walking along – singing their own song.

I moved further, enclosed in the scent of trees, sound of nature, and feel of cool breeze.

Every step tells a new story.

Here I am, walking into the woods.

The pictures included in the video were taken on my on country visit.

Also, Ashley Bowman, defined dance and drama in Artifact Dance Project (2018) portraying that it exists in the environment, it just that how we as human experience it. I believe, it offers open thoughts, thinking, creativity, and giving the opportunity to be in environment like this will provide children the wider canvas to outpour their imagination, thoughts, and naturally express their art through building connection to the place.

My creative response was also inspired by how I felt in that place, and how I think children might interpret that environment to include it in their imaginative play. When children will get to explore their world, their sensory stimulation becomes more powerful, and it actively build pathways to cognitive development, and high thinking ability.

Like Pauline Oliveros (2015) said, about deep listening, “listening in a new way, the ear hears, the brain listens, the body sense the vibrations”.

I would love to let my children experience more of it, and sense the world through their experience, and exploration.

I thought creating that peaceful environment and following slow pedagogy in my classroom will naturally allow children to feel each movement and explore through self-pace, bond with the peers, flawlessly without instructing them what to do. I do believe what Wooten (2013) said, that “children are born with freedom”, and we educators should not take it away from them, and create a supportive environment where, “children blossom and grow, not within themselves but as a whole nation” (Dadirri, 2017), creating a stronger future.

Additionally, I believe that outdoor open environment does wonder, and children get more opportunity to do problem-solving, strengthen their whole body through active movement, and build social relationship through negotiation in their play. So, it is important to provide free flow access to indoor and outdoor environment like the philosophy of Reggio Emilia states, “the learning environment is the “third teacher” in early childhood education, after the two classroom teachers (Edwards, Gandini & Forman, 1998). This environment should include not only the indoor early childhood classroom, but also the outdoor environment. The environment where children play has an effect on them and the quality of their play.”

I resonate with Vea Vecchi’s conversation, that nature acts as a living atelier, the wind, water, shadows, stones, and trees all offer provocations and materials that support open-ended exploration. Same as Hundred languages of Reggio Emilia, the nature also offers hundred languages and inherent aesthetic richness – the rhythm of rustling leaves, the dancing sun light, singing of birds, and beautiful landscape. This will not only offer the open-ended play to children but leads to cognitive and emotional stimuli.

Marisa (2019) also supported in article, “The Importance of Pretend Play in Natural Settings”, that when children are given the space and play outdoors, they truly grow as a whole child.

My discussion with my peers in breakout room on “Pretense and Private speech” helped me understand further how the environment and imaginative play support children. The group outcome, “Vygotsky believes that private speech gives children impulse control and self-regulatory skills.

Socio-dramatic play encourages the development of private speech, and gives children the tools for emotional regulation, peer collaboration, social skills, independence and imagination. Studies have shown that make-believe play puts children in a Zone of Proximal Development in which they can practice self-regulation and construct social relationships.”